the turmoil-第53章

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she　was　sure　all　along　it　was　goin'　to　happen；　and；　besides；　I　guess　she's　got

all　that　foolishness　pretty　much　out　of　her；　bein'　so　sick。　　But　what　I

thought　was；　no　use　bein'　rough　with　her；　papaI　expect　she's　suffered　a　good

dealand　I　don't　think　we'd　ought　to　be；　on　Roscoe's　account。　　You'llyou'll

be　kind　o'　polite　to　her；　won't　you；　papa？〃



He　mumbled　something　which　was　smothered　under　the　coverlet　he　had　pulled　over

his　head。



〃What？〃　she　said；　timidly。　　〃I　was　just　sayin'　I　hoped　you'd　treat　Sibyl　all

right　when　she　comes；　this　afternoon。　　You　will；　won't　you；　papa？〃



He　threw　the　coverlet　off　furiously。　〃I　presume　so！〃　he　roared。



She　departed　guiltily。



But　if　he　had　accepted　her　proffered　wager　that　Bibbs　would　go　to　church　with

Mary　Vertrees　that　morning；　Mrs。　Sheridan　would　have　lost。　Nevertheless；　Bibbs

and　Mary　did　certainly　set　out　from　Mr。　Vertrees's　house　with　the　purpose　of

going　to　church。　　That　was　their　intention；　and　they　had　no　other。　　They　meant

to　go　to　church。



But　it　happened　that　they　were　attentively　preoccupied　in　a　conversation　as

they　came　to　the　church；　and　though　Mary　was　looking　to　the　right　and　Bibbs

was　looking　to　the　left；　Bibbs's　leftward　glance　converged　with　Mary's

rightward　glance；　and　neither　was　looking　far　beyond　the　other　at　this　time。

It　also　happened　that；　though　they　were　a　little　jostled　among　groups　of

people　in　the　vicinity　of　the　church；　they　passed　this　somewhat　prominent

edifice　without　being　aware　of　their　proximity　to　it；　and　they　had　gone　an

incredible　number　of　blocks　beyond　it　before　they　discovered　their　error。

However；　feeling　that　they　might　be　embarrassingly　late　if　they　returned；　they

decided　that　a　walk　would　make　them　as　good。　　It　was　a　windless　winter

morning；　with　an　inch　of　crisp　snow　over　the　ground。　　So　they　walked；　and　for

the　most　part　they　were　silent；　but　on　their　way　home；　after　they　had　turned

back　at　noon；　they　began　to　be　talkative　again。



〃Mary；〃　said　Bibbs；　after　a　time；　〃am　I　a　sleep…walker？〃



She　laughed　a　little；　then　looked　grave。　　〃Does　your　father　say　you　are？〃



〃Yeswhen　he's　in　a　mood　to　flatter　me。　　Other　times；　other　names。　　He　has

quite　a　list。〃



〃You　mustn't　mind；〃　she　said；　gently。　　〃He's　been　getting　some　pretty　severe

shocks。　　What　you've　told　me　makes　me　pretty　sorry　for　him；　Bibbs。　I've　always

been　sure　he's　very　big。〃



〃Yes。　　Big　andblind。　　He's　like　a　Hercules　without　eyes　and　without　any

consciousness　except　that　of　his　strength　and　of　his　purpose　to　grow　stronger。

Stronger　for　what？　　For　nothing。〃



〃Are　you　sure；　Bibbs？　　It　CAN'T　be　for　nothing；　it　must　be　stronger　for

something；　even　though　he　doesn't　know　what　it　is。　　Perhaps　what　he　and　his

kind　are　struggling　for　is　something　so　great　they　COULDN'T　see　itso　great

none　of　us　could　see　it。〃



〃No；　he's　just　like　some　blind；　unconscious　thing　heaving　underground〃



〃Till　he　breaks　through　and　leaps　out　into　the　daylight；〃　she　finished　for

him；　cheerily。



〃Into　the　smoke；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Look　at　the　powder　of　coal…dust　already

dirtying　the　decent　snow；　even　though　it's　Sunday。　　That's　from　the　little

pigs；　the　big　ones　aren't　so　bad；　on　Sunday！　　There's　a　fleck　of　soot　on　your

cheek。　　Some　pig　sent　it　out　into　the　air；　he　might　as　well　have　thrown　it　on

you。　　It　would　have　been　braver；　for　then　he'd　have　taken　his　chance　of　my

whipping　him　for　it　if　I　could。〃



〃IS　there　soot　on　my　cheek；　Bibbs；　or　were　you　only　saying　so　rhetorically？

IS　there？〃



〃Is　there？　　There　ARE　soot　on　your　cheeks；　Marya　fleck　on　each。　　One　landed

since　I　mentioned　the　first。〃



She　halted　immediately；　giving　him　her　handkerchief；　and　he　succeeded　in

transferring　most　of　the　black　from　her　face　to　the　cambric。　　They　were

entirely　matter…of…course　about　it。



An　elderly　couple；　it　chanced；　had　been　walking　behind　Bibbs　and　Mary　for　the

last　block　or　so；　and　passed　ahead　during　the　removal　of　the　soot。　〃There！〃

said　the　elderly　wife。　　〃You're　always　wrong　when　you　begin　guessing　about

strangers。　　Those　two　young　people　aren't　honeymooners　at　allthey've　been

married　for　years。　　A　blind　man　could　see　that。〃



〃I　wish　I　did　know　who　threw　that　soot　on　you；〃　said　Bibbs；　looking　up　at　the

neighboring　chimneys；　as　they　went　on。　　〃They　arrest　children　for　throwing

snowballs　at　the　street…cars；　but〃



〃But　they　don't　arrest　the　street…cars　for　shaking　all　the　pictures　in　the

houses　crooked　every　time　they　go　by。　　Nor　for　the　uproar　they　make。　　I　wonder

what's　the　cost　in　nerves　for　the　noise　of　the　city　each　year。　Yes；　we　pay　the

price　for　living　in　a　'growing　town；'　whether　we　have　money　to　pay　or　none。〃



〃Who　is　it　gets　the　pay？〃　said　Bibbs。



〃Not　I！〃　she　laughed。



〃Nobody　gets　it。　　There　isn't　any　pay；　there's　only　money。　　And　only　some　of

the　men　down…town　get　much　of　that。　　That's　what　my　father　wants　me　to　get。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　smiling　to　him；　and　nodding。　　〃And　you　don't　want　it；　and　you

don't　need　it。〃



〃But　you　don't　think　I'm　a　sleep…walker；　Mary？〃　　He　had　told　her　of　his

father's　new　plans　for　him；　though　he　had　not　described　the　vigor　and

picturesqueness　of　their　setting　forth。　　〃You　think　I'm　right？〃



〃A　thousand　times！〃　she　cried。　　〃There　aren't　so　many　happy　people　in　this

world；　I　thinkand　you　say　you've　found　what　makes　you　happy。　　If　it's　a

dreamkeep　it！〃



〃The　thought　of　going　down　thereinto　the　money　shuffleI　hate　it　as　I　never

hated　the　shop！〃　he　said。　　〃I　hate　it！　　And　the　city　itself；　the　city　that　the

money　shuffle　has　madejust　look　at　it！　　Look　at　it　in　winter。　　The　snow's

tried　hard　to　make　the　ugliness　bearable；　but　the　ugliness　is　winning；　it's

making　the　snow　hideous；　the　snow's　getting　dirty　on　top；　and　it's　foul

underneath　with　the　dirt　and　disease　of　the　unclean　street。　　And　the　dirt　and

the　ugliness　and　the　rush　and　the　noise　aren't　the　worst　of　it；　it's　what　the

dirt　and　ugliness　and　rush　and　noise　MEANthat's　the　worst！　　The　outward

things　are　insufferable；　but　they're　only　the　expression　of　a　spirita　blind

enbryo　of　a　spirit；　not　yet　a　souloh；　just　greed！　　And　this　'go　ahead'

nonsense！　　Oughtn't　it　all　to　be　a　fellowship？　　I　shouldn't　want　to　get　ahead

if　I　couldI'd　want　to　help　the　other　fellow　to　keep　up　with　me。〃



〃I　read　something　the　other　day　and　remembered　it　for　you；〃　said　Mary。　〃It　was

something　Burne…Jones　said　of　a　picture　he　was　going　to　paint：　'In　the　first

picture　I　shall　make　a　man　walking　in　the　street　of　a　great　city；　full　of　all

kinds　of　happy　life：　children；　and　lovers　walking；　and　ladies　leaning　from　the

windows　all　down　great　lengths　of　street　leading　to　the　city　walls；　and　there

the　gates　are　wide　open；　letting　in　a　space　of　green　field　and　cornfield　in

harvest；　and　all　round　his　head　a　great　rain　of　swirling　autumn　leaves　blowing

from　a　lttle　walled　graveyard。〃



〃And　if　I　painted；〃　Bibbs　returned；　〃I'd　paint　a　lady　walking　in　the　street　of

a　great　city；　full　of　all　kinds　of　uproarious　and　futile　life　children　being

taught　only　how　to　make　money；　and　lovers　hurrying　to　get　richer；　and　ladies

who'd　given　up　trying　to　wash　their　windows　clean；　and　the　gates　of　the　city

wide　open；　letting　in　slums　and　slaughter…houses　and　freight…yards；　and　all

round　this　lady's　head　a　great　rain　of　swirling　soot〃　　He　paused；　adding；

thoughtfully：　〃And　yet　I　believe　I'm　glad　that　soot　got　on　your　cheek。　　It　was

just　as　if　I　were　your　brother　the　way　you　gave　me　your　handkerchief　to　rub

it　off　for　you。　　Still；　Edith　never〃



〃Didn't　she？〃　said　Mary；　as　he　paused　again。



〃No。　　And　I〃　　He　contented　himself　with　shaking　his　head　instead　of　offering

more　definite　information。　　Then　he　realized　that　they　were　passing　the　New

House；　and　he　sighed　profoundly。　　〃Mary；　our　walk's　almost　over。〃



She　looked　as　blank。　　〃So　it　is；　Bibbs。〃



They　said　no　more　until　they　came　to　her　gate。　　As　they　drifted　slowly　to　a

stop；　the　door　of　Roscoe's　house　opened；