the turmoil-第37章

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you。　　Fine　'dustriss　young　business　man。　　Look　whass　happen'　to　me！　　Fine！〃

He　lifted　his　hand　from　the　sustaining　chair　in　a　deplorable　gesture；　and；

immediately　losing　his　balance；　fell　across　the　chair　and　caromed　to　the　floor

with　a　crash；　remaining　prostrate　for　several　minutes；　during　which　Sheridan

did　not　relax　his　apparent　attention　to　the　newspaper。　　He　did　not　even　look

round　at　the　sound　of　Roscoe's　fall。



Roscoe　slowly　climbed　to　an　upright　position；　pulling　himself　up　by　holding　to

the　chair。　　He　was　slightly　sobered　outwardly；　having　progressed　in　the

prostrate　interval　to　a　state　of　befuddlement　less　volatile。　　He　rubbed　his

dazed　eyes　with　the　back　of　his　left　hand。



〃Whatwhat　you　ask　me　while　ago？〃　he　said。



〃Nothin'。〃



〃Yes；　you　did。　　Whatwhat　was　it？〃



〃Nothin'。　　You　better　sit　down。〃



〃You　ask'　me　what　I　thought　about　Lamhorn。　　You　did　ask　me　that。　　Well；　I

won't　tell　you。　　I　won't　say　dam'　word　'bout　him！〃



The　telephone…bell　tinkled。　　Sheridan　placed　the　receiver　to　his　ear　and　said；

〃Right　down。〃　　Then　he　got　Roscoe's　coat　and　hat　from　a　closet　and　brought

them　to　his　son。　　〃Get　into　this　coat；〃　he　said。　　〃You're　goin'　home。〃



〃All　ri'；〃　Roscoe　murmured；　obediently。



They　went　out　into　the　main　hall　by　a　side　door；　not　passing　through　the　outer

office；　and　Sheridan　waited　for　an　empty　elevator；　stopped　it；　and　told　the

operator　to　take　on　no　more　passengers　until　they　reached　the　ground　floor。

Roscoe　walked　out　of　the　building　and　got　into　the　automobile　without

lurching；　and　twenty　minutes　later　walked　into　his　own　house　in　the　same

manner；　neither　he　nor　his　father　having　spoken　a　word　in　the　interval。



Sheridan　did　not　go　in　with　him；　he　went　home；　and　to　his　own　room　without

meeting　any　of　his　family。　　But　as　he　passed　Bibbs's　door　her　heard　from

within　the　sound　of　a　cheerful　young　voice　humming　jubilant　fragments　of　song：



WHO　looks　a　mustang　in　the　eye？　。。。　With　a　leap　from　the　ground　To　the　saddle

in　a　bound。　And　awayand　away！　Hi…yay！



It　was　the　first　time　in　Sheridan's　life　that　he　had　ever　detected　any　musical

symptom　whatever　in　Bibbshe　had　never　even　heard　him　whistle　and　it　seemed

the　last　touch　of　irony　that　the　useless　fool　should　be　merry　to…day。



To　Sheridan　it　was　Tom　o'　Bedlam　singing　while　the　house　burned；　and　he　did

not　tarry　to　enjoy　the　melody；　but　went　into　his　own　room　and　locked　the　door。





He　emerged　only　upon　a　second　summons　to　dinner；　two　hours　later；　and　came　to

the　table　so　white　and　silent　that　his　wife　made　her　anxiety　manifest　and　was

but　partially　reassured　by　his　explanation　that　his　lunch　had　〃disagreed〃　with

him　a　little。



Presently；　however；　he　spoke　effectively。　　Bibbs；　whose　appetite　had　become

hearty；　was　helping　himself　to　a　second　breast　of　capon　from　white…jacket's

salver。　　〃Here's　another　difference　between　Midas　and　chicken；〃　Sheridan

remarked；　grimly。　　〃Midas　can　eat　rooster；　but　rooster　can't　eat　Midas。　　I

reckon　you　overlooked　that。　　Midas　looks　to　me　like　he　had　the　advantage

there。〃



Bibbs　retained　enough　presence　of　mind　to　transfer　the　capon　breast　to　his

plate　without　dropping　it　and　to　respond；　〃Yeshe　crows　over　it。〃



Having　returned　his　antagonists's　fire　in　this　fashion；　he　blushedfor　he

could　blush　distinctly　nowand　his　mother　looked　upon　him　with　pleasure；

thought　the　reference　to　Midas　and　roosters　was　of　course　jargon　to　her。　　〃Did

you　ever　see　anybody　improve　the　way　that　child　has！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I

declare；　Bibbs；　sometimes　lately　you　look　right　handsome！〃



〃He's　got　to　be　such　a　gadabout；〃　Edith　giggled。



〃I　found　something　of　his　on　the　floor　up…stairs　this　morning；　before　anybody

was　up；〃　said　Sheridan。　　〃I　reckon　if　people　lose　things　in　this　house　and

expect　to　get　'em　back；　they　better　get　up　as　soon　as　I　do。〃



〃What　was　it　he　lost？〃　asked　Edith。



〃He　knows！〃　her　father　returned。　　〃Seems　to　me　like　I　forgot　to　bring　it　home

with　me。　　I　looked　it　overthought　probably　it　was　something　pretty

important；　belongin'　to　a　busy　man　like　him。〃　　He　affected　to　search　his

pockets。　　〃What　DID　I　do　with　it；　now？　　Oh　yes！　　Seems　to　me　like　I　remember

leavin'　it　down　at　the　officein　the　waste…basket。〃



〃Good　place　for　it；〃　Bibbs　murmured；　still　red。



Sheridan　gave　him　a　grin。　　〃Perhaps　pretty　soon　you'll　be　gettin'　up　early

enough　to　fine　things　before　I　do！〃



It　was　a　threat；　and　Bibbs　repeated　the　substance　of　it；　later　in　the　evening；

to　Mary　Vertreesthey　had　come　to　know　each　other　that　well。



〃My　time's　here　at　last；〃　he　said；　as　they　sat　together　in　the　melancholy

gas…light　of　the　room　which　had　been　denuded　of　its　piano。　That　removal　had

left　an　emptiness　so　distressing　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　that　neither　of　them

had　crossed　the　threshold　since　the　dark　day；　but　the　gas…light；　though　from　a

single　jet；　shed　no　melancholy　upon　Bibbs；　nor　could　any　room　seem　bare　that

knew　the　glowing　presence　of　Mary。　　He　spoke　lightly；　not　sadly。



〃Yes；　it's　come。　　I've　shirked　and　put　off；　but　I　can't　shirk　and　put　off　any

longer。　　It's　really　my　part　to　go　to　himat　least　it　would　save　my　face。　　He

means　what　he　says；　and　the　time's　come　to　serve　my　sentence。　Hard　labor　for

life；　I　think。〃



Mary　shook　her　head。　　〃I　don't　think　so。　　He's　too　kind。〃



〃You　think　my　father's　KIND？〃　　And　Bibbs　stared　at　her。



〃Yes。　　I'm　sure　of　it。　　I've　felt　that　he　has　a　great；　brave　heart。　　It's　only

that　he　has　to　be　kind　in　his　own　waybecause　he　can't　understand　any　other

way。〃



〃Ah　yes；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃If　that's　what　you　mean　by　'kind'！〃



She　looked　at　him　gravely；　earnest　concern　in　her　friendly　eyes。　　〃It's　going

to　be　pretty　hard　for　you；　isn't　it？〃



〃Ohself…pity！〃　he　returned；　smiling。　　〃This　has　been　just　the　last　flicker

of　revolt。　　Nobody　minds　work　if　he　likes　the　kind　of　work。　There'd　be　no

loafers　in　the　world　if　each　man　found　the　thing　that　he　could　do　best；　but

the　only　work　I　happen　to　want　to　do　is　uselessso　I　have　to　give　it　up。

To…morrow　I'll　be　a　day…laborer。〃



〃What　is　it　likeexactly？〃



〃I　get　up　at　six；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　a　lunch…basket　to　carry　with　me；　which　is

aristocratic　and　no　advantage。　　The　other　workmen　have　tin　buckets；　and　tin

buckets　are　better。　　I　leave　the　house　at　six…thirty；　and　I'm　at　work　in　my

overalls　at　seven。　　I　have　an　hour　off　at　noon；　and　work　again　from　one　till

five。〃



〃But　the　work　itself？〃



〃It　wasn't　muscularly　exhaustingnot　at　all。　　They　couldn't　give　me　a　heavier

job　because　I　wasn't　good　enough。〃



〃But　what　will　you　do？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃When　I　left；〃　said　Bibbs；　〃I　was　'on'　what　they　call　over　there　a

'clipping…machine；'　in　one　of　the　'by…products'　departments；　and　that's　what

I'll　be　sent　back　to。〃



〃But　what　is　it？〃　she　insisted。



Bibbs　explained。　　〃It's　very　simple　and　very　easy。　　I　feed　long　strips　of　zinc

into　a　pair　of　steel　jaws；　and　the　jaws　bite　the　zinc　into　little　circles。

All　I　have　to　do　is　to　see　that　the　strip　goes　into　the　jaws　at　a　certain

angleand　yet　I　was　a　very　bad　hand　at　it。〃



He　had　kept　his　voice　cheerful　as　he　spoke；　but　he　had　grown　a　shade　paler；

and　there　was　a　latent　anguish　deep　in　his　eyes。　　He　may　have　known　it　and

wished　her　not　to　see　it；　for　he　turned　away。



〃You　do　that　all　day　long？〃　she　asked；　and　as　he　nodded；　〃It　seems

incredible！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃YOU　feeding　a　strip　of　zinc　into　a　machine　nine

hours　a　day！　　No　wonder〃　　She　broke　off；　and　then；　after　a　keen　glance　at

his　face；　she　said：　〃I　should　think　you　WOULD　have　been　a　'bad　hand　at　it'！〃



He　laughed　ruefully。　　〃I　think　it's　the　noise；　though　I'm　ashamed　to　say　it。

You　see；　it's　a　very　　powerful　machine；　and　there's　a　sort　of　rhythmical

crashinga　crash　every　time　the　jaws　bite　off　a　circle。〃



〃How　often　is　that？〃



〃The　thing　should　make　about　sixty…eight　disks　a　minutea　little　more　than

one　a　second。〃



〃And　you're　close　to　it