the turmoil-第5章

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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　Edith；　demurely；　〃and　he's　promised　to　try　and　meet　Mr。　Vertrees

and　be　nice　to　him。　　It's　just　this　way：　if　we　don't　know　THEM；　it's

practically　no　use　in　our　having　build　the　New　House；　and　if　we　DO　know　them

and　they're　decent　to　us；　we're　right　with　the　right　people。　　They　can　do　the

whole　thing　for　us。　Bobby　Lamhorn　told　Sibyl　he　was　going　to　bring　his　mother

to　call　on　her　and　on　mamma；　but　it　was　weeks　ago；　and　I　notice　he　hasn't　done

it；　and　if　Mrs。　　Vertrees　decides　not　to　know　us；　I'm　darn　sure　Mrs。　Lamhorn

'll　never　come。　　That's　ONE　thing　Sibyl　didn't　manage！　　She　SAID　Bobby　offered

to　bring　his　mother〃



〃You　say　he　is　a　friend　of　Roscoe's？〃　Bibbs　asked。



〃Oh；　he's　a　friend　of　the　whole　family；〃　she　returned；　with　a　petulance　which

she　made　an　effort　to　disguise。　　〃Roscoe　and　he　got　acquainted　somewhere；　and

they　take　him　to　the　theater　about　every　other　night。　　Sibyl　has　him　to　lunch；

too；　and　keeps〃　　She　broke　off　with　an　angry　little　jerk　of　the　head。　〃We

can　see　the　New　House　from　the　second　corner　ahead。　　Roscoe　has　built　straight

across　the　street　from　us；　you　know。　　Honestly；　Sibyl　makes　me　think　of　a

snake；　sometimesthe　way　she　pulls　the　wool　over　people's　eyes！　　She　honeys

up　to　papa　and　gets　anything　in　the　world　she　wants　out　of　him；　and　then　makes

fun　of　him　behind　his　backyes；　and　to　his　face；　but　HE　can't　see　it！　　She

got　him　to　give　her　a　twelve…thousand…dollar　porch　for　their　house　after　it

was〃



〃Good　heavens！〃　said　Bibbs；　staring　ahead　as　they　reached　the　corner　and　the

car　swung　to　the　right；　following　a　bend　in　the　street。　　〃Is　that　the　New

House？〃



〃Yes。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃



〃Well；〃　he　drawled；　〃I'm　pretty　sure　the　sanitarium's　about　half　a　size

bigger；　I　can't　be　certain　till　I　measure。〃



And　a　moment　later；　as　they　entered　the　driveway；　he　added；　seriously：　　〃But

it's　beautiful！〃





It　was　gray　stone；　with　long　roofs　of　thick　green　slate。　　An　architect　who

loved　the　milder　〃Gothic　motives〃　had　built　what　he　liked：　　it　was　to　be　seen

at　once　that　he　had　been　left　unhampered；　and　he　had　wrought　a　picture　out　of

his　head　into　a　noble　and　exultant　reality。　　At　the　same　time　a

landscape…designer　had　played　so　good　a　second；　with　ready…made　accessories　of

screen；　approach　and　vista；　that　already　whatever　look　of　newness　remained

upon　the　place　was　to　its　advantage；　as　showing　at　least　one　thing　yet　clean

under　the　grimy　sky。　　For；　though　the　smoke　was　thinner　in　this　direction；　and

at　this　long　distance　from　the　heart　of　the　town；　it　was　not　absent；　and

under　tutelage　of　wind　and　weather　could　be　malignant　even　here；　where　cows

had　wandered　in　the　meadows　and　corn　had　been　growing　not　ten　years　gone。



Altogether；　the　New　House　was　a　success。　　It　was　one　of　those　architects'

successes　which　leave　the　owners　veiled　in　privacy；　it　revealed　nothing　of　the

people　who　lived　in　it　save　that　they　were　rich。　　There　are　houses　that　cannot

be　detached　from　their　own　people　without　protesting：　　every　inch　of　mortar

seems　to　mourn　the　separation；　and　such　a　houseno　matter　what　be　done　to

itis　ever　murmurous　with　regret；　whispering　the　old　name　sadly　to　itself

unceasingly。　　But　the　New　House　was　of　a　kind　to　change　hands　without　emotion。

In　our　swelling　cities；　great　places　of　its　type　are　useful　as　financial

gauges　of　the　business　tides；　rich　families；　one　after　another；　take　title　and

occupy　such　houses　as　fortunes　rise　and　fallthey　mark　the　high　tide。　　It　was

impossible　to　imagine　a　child's　toy　wagon　left　upon　a　walk　or　driveway　of　the

New　House；　and　yet　it　wasas　Bibbs　rightly　called　it　〃beautiful。〃



What　the　architect　thought　of　the　〃Golfo　di　Napoli；〃　which　hung　in　its　vast

gold　revel　of　rococo　frame　against　the　gray　wood　of　the　hall；　is　to　be

conjecturedperhaps　he　had　not　seen　it。



〃Edith；　did　you　say　only　eleven　feet？〃　Bibbs　panted；　staring　at　it；　as　the

white…jacketed　twin　of　a　Pullman　porter　helped　him　to　get　out　of　his　overcoat。



〃Eleven　without　the　frame；〃　she　explained。　　〃It's　splendid；　don't　you　think？

It　lightens　things　up　so。　　The　hall　was　kind　of　gloomy　before。〃



〃No　gloom　now！〃　said　Bibbs。



〃This　statue　in　the　corner　is　pretty；　too；〃　she　remarked。　　〃Mamma　and　I　bought

that。〃　　And　Bibbs　turned　at　her　direction　to　behold；　amid　a　grove　of　tubbed

palms；　a　〃life…size；〃　black…bearded　Moor；　of　a　plastic　compositon　painted　with

unappeasable　gloss　and　brilliancy。　　Upon　his　chocolate　head　he　wore　a　gold

turban；　in　his　hand　he　held　a　gold…tipped　spear；　and　for　the　rest；　he　was　red

and　yellow　and　black　and　silver。



〃Hallelujah！〃　was　the　sole　comment　of　the　returned　wanderer；　and　Edith；　saying

she　would　〃find　mamma；〃　left　him　blinking　at　the　Moor。　　Presently；　after　she

had　disappeared；　he　turned　to　the　colored　man　who　stood　waiting；　Bibbs's

traveling…bag　in　his　hand。　　〃What　do　YOU　think　of　it？〃　Bibbs　asked；　solemnly。



〃Gran'！〃　replied　the　servitor。　　〃She　mightly　hard　to　dus'。　　Dus'　git　in　all

'em　wrinkles。　　Yessuh；　she　mighty　hard　to　dus'。〃



〃I　expect　she　must　be；〃　said　Bibbs；　his　glance　returning　reflectively　to　the

black　bull　beard　for　a　moment。　　〃Is　there　a　place　anywhere　I　could　lie　down？〃



〃Yessuh。　　We　got　one　nem　spare　rooms　all　fix　up　fo'　you；　suh。　　Right　up

staihs；　suh。　　Nice　room。〃



He　led　the　way；　and　Bibbs　followed　slowly；　stopping　at　intervals　to　rest；　and

noting　a　heavy　increase　in　the　staff　of　service　since　the　exodus　from　the

〃old〃　house。　　Maids　and　scrubwomen　were　at　work　under　the　patently　nominal

direction　of　another　Pullman　porter；　who　was　profoundly　enjoying　his　own

affectation　of　being　harassed　with　care。



〃Ev'ything　got　look　spick　an'　span　fo'　the　big　doin's　to…night；〃　Bibbs's

guide　explained；　chuckling。　　〃Yessuh；　we　got　big　doin's　to…night！　　Big

doin's！〃



The　room　to　which　he　conducted　his　lagging　charge　was　furnished　in　every

particular　like　a　room　in　a　new　hotel；　and　Bibbs　found　it　pleasant　though；

indeed；　any　room　with　a　good　bed　would　have　seemed　pleasant　to　him　after　his

journey。　　He　stretched　himself　flat　immediately；　and　having　replied　〃Not　now〃

to　the　attendant's　offer　to　unpack　the　bag；　closed　his　eyes　wearily。



White…jacket；　racially　sympathetic；　lowered　the　window…shades　and　made　an　exit

on　tiptoe；　encountering　the　other　white…jacketthe　harassed　overseer　in　the

hall　without。　　Said　the　emerging　one：　　〃He　mighty　shaky；　Mist'　Jackson。　Drop

right　down　an'　shet　his　eyes。　　Eyelids　all　black。　　Rich　folks　gotta　go　same　as

anybody　else。　　Anybody　ast　me　if　I　change　'ith　'at　ole　boy　No；　suh！　　Le'm

keep　'is　money；　I　keep　my　black　skin　an'　keep　out　the　ground！〃



Mr。　Jackson　expressed　the　same　preference。　　〃Yessuh；　he　look　tuh　me　like

somebody　awready　laid　out；〃　he　concluded。　　And　upon　the　stairway　landing；　near

by；　two　old　women；　on　all…fours　at　their　work；　were　likewise　pessimistic。



〃Hech！〃　said　one；　lamenting　in　a　whisper。　　〃It　give　me　a　turn　to　see　him　go

bywhite　as　wax　an'　bony　as　a　dead　fish！　　Mrs。　Cronin；　tell　me：　　d'it　make　ye

kind　o'　sick　to　look　at　um？〃



〃Sick？　　No　more　than　the　face　of　a　blessed　angel　already　in　heaven！〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　other；　〃I'd　a　b'y　o'　me　own　come　home　t'　die　once〃　　She

fell　silent　at　a　rustling　of　skirts　in　the　corridor　above　them。



It　was　Mrs。　Sheridan　hurrying　to　greet　her　son。



She　was　one　of　those　fat；　pink　people　who　fade　and　contract　with　age　like

drying　fruit；　and　her　outside　was　a　true　portrait　of　her。　　Her　husband　and　her

daughter　had　long　ago　absorbed　her。　　What　intelligence　she　had　was　given

almost　wholly　to　comprehending　and　serving　those　two；　and　except　in　the

presence　of　one　of　them　she　was　nearly　always　absent…minded。　　Edith　lived　all

day　with　her　mother；　as　daughters　do；　and　Sheridan　so　held　his　wife　to　her

unity　with　him　that　she　had　long　ago　become　unconscious　of　her　existence　as　a