the turmoil-第25章

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and　sometimes　the　driver　became　audible；　　coughing　asthmatically；　or　saying；

〃You；　JOE！〃　with　a　spiritless　flap　of　　the　whip　upon　an　unresponsive　back。

Oblongs　of　light　from　the　lamps　at　　street…corners　came　swimming　into　the

interior　of　the　coupe　and；　thinning　　rapidly　to　lances；　passed　utterly；

leaving　greater　darkness。　　And　yet　　neither　of　these　two　last　attendants　at

Jim　Sheridan's　funeral　broke　the　　silence。



It　was　Mary　who　preceived　the　strangeness　of　ittoo　late。　　Abruptly　　she

realized　that　for　an　indefinite　interval　she　had　been　thinking　of　her

companion　and　not　talking　to　him。　　〃Mr。　Sheridan；〃　she　began；　not　knowing

what　she　was　going　to　say；　but　impelled　to　say　anything；　as　she　realized　　the

queerness　of　this　drive〃Mr。　Sheridan；　I〃



The　coupe　stopped。　　〃You；　JOE！〃　said　the　driver；　reproachfully；　and　　climbed

down　and　opened　the　door。



〃What's　the　trouble？〃　Bibbs　inquired。



〃Lady　said　stop　at　the　first　house　north　of　Mr。　Sheridan's；　sir。〃



Mary　was　incredulous；　she　felt　that　it　couldn't　be　true　and　that　it　　mustn't

be　true　that　they　had　driven　all　the　way　without　speaking。



〃What？〃　Bibbs　demanded。



〃We're　there；　sir；〃　said　the　driver；　sympathetically。　　〃Next　house　north　　of

Mr。　Sheridan's。〃



Bibbs　descended　to　the　curb。　　〃Why；　yes；〃　he　said。　　〃Yes；　you　seem　to　be

right。〃　　And　while　he　stood　staring　at　the　dimly　illuminated　front　　windows　of

Mr。　Vertrees's　house　Mary　got　out；　unassisted。



〃Let　me　help　you；〃　said　Bibbs；　stepping　toward　her　mechanically；　and　she　　was

several　feet　from　the　coupe　when　he　spoke。



〃Oh　no；〃　she　murmured。　　〃I　think　I　can〃　　She　meant　that　she　could　get　　out

of　the　coupe　without　help；　but；　perceiving　that　she　had　already　　accomplished

this　feat；　she　decided　not　to　complete　the　sentence。



〃You；　JOE！〃　cried　the　driver；　angrily；　climbing　to　his　box。　　And　he　　rumbled

away　at　his　team's　best　pacea　snail's。



〃Thank　you　for　bringing　me　home；　Mr。　Sheridan；〃　said　Mary；　stiffly。　　She　　did

not　offer　her　hand。　　〃Good　night。〃



〃Good　night；〃　Bibbs　said　in　response；　and；　turning　with　her；　walked　　beside

her　to　the　door。　　Mary　made　that　a　short　walk；　she　almost　ran。　　　Realization

of　the　queerness　of　their　drive　was　growing　upon　her；　　beginning　to　shock　her；

she　stepped　aside　from　the　light　that　fell　　through　the　glass　panels　of　the

door　and　withheld　her　hand　as　it　touched　　the　old…fashioned　bell…handle。



〃I'm　quite　safe；　thank　you；〃　she　said；　with　a　little　emphasis。　　〃Good　night。〃



〃Good　night；〃　said　Bibbs；　and　went　obediently。　　When　he　reached　the　　street　he

looked　back；　but　she　had　vanished　within　the　house。



Moving　slowly　away；　he　caromed　against　two　people　who　were　turning　out　　from

the　pavement　to　cross　the　street。　　They　were　Roscoe　and　his　wife。



〃Where　are　your　eyes；　Bibbs？〃　demanded　Roscoe。　　〃Sleep…walking；　as　usual？〃



But　Sibyl　took　the　wanderer　by　the　arm。　　〃Come　over　to　our　house　for　a　　little

while；　Bibbs；〃　she　urged。　　〃I　want　to〃



〃No；　I'd　better〃



〃Yes。　　I　want　you　to。　　Your　father's　gone　to　bed；　and　they're　all　quiet　　over

thereall　worn　out。　　Just　come　for　a　minute。〃



He　yielded；　and　when　they　were　in　the　house　she　repeated　herself　with　　real

feeling：　〃'All　worn　out！'　　Well；　if　anybody　is；　YOU　are；　Bibbs！　　And　　I　don't

wonder；　you've　done　every　bit　of　the　work　of　it。　　You　mustn't　get　　down　sick

again。　　I'm　going　to　make　you　take　a　little　brandy。〃



He　let　her　have　her　own　way；　following　her　into　the　dining…room；　and　was

grateful　when　she　brought　him　a　tiny　glass　filled　from　one　of　the　　decanters

on　the　sideboard。　　Roscoe　gloomily　poured　for　himself　a　much　　heavier　libation

in　a　larger　glass；　and　the　two　men　sat；　while　Sibyl　　leaned　against　the

sideboard；　reviewing　the　episodes　of　the　day　and　　recalling　the　names　of　the

donors　of　flowers　and　wreaths。　　She　pressed　　Bibbs　to　remain　longer　when　he

rose　to　go；　and　then；　as　he　persisted；　she　　went　with　him　to　the　front　door。

He　opened　it；　and　she　said：



〃Bibbs；　you　were　coming　out　of　the　Vertreeses'　house　when　we　met　you。　　　How

did　you　happen　to　be　there？〃



〃I　had　only　been　to　the　door；〃　he　said。　　〃Good　night；　Sibyl。〃



〃Wait；〃　she　insisted。　　〃We　saw　you　coming　out。〃



〃I　wasn't；〃　he　explained；　moving　to　depart。　　〃I'd　just　brought　Miss　　Vertrees

home。〃



〃What？〃　she　cried。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　and　stepped　out　upon　the　porch；　〃that　was　it。　　Good　　night；

Sibyl。〃



〃Wait！〃　she　said；　following　him　across　the　threshold。　　〃How　did　that　　happen？

I　thought　you　were　going　to　wait　while　those　men　filled　the　the〃　　She

paused；　but　moved　nearer　him　insistently。



〃I　did　wait。　　Miss　Vertrees　was　there；〃　he　said；　reluctantly。　　〃She　had

walked　away　for　a　while　and　didn't　notice　that　the　carriages　were　　leaving。

When　she　came　back　the　coupe　waiting　for　me　was　the　only　one　left。〃



She　regarded　him　with　dilating　eyes。　　She　spoke　with　a　slow　　breathlessness。

〃And　she　drove　home　from　Jim's　funeralwith　you！〃



Without　warning　she　burst　into　laughter；　clapped　her　hand　ineffectually　　over

her　mouth；　and　ran　back　uproariously　into　the　house；　hurling　the　　door　shut

behind　her。





Bibbs　went　home　pondering。　　He　did　not　understand　why　Sibyl　had　laughed。　　　The

laughter　itself　had　been　spontaneous　and　beyond　suspicion；　but　it　　seemed　to

him　that　she　had　only　affected　to　effort　to　suppress　it　and　　that　she　wished

it　to　be　significant。　　Significant　of　what？　　And　why　had　　she　wished　to

impress　upon　him　the　fact　of　her　overwhelming　amusement？　　　He　found　no　answer；

but　she　had　succeeded　in　disturbing　him；　and　he　　wished　that　he　had　not

encountered　her。



At　home；　uncles；　aunts；　and　cousins　from　out　of　town　were　wandering　about　　the

house；　several　mournfully　admiring　the　〃Bay　of　Naples；〃　and　others　　occupied

with　the　Moor　and　the　plumbing；　while　they　waited　for　trains。　　　Edith　and　her

mother　had　retired　to　some　upper　fastness；　but　Bibbs　　interviewed　Jackson　and

had　the　various　groups　of　relatives　summoned　to　　the　dining…room　for　food。

One　great…uncle；　old　Gideon　Sheridan　from　　Boonville；　could　not　be　found；　and

Bibbs　went　in　search　of　him。　　He　　ransacked　the　house；　discovering　the　missing

antique　at　last　by　　accident。　　Passing　his　father's　closed　door　on　tiptoe；

Bibbs　heard　a　　murmurous　sound；　and　paused　to　listen。　　The　sound　proved　to　be

a　quavering　　and　rickety　voice；　monotonously　bleating：



〃The　Lo…ord　givuth　and　the　Lo…ord　takuth　away！　　We　got　to　remember　that；　　we

got　to　remember　that！　　I'm　a…gittin'　along；　James；　I'm　a…gittin'　　along；　and

I've　seen　a…many　of　'em　gotwo　daughters　and　a　son　the　Lord　　give　me；　and　He

has　taken　all　away。　　For　the　Lo…ord　givuth　and　the　Lo…ord　　takuth　away！

Remember　the　words　of　Bildad　the　Shuhite；　James。　　Bildad　　the　Shuhite　says；

'He　shall　have　neither　son　nor　nephew　among　his　people；　　nor　any　remaining　in

his　dwellings。'　　Bildad　the　Shuhite〃



Bibbs　opened　the　door　softly。　　His　father　was　lying　upon　the　bed；　in　his

underclothes；　face　downward；　and　Uncle　Gideon　sat　near　by；　swinging　　backward

and　forward　in　a　rocking…chair；　stroking　his　long　white　beard　　and　gazing　at

the　ceiling　as　he　talked。　　Bibbs　beckoned　him　urgently；　but　　Uncle　Gideon　paid

no　attention。



〃Bibdad　the　Shuhite　spake　and　his　says；　'If　thy　children　have　sinned　　against

Him　and　He　have　cast　them　away〃



There　was　a　muffled　explosion　beneath　the　floor；　and　the　windows　　rattled。

The　figure　lying　face　downward　on　the　bed　did　not　move；　but　　Uncle　Gideon

leaped　from　his　chair。　　〃My　God！〃　he　cried。　　〃What's　that？〃



There　came　a　second　explosion；　and　Uncle　Gideon　ran　out　into　the　hall。　　　Bibbs

went　to　the　head　of　the　great　staircase；　and；　looking　down；　　discovered　the

source　of　the　distubance。　　Gideon's　grandson；　a　boy　of　　fourteen；　had　brought

his　camera　to　the　funeral　and　was　taking　　〃flash…lights〃　of　the　Moor。　　Uncle

Gideon；　reassured　by　Bibbs's　　explanation；　would　have　returned　to　finish　his

quotation　from　Bildad　the　　Shuhite；　but　Bibbs　deta