the turmoil-第28章

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laughin'　with　that　Lamhorn。　　She'd　oughtn't　to　let　him　come；　　right　the　very

first　evening　this　way；　she'd　oughtn't　to　done　it！　　She　　just　seems　to　lose

her　head　over　him；　and　it　scares　me。　　You　heard　what　　Sibyl　said　the　other

day；　andand　you　heard　whatwhat〃



〃What　Edith　said　to　Sibyl？〃　　Bibbs　finished　the　sentence　for　her。



〃We　CAN'T　have　any　trouble　o'　THAT　kind！〃　she　wailed。　　〃Oh；　it　looks　as　if

movin'　up　to　this　New　House　had　brought　us　awful　bad　luck！　　It　scares　　me！〃

She　put　both　her　hands　over　her　face。　　〃Oh；　Bibbs；　Bibbs！　if　you　　only　wasn't

so　QUEER！　　If　you　could　only　been　a　kind　of　dependable　son！　　　I　don't　know

what　we're　all　comin'　to！〃　　And；　weeping；　she　followed　her　　husband。



Bibbs　gazed　for　a　while　at　the　fire；　then　he　rose　abruptly；　like　a　man　　who

has　come　to　a　decision；　and　briskly　sought　the　roomit　was　called　　〃the

smoking…room〃where　Edith　sat　with　Mr。　Lamhorn。　　They　looked　up　　in　no

welcoming　manner；　at　Bibbs's　entrance；　and　moved　their　chairs　to　a　　less

conspicuous　adjacency。



〃Good　evening；〃　said　Bibbs；　pleasantly；　and　he　seated　himself　in　a　　leather

easy…chair　near　them。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Edith；　plainly　astonished。



〃Nothing；〃　he　returned；　smiling。



She　frowned。　　〃Did　you　want　something？〃　she　asked。



〃Nothing　in　the　world。　　Father　and　mother　have　gone　up…stairs；　I　sha'n't　　be

going　up　for　several　hours；　and　there　didn't　seem　to　be　anybody　left　　for　me

to　chat　with　except　you　and　Mr。　Lamhorn。〃



〃'CHAT　with'！〃　she　echoed；　incredulously。



〃I　can　talk　about　almost　anything；〃　said　Bibbs　with　an　air　of　genial

politeness。　　〃It　doesn't　matter　to　ME。　　I　don't　know　much　about　business　　if

that's　what　you　happened　to　be　talking　about。　　But　you　aren't　in　　business；

are　you；　Mr。　Lamhorn。



〃Not　now；〃　returned　Lamhorn；　shortly。



〃I'm　not；　either；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃It　was　getting　cloudier　than　usual；　I

noticed；　just　before　dark；　and　there　was　wind　from　the　southwest。　　Rain

to…morrow；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised。〃



He　seemed　to　feel　that　he　had　begun　a　conversation　the　support　of　which　　had

now　become　the　pleasurable　duty　of　other　parties；　and　he　sat　　expectantly；

looking　first　at　his　sister；　then　at　Lamhorn；　as　if　implying　　that　it　was

their　turn　to　speak。　　Edith　returned　his　gaze　with　a　mixture　　of　astonishment

and　increasing　anger；　while　Mr。　Lamhorn　was　obviously　　disturbed；　though　Bibbs

had　been　as　considerate　as　possible　in　presenting　　the　weather　as　a　topic。

Bibbs　had　perceived　that　Lamhorn　had　nothing　in　　his　mind　at　any　time　except

〃personalities〃he　could　talk　about　people　　and　he　could　make　love。　　Bibbs；

wishing　to　be　courteous；　offered　the　weather。



Lamhorn　refused　it；　and　concluded　from　Bibbs's　luxurious　attitude　in　the

leather　chair　that　this　half…crazy　brother　was　a　permanent　fixture　for　　the

rest　of　the　evening。　　There　was　not　reason　to　hope　that　he　would　　move；　and

Lamhorn　found　himself　in　danger　of　looking　silly。



〃I　was　just　going；〃　he　said；　rising。



〃Oh　NO！〃　Edith　cried；　sharply。



〃Yes。　　Good　night！　　I　think　I〃



〃Too　bad；〃　said　Bibbs；　genially；　walking　to　the　door　with　the　visitor；　　while

Edith　stood　staring　as　the　two　disappeared　in　the　hall。　　She　heard　　Bibbs

offering　to　〃help〃　Lamhorn　with　his　overcoat　and　the　latter　rather　　curtly

declining　assistance；　these　episodes　of　departure　being　followed　　by　the

closing　of　the　outer　door。　　She　ran　into　the　hall。



〃What's　the　matter　with　you？〃　she　cried；　furiously。　　〃What　do　you　MEAN？　　　How

did　you　dare　come　in　there　when　you　knew〃



Her　voice　broke；　she　made　a　gesture　of　rage　and　despair；　and　ran　up　the

stairs；　sobbing。　　She　fled　to　her　mother's　room；　and　when　Bibbs　came　up；　　a

few　minutes　later；　Mrs。　Sheridan　met　him　at　his　door。



〃Oh；　Bibbs；〃　she　said；　shaking　her　head　woefully；　〃you'd　oughtn't　to　　distress

your　sister！　　She　says　you　drove　that　young　man　right　out　of　the　　house。

You'd　ought　to　been　more　considerate。〃



Bibbs　smiled　faintly；　noting　that　Edith's　door　was　open；　with　Edith's　　naive

shadow　motionless　across　its　threshold。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　　〃He　　doesn't　appear

to　much　of　a　'man's　man。'　　He　ran　at　just　a　glimpse　of　one。〃



Edith's　shadow　moved；　her　voice　came　quavering：　〃You　call　yourself　one？〃



〃No；　no；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　said；　'just　a　glimpse　of　one。'　　I　didn't　claim　　〃

But　her　door　slammed　angrily；　and　he　turned　to　his　mother。



〃There；〃　he　said；　sighing。　　〃That's　almost　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　　ever

tried　to　be　a　man　of　action；　mother；　and　I　succeeded　perfectly　in　　what　I

tried　to　do。　　As　a　consequence　I　feel　like　a　horse…thief！〃



〃You　hurt　her　feelin's；〃　she　groaned。　　〃You　must　'a'　gone　at　it　too　　rough；

Bibbs。〃



He　looked　upon　her　wanly。　　〃That's　my　trouble；　mother；〃　he　murmured。　　　〃I'm　a

plain；　blunt　fellow。　　I　have　rough　ways；　and　I'm　a　rough　man。〃



For　once　she　perceived　some　meaning　in　his　queerness。　　〃Hush　your　　nonsense！〃

she　said；　good…naturedly；　the　astral　of　a　troubled　smile　　appearing。　　〃You　go

to　bed。〃



He　kissed　her　and　obeyed。



Edith　gave　him　a　cold　greeting　the　next　morning　at　the　breakfast…table。



〃You　mustn't　do　that　under　a　misapprehension；〃　he　warned　her；　when　they　　were

alone　in　the　dining…room。



〃Do　what　under　a　what？〃　she　asked。



〃Speak　to　me。　　I　came　into　the　smoking…room　last　night　'on　purpose；'〃　he　　told

her；　gravely。　　〃I　have　a　prejudice　against　that　young　man。〃



She　laughed。　　〃I　guess　you　think　it　means　a　great　deal　who　you　have

prejudices　against！〃　　In　mockery　she　adopted　the　manner　of　one　who　　implores。

〃Bibbs；　for　pity's　sake　PROMISE　me；　DON'T　use　YOUR　influence　　with　papa

against　him！〃　　And　she　laughed　louder。



〃Listen；〃　he　said；　with　peculiar　earnestness。　　〃I'll　tell　you　now；

becausebecause　I've　decided　I'm　one　of　the　family。〃　　And　then；　as　if　　the

earnestness　were　too　heavy　for　him　to　carry　it　further；　he　continued；　　in　his

usual　tone；　〃I'm　drunk　with　power；　Edith。〃



〃What　do　you　want　to　tell　me？〃　she　damanded；　brusquely。



〃Lamhorn　made　love　to　Sibyl；〃　he　said。



Edith　hooted。　〃SHE　did　to　HIM！　　And　because　you　overheard　that　spat　　between

us　the　other　day　when　I　the　same　of　accused　her　of　it；　and　said　　something

like　that　to　you　afterward〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　gravely。　　〃I　KNOW。〃



〃How？〃



〃I　was　there；　one　day　a　week　ago；　with　Roscoe；　and　I　heard　Sibyl　and

Lamhorn〃



Edith　screamed　with　laughter。　　〃You　were　with　ROSCOEand　you　heard　　Lamhorn

making　love　to　Sibyl！〃



〃No。　　I　heard　them　quarreling。〃



〃You're　funnier　than　ever；　Bibbs！〃　she　cried。　　〃You　say　he　made　love　to　　her

because　you　heard　them　quarreling！〃



〃That's　it。　　If　you　want　to　know　what's　'between'　people；　you　canby　　the　way

they　quarrel。〃



〃You'll　kill　me；　Bibbs！　　What　were　they　quarreling　about？〃



〃Nothing。　　That's　how　I　knew。　　People　who　quarrel　over　nothing！it's　　always

certain〃



Edith　stopped　laughing　abruptly；　but　continued　her　mockery。　　〃You　ought　　to

know。　　You've　had　so　much　experience；　yourself！〃



〃I　haven't　any；　Edith；〃　he　said。　　〃My　life　has　been　about　as　exciting　as　　an

incubator　chicken's。　　But　I　look　out　through　the　glass　at　things。〃



〃Well；　then；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　look　out　through　the　glass　you　must　know　　what

effect　such　stuff　would　have　upon　ME！〃　She　rose；　visibly　agitated。　　　〃What　if

it　WAS　true？〃　she　dmanded；　bitterly。　　〃What　if　it　was　true　a　　hundred　times

over？　　You　sit　there　with　your　silly　face　half　ready　to　　giggle　and　half　ready

to　sniffle；　and　tell　me　stories　like　that；　about　　Sibyl　picking　on　Bobby

Lamhorn　and　worrying　him　to　death；　and　you　think　　it　matters　to　ME？　　What　if　I

already　KNEW　all　about　their　'quarreling'？　　　What　if　I　understood　WHY　she〃

She　broke　off　with　a　violent　gesture；　a　　sweep　of　her　arm　extended　at　full

length；　as　if　she　hurled　something　to　　the　ground。　　〃Do　you　think　a　girl　that

really　cared　for　a　man　would　pay　　any　attention　to　THAT？　　Or　to　YOU；　Bibbs

Sheridan！〃



He　looked　at　her　steadily；　and