the turmoil-第41章

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watch　out　when　you're　runnin'　that　machine！　　You　hear　what　I　say？　　I　slipped；

or　I　wouldn't　got　scratched；　but　youYOU'RE　liable　to　get　your　whole　hand　cut

off！　　You　keep　your　eyes　open！〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃　　And　Bibbs　returned　to　the　zinc…eater　thoughtfully。



Half　an　hour　later；　Gurney　touched　him　on　the　shoulder　and　beckoned　him

outside；　where　conversation　was　possible。　　〃I　sent　him　home；　Bibbs。　　He'll

have　to　be　careful　of　that　hand。　　Go　get　your　overalls　off。　　I'll　take　you　for

a　drive　and　leave　you　at　home。〃



〃Can't；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Got　to　stick　to　my　job　till　the　whistle　blows。〃



〃No；　you　don't；〃　the　doctor　returned；　smothering　a　yawn。　　〃He　wants　me　to　take

you　down　to　my　office　and　give　you　an　overhauling　to　see　how　much　harm　these

four　days　on　the　machine　have　done　you。　　I　guess　you　folks　have　got　that　old

man　pretty　thoroughly　upset；　between　you；　up　at　your　house！　But　I　don't　need

to　go　over　you。　　I　can　see　with　my　eyes　half　shut〃



〃Yes；〃　Bibbs　interrupted；　〃that's　what　they　are。〃



〃I　say　I　can　see　you're　starting　out；　at　least；　in　good　shape。　　What's　made

the　difference？〃



〃I　like　the　machine；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃I've　made　a　friend　of　it。　　I　serenade　it

and　talk　to　it；　and　then　it　talks　back　to　me。〃



〃Indeed；　indeed？　　What　does　it　say？〃



〃What　I　want　to　hear。〃



〃Well；　well！〃　　The　doctor　stretched　himself　and　stamped　his　foot　repeatedly。

〃Better　come　along　and　take　a　drive　with　me。　　You　can　take　the　time　off　that

he　allowed　for　the　examination；　and〃



〃Not　at　all；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃I'm　going　to　stand　by　my　old　zinc…eater　till　five

o'clock。　　I　tell　you　I　LIKE　it！〃



〃Then　I　suppose　that's　the　end　of　your　wanting　to　write。〃



〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　Bibbs　said；　thoughtfully；　〃but　the　zinc…eater

doesn't　interfere　with　my　thinking；　at　least。　　It's　better　than　being　in

business；　I'm　sure　of　that。　　I　don't　want　anything　to　change。　　I'd　be　content

to　lead　just　the　life　I'm　leading　now　to　the　end　of　my　days。〃



〃You　do　beat　the　devil！〃　exclaimed　Gurney。　　〃Your　father's　right　when　he　tells

me　you're　a　mystery。　　Perhaps　the　Almighty　knew　what　He　was　doing　when　He　made

you；　but　it　takes　a　lot　of　faith　to　believe　it！　　Well；　I'm　off。　　Go　on　back　to

your　murdering　old　machine。〃　　He　climbed　into　his　car；　which　he　operated

himself；　but　he　refrained　from　setting　it　immediately　in　motion。　　〃Well；　I

rubbed　it　in　on　the　old　man　that　you　had　warned　him　not　to　slide　his　hand

along　too　far；　and　that　he　got　hurt　because　he　didn't　pay　attention　to　your

warning；　and　because　he　was　trying　to　show　you　how　to　do　something　you　were

already　doing　a　great　deal　better　than　he　could。　You　tell　him　I'll　be　around

to　look　at　it　and　change　the　dressing　to…morrow　morning。　　Good…by。〃



But　when　he　paid　the　promised　visit；　the　next　morning；　he　did　more　than　change

the　dressing　upon　the　damaged　hand。　　The　injury　was　severe　of　its　kind；　and

Gurney　spent　a　long　time　over　it；　though　Sheridan　was　rebellious　and　scornful；

being　brought　to　a　degree　of　tractability　only　by　means　of　horrible　threats

and　talk　of　amputation。　　However；　he　appeared　at　the　dinner…table　with　his

hand　supported　in　a　sling；　which　he　seemed　to　regard　as　an　indignity；　while

the　natural　inquiries　upon　the　subject　evidently　struck　him　as　deliberate

insults。　　Mrs。　Sheridan；　having　been　unable　to　contain　her　solicitude　several

times　during　the　day；　and　having　been　checked　each　time　in　a　manner　that

blanched　her　cheek；　hastened　to　warn　Roscoe　and　Sibyl；　upon　their　arrival　at

five；　to　omit　any　reference　to　the　injury　and　to　avoid　even　looking　at　the

sling　if　they　possibly　could。



The　Sheridans　dined　on　Sundays　at　five。　　Sibyl　had　taken　pains　not　to　arrive

either　before　or　after　the　hand　was　precisely　on　the　hour；　and　the　members　of

the　family　were　all　seated　at　the　table　within　two　minutes　after　she　and

Roscoe　had　entered　the　house。



It　was　a　glum　gathering；　overhung　with　portents。　　The　air　seemed　charged；

awaiting　any　tiny　ignition　to　explode；　and　Mrs。　Sheridan's　expression；　as　she

sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　almost　continually　upon　her　husband；　was　that　of　a

person　engaged　in　prayer。　　Edith　was　pale　and　intent。　　Roscoe　looked　ill；

Sibyl　looked　ill；　and　Sheridan　looked　both　ill　and　explosive。　　Bibbs　had　more

color　than　any　of　these；　and　there　was　a　strange　brightness；　like　a　light；

upon　his　face。　　It　was　curious　to　see　anything　so　happy　in　the　tense　gloom　of

that　household。



Edith　ate　little；　but　gazed　nearly　all　the　time　at　her　plate。　　She　never　once

looked　at　Sibyl；　though　Sibyl　now　and　then　gave　her　a　quick　glance；　heavily

charged；　and　then　looked　away。　　Roscoe　ate　nothing；　and；　like　Edith；　kept　his

eyes　upon　his　plate　and　made　believe　to　occupy　himself　with　the　viands

thereon；　loading　his　fork　frequently；　but　not　lifting　it　to　his　mouth。　He　did

not　once　look　at　his　father；　though　his　father　gazed　heavily　at　him　most　of

the　time。　　And　between　Edith　and　Sibyl；　and　between　Roscoe　and　his　father；

some　bitter　wireless　communication　seemed　continually　to　be　taking　place

throughout　the　long　silences　prevailing　during　this　enlivening　ceremony　of

Sabbath　refection。



〃Didn't　you　go　to　church　this　morning；　Bibbs？〃　his　mother　asked；　in　the　effort

to　break　up　one　of　those　ghastly　intervals。



〃What　did　you　say；　mother？〃



〃Didn't　you　go　to　church　this　morning？〃



〃I　think　so；〃　he　answered；　as　from　a　roseate　trance。



〃You　THINK　so！　　Don't　you　know？〃



〃Oh　yes。　　Yes；　I　went　to　church！〃



〃Which　one？〃



〃Just　down　the　street。　　It's　brick。〃



〃What　was　the　sermon　about？〃



〃What；　mother？〃



〃Can't　you　hear　me？〃　she　cried。　　〃I　asked　you　what　the　sermon　was　about？〃



He　roused　himself。　　〃I　think　it　was　about〃　　He　frowned；　seeming　to

concentrate　his　will　to　recollect。　　〃I　think　it　was　about　something　in　the

Bible。〃



White…jacket　George　was　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　leave　the　room　and　lean　upon

Mist'　Jackson's　shoulder　in　the　pantry。　　〃He　don't　know　they　WAS　any　suhmon！〃

he　concluded；　having　narrated　the　dining…room　dialogue。　　〃All　he　know　is　he

was　with　'at　lady　lives　nex'　do'！〃　　George　was　right。



〃Did　you　go　to　church　all　by　yourself；　Bibbs？〃　Sibyl　asked。



〃No；〃　he　answered。　　〃No；　I　didn't　go　alone。〃



〃Oh？〃　　Sibyl　gave　the　ejaculation　an　upward　twist；　as　of　mocking　inquiry；　and

followed　it　by　another；　expressive　of　hilarious　comprehension。　　〃OH！〃



Bibbs　looked　at　her　studiously；　but　she　spoke　no　further。　　And　that　completed

the　conversation　at　the　lugubrious　feast。



Coffee　came　finally；　was　disposed　of　quickly；　and　the　party　dispersed　to　other

parts　of　the　house。　　Bibbs　followed　his　father　and　Roscoe　into　the　library；

but　was　not　well　received。



〃YOU　go　and　listen　to　the　phonograph　with　the　women…folks；〃　Sheridan

commanded。



Bibbs　retreated。　　〃Sometimes　you　do　seem　to　be　a　hard　sort　of　man！〃　he　said。



However；　he　went　obediently　to　the　gilt…and…brocade　room　in　which　his　mother

and　his　sister　and　his　sister…in…law　had　helplessly　withdrawn；　according　to

their　Sabbatical　custom。　　Edith　sat　in　a　corner；　tapping　her　feet　together　and

looking　at　them；　Sibyl　sat　in　the　center　of　the　room；　examining　a　brooch　which

she　had　detached　from　her　throat；　and　Mrs。　Sheridan　was　looking　over　a

collection　of　records　consisting　exclusively　of　Caruso　and　rag…time。　　She

selected　one　of　the　latter；　remarking　that　she　thought　it　〃right　pretty；〃　and

followed　it　with　one　of　the　former　and　the　same　remark。



As　the　second　reached　its　conclusion；　George　appeared　in　the　broad　doorway；

seeming　to　have　an　errand　there；　but　he　did　not　speak。　　Instead；　he　favored

Edith　with　a　benevolent　smile；　and　she　immediately　left　the　room；　George

stepping　aside　for　her　to　precede　him；　and　then　disappearing　after　her　in　the

hall　with　an　air　of　successful　diplomacy。　　He　made　it　perfectly　clear　that

Edith　had　given　him　secret　instructions　and　that　it　had　been　his　pride　and

pleasure　to　fulfil　them　to　the　letter。



Sibyl　sti