the turmoil-第44章

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transformation　scene：　he　passed　into　the　office　a　rather　frail　young

working…man　noticeably　begrimed；　and　passed　out　of　it　to　the　pavement　a

cheerfully　pre…occupied　sample　of　gentry；　fastidious　to　the　point　of　elegance。



The　sidewalk　was　crowded　with　the　bearers　of　dinner…pails；　men　and　boys　and

women　and　girls　from　the　work…rooms　that　closed　at　five。　　Many　hurried　and

some　loitered；　they　went　both　east　and　west；　jostling　one　another；　and　Bibbs；

turning　his　face　homeward；　was　forced　to　go　slowly。



Coming　toward　him；　as　slowly；　through　the　crowd；　a　tall　girl　caught　sight　of

his　long；　thin　figure　and　stood　still　until　he　had　almost　passed　her；　for　in

the　thick　crowd　and　the　thicker　gloom　he　did　not　recognize　her；　though　his

shoulder　actually　touched　hers。　　He　would　have　gone　by；　but　she　laughed

delightedly；　and　he　stopped　short；　startled。　　Two　boys；　one　chasing　the　other；

swept　between　them；　and　Bibbs　stood　still；　peering　about　him　in　deep

perplexity。　　She　leaned　toward　him。



〃I　knew　YOU！〃　she　said。



〃Good　heavens！'　cried　Bibbs。　　〃I　thouhgt　it　was　your　voice　coming　out　of　a

star！〃



〃There's　only　smoke　overhead；〃　said　Mary；　and　laughed　again。　〃There　aren't　any

stars。〃



〃Oh　yes；　there　werewhen　you　laughed！〃



She　took　his　arm；　and　they　went　on。　　〃I've　come　to　walk　home　with　you；　Bibbs。

I　wanted　to。〃



〃But　were　you　here　in　the〃



〃In　the　dark？　　Yes！　　Waiting？　　Yes！〃



Bibbs　was　radiant；　he　felt　suffocated　with　happiness。　　He　began　to　scold　her。



〃But　it's　not　safe；　and　I'm　not　worth　it。　　You　shouldn't　haveYou　ought　to

know　better。　　What　did〃



〃I　only　waited　about　twelve　seconds；〃　she　laughed。　　〃I'd　just　got　here。〃



〃But　to　come　all　this　way　and　to　this　part　of　town　in　the　dark；　you〃



〃I　was　in　this　part　of　town　already；〃　she　said。　　〃At　least；　I　was　only　seven

or　eight　blocks　away；　and　it　was　dark　when　I　came　out；　and　I'd　have　had　to　go

home　aloneand　I　preferred　going　home　with　you。〃



〃It's　pretty　beautiful　for　me；〃　said　Bibbs；　with　a　deep　breath。　　〃You'll　never

know　what　it　was　to　hear　your　laugh　in　the　darknessand　then　to　to　see　you

standing　there！　Oh；　it　was　kikeit　was　likeHow　can　I　TELL　you　what　it　was

like？〃　　They　had　passed　beyond　the　crowd　now；　and　a　crossing…lamp　shone　upon

them；　which　revealed　the　fact　that　again　she　was　without　her　furs。　　Here　was　a

puzzle。　　Why　did　that　adorable　little　vanity　of　hers　bring　her　out　without

them　in　the　DARK？　　But　of　course　she　had　gone　out　long　before　dark。　　For

undefinable　reasons　this　explanation　was　not　quite　satisfactory；　however；

allowing　it　to　stand；　his　solicitude　for　her　took　another　turn。　　〃I　think　you

ought　to　have　a　car；〃　he　said；　〃especially　when　you　want　to　be　out　after　dark。

You　need　one　in　winter；　anyhow。　　Have　you　ever　asked　your　father　for　one？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I　don't　think　I'd　care　for　one　particularly。〃



〃I　wish　you　would。〃　　Bibbs's　tone　was　earnest　and　troubled。　　〃I　think　in

winter　you〃



〃No；　no；〃　she　interrupted；　lightly。　　〃I　don't　need〃



〃But　my　mother　tried　to　insist　on　sending　one　over　here　every　afternoon　for

me。　　I　wouldn't　let　her；　because　I　like　the　walk；　but　a　girl〃



〃A　girl　likes　to　walk；　too；〃　said　Mary。　　〃Let　me　tell　you　where　I've　been　this

afternoon　and　how　I　happened　to　be　near　enought　to　make　you　take　me　home。

I've　been　to　see　a　little　old　man　who　makes　pictures　of　the　smoke。　He　has　a

sort　of　warehouse　for　a　studio；　and　he　lives　there　with　his　mother　and　his

wife　and　their　seven　children；　and　he's　gloriously　happy。　I'd　seen　one　of　his

pictures　at　an　exhibition；　and　I　wanted　to　see　more　of　them；　so　he　showed　them

to　me。　　He　has　almost　everthing　he　ever　painted；　I　don't　suppose　he's　sold

more　than　four　or　five　pictures　in　his　life。　　He　gives　drawing…lessons　to　keep

alive。〃



〃How　do　you　mean　he　paints　the　smoke？〃　Bibbs　asked。



〃Literally。　　He　paints　from　his　studio　window　and　from　the　street　anywhere。

He　just　paints　what's　around　himand　it's　beautiful。〃



〃The　smoke？〃



〃Wonderful！　　He　sees　the　sky　through　it；　somehow。　　He　does　the　ugly　roofs　of

cheap　houses　through　a　haze　of　smoke；　and　he　does　smoky　sunsets　and　smoky

sunrises；　and　he　has　other　things　with　the　heavy；　solid；　slow　columns　of　smoke

going　far　out　and　growing　more　ethereal　and　mixing　with　the　hazy　light　in　the

distance；　and　he　has　others　with　the　broken　sky…line　of　down…town；　all　misted

with　the　smoke　and　puffs　and　jets　of　vapor　that　have　colors　like　an　orchard　in

mid…April。　　I'm　going　to　take　you　there　some　Sunday　afternoon；　Bibbs。〃



〃You're　showing　me　the　town；〃　he　said。　　〃I　didn't　know　what　was　in　it　at　all。〃



〃There　are　workers　in　beauty　here；〃　she　told　him；　gently。　　〃There　are　other

painters　more　prosperous　than　my　friend。　　There　are　all　sorts　of　things。〃



〃I　didn't　know。〃



〃No。　　Since　the　town　began　growing　so　great　that　it　called　itself　'greater；'

one　could　live　here　all　one's　life　and　know　only　the　side　of　it　that　shows。〃



〃The　beauty…workers　seem　buried　very　deep；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃And　I　imagine　that

your　friend　who　makes　the　smoke　beautiful　must　be　buried　deepest　of　all。　　My

father　loves　the　smoke；　but　I　can't　imagine　his　buying　one　of　your　friend's

pictures。　　He'd　buy　the　'Bay　of　Naples；〃　but　he　wouldn't　get　one　of　those。

He'd　think　smoke　in　a　picture　was　horribleunless　he　could　use　it　for　an

advertisement。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　thoughtfully。　　〃And　really　he's　the　town。　　They　ARE　buried

pretty　deep；　it　seems；　sometimes；　Bibbs。〃



〃And　yet　it's　all　wonderful；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　wonderful　to　me。〃



〃You　mean　the　town　is　wonderful　to　you？〃



〃Yes；　because　everything　is；　since　you　called　me　your　friend。　　The　city　is

only　a　rumble　on　the　horizon　for　me。　　It　can't　come　any　closer　than　the

horizon　so　long　as　you　let　me　see　you　standing　by　my　old　zinc…eater　all　day

long；　helping　me。　　Mary〃　　He　stopped　with　a　gasp。　　〃That's　the　first　time

I've　called　you　'Mary'！〃



〃Yes。〃　　She　laughed；　a　little　tremuously。　　〃Though　I　wanted　you　to！〃



〃I　said　it　without　thinking。　　It　must　be　because　you　came　there　to　walk　home

with　me。　　That　must　be　it。〃　　　　　〃Women　like　to　have　things　said；〃　Mary

informed　him；　her　tremulous　laughter　continuing。　　〃Were　you　glad　I　came　for

you？〃



〃Nonot　'glad。'　　I　felt　as　if　I　were　being　carried　straight　up　and　up　and

upover　the　clouds。　　I　feel　like　that　still。　　I　think　I'm　that　way　most　of

the　time。　　I　wonder　what　I　was　like　before　I　knew　you。　　The　person　I　was　then

seems　to　have　been　somebody　else；　not　Bibbs　Sheridan　at　all。　It　seems　long；

long　ago。　　I　was　gloomy　and　sicklysomebody　else　somebody　I　don't

understand　now；　a　coward　afraid　of　shadowsafraid　of　things　that　didn't

existafraid　of　my　old　zinc…eater！　　And　now　I'm　only　afraid　of　what　might

change　anything。〃



She　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then；　〃You're　happy；　Bibbs？〃　she　asked。



〃Ah；　don't　you　see？〃　he　cried。　　〃I　want　it　to　last　for　a　thousand；　thousand

years；　just　as　it　is！　　You've　made　me　so　rich；　I'm　a　miser。　　I　wouldn't　have

one　thing　differentnothing；　nothing！〃



〃Dear　Bibbs！〃　she　said；　and　laughed　happily。





Bibbs　continued　to　live　in　the　shelter　of　his　dream。　　He　had　told　Edith；　after

his　ineffective　effort　to　be　useful　in　her　affairs；　that　he　had　decided　that

he　was　〃a　member　of　the　family〃；　but　he　appeared　to　have　relapsed　to　the

retired　list　after　that　one　attempt　at　participancyhe　was　far　enough

detached　from　membership　now。　　These　were　turbulent　days　in　the　New　House；　but

Bibbs　had　no　part　whatever　in　the　turbulencehe　seemed　an　absent…minded

stranger；　present　by　accident　and　not　wholly　aware　that　he　was　present。　　He

would　sit；　faintly　smiling　over　pleasant　imaginings　and　dear　reminiscences　of

his　own；　while　battle　raged　between　Edith　and　her　father；　or　while　Sheridan

unloosed　jeremiads　upon　the　sullen　Roscoe；　who　drank　heavily　to　endure　them。

The　happy　dreamer　wandered　into　storm…areas　like　a　somnambulist；　and　wandered

out　again　unawakened。　　He　was　sorry　for　his