the turmoil-第4章

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mamma's　got　it　all　on　her　hands。　　She's　never　sat　down　a　MINUTE；　and　if　she

did；　papa　would　have　her　up　again　before〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Do　you　like　the　new　place；　Edith？〃



〃I　don't　like　some　of　the　things　father　WOULD　have　in　it；　but　it's　the　finest

house　in　town；　and　that　ought　to　be　good　enough　for　me！　　Papa　bought　one　thing

I　likea　view　of　the　Bay　of　Naples　in　oil　that's　perfectly　beautiful；　it's

the　first　thing　you　see　as　you　come　in　the　front　hall；　and　it's　eleven　feet

long。　　But　he　would　have　that　old　fruit　picture　we　had　in　the　Murphy　Street

house　hung　up　in　the　new　dining…room。　　You　remember　ita　table　and　a

watermelon　sliced　open；　and　a　lot　of　rouged…looking　apples　and　some　shiny

lemons；　with　two　dead　prairie…chickens　on　a　chair？　　He　bought　it　at　a

furniture…store　years　and　years　ago；　and　he　claims　it's　a　finer　picture　than

any　they　saw　in　the　museums；　that　time　he　took　mamma　to　Europe。　　But　it's

horribly　out　of　date　to　have　those　things　in　dining…rooms；　and　I　caught　Bobby

Lamhorn　giggling　at　it；　and　Sibyl　made　fun　of　it；　too；　with　Bobby；　and　then

told　papa　she　agreed　with　him　about　its　being　such　a　fine　thing；　and　said　he

did　just　right　to　insist　on　having　it　where　he　wanted　it。　　She　makes　me　tired！

Sibyl！〃



Edith's　first　constraint　with　her　brother；　amounting　almost　to　awkwardness；

vanished　with　this　theme；　though　she　still　kept　her　full　gaze　always　to　the

front；　even　in　the　extreme　ardor　of　her　denunciation　of　her　sister…in…law。



〃SIBYL！〃　she　repeated；　with　such　heat　and　vigor　that　the　name　seemed　to　strike

fire　on　her　lips。　　〃I'd　like　to　know　why　Roscoe　couldn't　have　married　somebody

from　HERE　that　would　have　done　us　some　good！　　He　could　have　got　in　with　Bobby

Lamhorn　years　ago　just　as　well　as　now；　and　Bobby　'd　have　introduced　him　to　the

nicest　girls　in　town；　but　instead　of　that　he　had　to　go　and　pick　up　this　Sibyl

Rink！　　I　met　some　awfully　nice　people　from　her　town　when　mamma　and　I　were　at

Atlantic　City；　last　spring；　and　not　one　had　ever　heard　of　the　Rinks！　Not　even

HEARD　of　'em！〃



〃I　thought　you　were　great　friends　with　Sibyl；〃　Bibbs　said。



〃Up　to　the　time　I　found　her　out！〃　the　sister　returned；　with　continuing

vehemence。　　〃I've　found　out　some　things　about　Mrs。　Roscoe　Sheridan　lately　〃



〃It's　only　lately？〃



〃Well〃　Edith　hesitated；　her　lips　setting　primly。　　〃Of　course；　I　always　did

see　that　she　never　cared　the　snap　of　her　little　finger　about　ROSCOE！〃



〃It　seems；〃　said　Bibbs；　in　laconic　protest；　〃that　she　married　him。〃



The　sister　emitted　a　shrill　cry；　to　be　interpreted　as　contemptuous　laughter；

and；　in　her　emotion；　spoke　too　impulsively：　　　〃Why；　she'd　have　married　YOU！〃



〃No；　no；〃　he　said；　〃she　couldn't　be　that　bad！〃



〃I　didn't　mean〃　she　began；　distressed。　　〃I　only　meantI　didn't　mean〃



〃Never　mind；　Edith；〃　he　consoled　her。　　〃You　see；　she　couldn't　have　married　me；

because　I　didn't　know　her；　and　besides；　if　she's　as　mercenary　as　all　that

she'd　have　been　too　clever。　　The　head　doctor　even　had　to　lend　me　the　money　for

my　ticket　home。〃



〃I　didn't　mean　anything　unpleasant　about　YOU；〃　Edith　babbled。　　〃I　only　meant　I

thought　she　was　the　kind　of　girl　who　was　so　simply　crazy　to　marry　somebody

she'd　have　married　anybody　that　asked　her。〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Bibbs；　〃it's　all　straight。〃　　And；　perceiving　that　his

sister's　expression　was　that　of　a　person　whose　adroitness　has　set　matters

prefectly　to　rights；　he　chuckled　silently。



〃Roscoe's　perfectly　lovely　to　her；〃　she　continued；　a　moment　later。　　〃Too

lovely！　　If　he'd　wake　up　a　little　and　lay　down　the　law；　some　day；　like　a　MAN；

I　guess　she'd　respect　him　more　and　learn　to　behave　herself！〃



〃'Behave'？〃



〃Oh；　well；　I　mean　she's　so　insincere；〃　said　Edith；　characteristically　evasive

when　it　came　to　stating　the　very　point　to　which　she　had　led；　and　in　this　not

unique　of　her　sex。



Bibbs　contented　himself　with　a　non…committal　gesture。　　〃Business　is　crawling

up　the　old　streets；〃　he　said；　his　long；　tremulous　hand　indicating　a　vasty

structure　in　course　of　erection。　　〃The　boarding…houses　come　first　and　then

the〃



〃That　isn't　for　shops；〃　she　informed　him。　　〃That's　a　new　investment　of　papa's

the　'Sheridan　Apartments。'〃



〃Well；　well；〃　he　murmured。　　〃I　supposed　'Sheridan'　was　almost　well　enough

known　here　already。〃



〃Oh；　we're　well　enough　known　ABOUT！〃　she　said；　impatiently。　　〃I　guess　there

isn't　a　man；　woman；　child；　or　nigger　baby　in　town　that　doesn't　know　who　we

are。　　But　we　aren't　in　with　the　right　people。〃



〃No！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Who's　all　that？〃



〃Who's　all　what？〃



〃The　'right'　people。'〃



〃You　know　what　I　mean：　　the　best　people；　the　old　familiesthe　people　that

have　the　real　social　position　in　this　town　and　that　know　they've　got　it。〃



Bibbs　indulged　in　his　silent　chuckle　again；　he　seemed　greatly　amused。　　〃I

thought　that　the　people　who　actually　had　the　real　what…you…may…call…it　didn't

know　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　always　understood　that　it　was　very　unsatisfactory；

because　if　you　thought　about　it　you　didn't　have　it；　and　if　you　had　it　you

didn't　know　it。〃



〃That's　just　bosh；〃　she　retorted。　　〃They　know　it　in　this　town；　all　right！　　I

found　out　a　lot　of　things；　long　before　we　began　to　think　of　building　out　in

this　direction。　　The　right　people　in　this　town　aren't　always　the

society…column　ones；　and　they　mix　around　with　outsiders；　and　they　don't　all

belong　to　any　one　clubthey're　taken　in　all　sorts　into　all　their　clubsbut

they're　a　clan；　just　the　same；　and　they　have　the　clan　feeling　and　they're　just

as　much　We；　Us　and　Company　as　any　crowd　you　read　about　anywhere　in　the　world。

Most　of　'em　were　here　long　before　papa　came；　and　the　grandfathers　of　the　girls

of　my　age　knew　each　other；　and〃



〃I　see；〃　Bibbs　interrupted；　gravely。　　〃Their　ancestors　fled　together　from　many

a　stricken　field；　and　Crusaders'　blood　flows　in　their　veins。　　I　always

understood　the　first　house　was　built　by　an　old　party　of　the　name　of　Vertrees

who　couldn't　get　along　with　Dan'l　Boone；　and　hurried　away　to　these　parts

because　Dan'l　wanted　him　to　give　back　a　gun　he'd　lent　him。〃



Edith　gave　a　little　ejaculation　of　alarm。　　〃You　mustn't　repeat　that　story；

Bibbs；　even　if　it's　true。　　The　Vertreeses　are　THE　best　family；　and　of　course

the　very　oldest　here；　　they　were　an　old　family　even　before　Mary　Vertrees's

great…great…grandfather　came　west　and　founded　this　settlement。　　He　came　from

Lynn；　Massachusetts；　and　they　have　relatives　there　YETsome　of　the　best

people　in　Lynn！〃



〃No！〃　exclaimed　Bibbs；　incredulously。



〃And　there　are　other　old　families　like　the　Vertreeses；〃　she　went　on；　not

heeding　him；　〃the　Lamhorns　and　the　Kittersbys　and　the　J。　Palmerston　Smiths〃



〃Strange　names　to　me；〃　he　interrupted。　　〃Poor　things！　　None　of　them　have　my

acquaintance。〃



〃No；　that's　just　it！〃　she　cried。　　〃And　papa　had　never　even　heard　the　name　of

Vertrees！　　Mrs。　Vertrees　went　with　some　anti…smoke　committee　to　see　him；　and

he　told　her　that　smoke　was　what　made　her　husband　bring　home　his　wages　from　the

pay…roll　on　Saturday　night！　　HE　told　us　about　it；　and　I　thought　I　just

couldn't　live　through　the　night；　I　was　so　ashamed！　　Mr。　Vertrees　has　always

lived　on　his　income；　and　papa　didn't　know　him；　of　course。　　They're　the

stiffist；　most　elegant　people　in　the　whole　town。　　And　to　crown　it　all；　papa

went　and　bought　the　next　lot　to　the　old　Vertrees　country　mansionit's　in　the

very　heart　of　the　best　new　residence　district　now；　and　that's　where　the　New

House　is；　right　next　door　to　themand　I　must　say　it　makes　their　place　look

rather　shabby！　　I　met　Mary　Vertrees　when　I　joined　the　Mission　Service　Helpers；

but　she　never　did　any　more　than　just　barely　bow　to　me；　and　since　papa's　break

I　doubt　if　she'll　do　that！　　They　haven't　called。〃



〃And　you　think　if　I　spread　this　gossip　about　Vertrees　the　First　stealing　Dan'l

Boone's　gun；　the　chances　that　they　WILL　call〃



〃Papa　knows　what　a　break　he　made　with　Mrs。　Vertrees。　　I　made　him　understand

that；〃　said