the turmoil-第56章

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stairway。　　〃I　wishI　wish　I　knew　what　he　was　doin'；〃　she　said。　　〃He　did　look

terrible　bad。　　It　was　like　something　had　been　done　to　him　that　wasI　don't

know　what。　　I　never　saw　anybody　look　like　he　did。　　He　lookedso　queer。　　It

was　like　you'd〃　　She　called　down　the　hall；　〃George！〃



〃Yes'm？〃



〃Were　you　up　in　Mr。　Bibbs's　room　just　now？〃



〃Yes；m。　　He　ring　bell；　tole　me　make　him　fiah　in　his　grate。　　I　done　buil'　him

nice　fiah。　　I　reckon　he　ain'　feelin'　so　well。　　Yes'm。〃　　He　departed。



〃What　do　you　expect　he　wants　a　fire　for？〃　she　asked；　turning　toward　her

husband。　　〃The　house　is　warm　as　can　be；　　I　do　wish　I〃



〃Oh；　quit　frettin'！〃　said　Sheridan。



〃Well；　II　kind　o'　wish　you　hadn't　said　anything；　Sibyl。　　I　know　you　meant　it

for　the　best　and　all；　but　I　don't　believe　it　would　been　so　much　harm　if〃



〃Mother　Sheridan；　you　don't　mean　you　WANT　that　kind　of　a　girl　in　the　family？

Why；　she〃



〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know；〃　the　troubled　woman　quavered。　　〃If　he　liked　her

it　seems　kind　of　a　pity　to　spoil　it。　　He's　so　queer；　and　he　hasn't　ever　taken

much　enjoyment。　　And　besides；　I　believe　the　way　it　was；　there　was　more　chance

of　him　bein'　willin'　to　do　what　papa　wants　him　to。　　If　she　wants　to　marry

him〃



Sheridan　interrupted　her　with　a　hooting　laugh。　　〃She　don't！〃　he　said。　〃You're

barkin'　up　the　wrong　tree；　Sibyl。　　She　ain't　that　kind　of　a　girl。〃



〃But；　father　Sheridan；　didn't　she〃



He　cut　her　short。　　〃That's　enough。　　You　may　mean　all　right；　but　you　guess

wrong。　　So　do　you；　mamma。〃



Sibyl　cried　out；　〃Oh！　　But　just　LOOK　how　she　ran　after　Jim〃



〃She　did　not；〃　he　said；　curtly。　　〃She　wouldn't　take　Jim。　　She　turned　him　down

cold。〃



〃But　that's　impossi〃



〃It's　not。　　I　KNOW　she　did。〃



Sibyl　looked　flatly　incredulous。



〃And　YOU　needn't　worry；〃　he　said；　turning　to　his　wife。　　〃This　won't　have　any

effect　on　your　idea；　because　there　wasn't　any　sense　to　it；　anyhow。　　D'　you

think　she'd　be　very　likely　to　take　Bibbsafter　she　wouldn't　take　JIM？　　She's

a　good…hearted　girl；　and　she　lets　Bibbs　come　to　see　her；　but　if　she'd　ever

given　him　one　sign　of　encouragement　the　way　you　women　think；　he　wouldn't　of

acted　the　stubborn　fool　he　hashe'd　'a'　been　at　me　long　ago；　beggin'　me　for

some　kind　of　a　job　he　could　support　a　wife　on。　There's　nothin'　in　itand　I've

got　the　same　old　fight　with　him　on　my　hands　I've　had　all　his　lifeand　the

Lord　knows　what　he　won't　do　to　balk　me！　　What's　happened　now　'll　probably　only

make　him　twice　as　srubborn；　but　〃



〃SH！〃　　Mrs。　Sheridan；　still　in　the　doorway；　lifted　her　hand。　　〃That's　his

stephe's　comin'　down…stairs。〃　　She　shrank　away　from　the　door　as　if　she

feared　to　have　Bibbs　see　her。　　〃II　wonder〃　she　said；　almost　in　a

whisper〃I　wonder　what　he'd　goin'to　do。〃



Her　timorousness　had　its　effect　upon　the　others。　　Sheridan　rose；　frowning；　but

remained　standing　beside　his　chair；　and　Roscoe　moved　toward　Sibyl；　who　stared

uneasily　at　the　open　doorway。　　They　listened　as　the　slow　steps　descended　the

stairs　and　came　toward　the　library。



Bibbs　stopped　upon　the　threshold；　and　with　sick　and　haggard　eyes　looked　slowly

from　one　to　the　other　until　at　last　his　gaze　rested　upon　his　father。　　Then　he

came　and　stood　before　him。



〃I'm　sorry　you've　had　so　much　trouble　with　me；〃　he　said；　gently。　　〃You　won't；

any　more。　　I'll　take　the　job　you　offered　me。〃



Sheridan　did　not　speakhe　stared；　astounded　and　incredulous；　and　Bibbs　had

left　the　room　before　any　of　its　occupants　uttered　a　sound；　though　he　went　as

slowly　as　he　came。　　Mrs。　Sheridan　was　the　first　to　move。　　She　went　nervously

back　to　the　doorway；　and　then　out　into　the　hall。　　Bibbs　had　gone　from　the

house。



Bibbs's　mother　had　a　feeling　about　him　then　that　she　had　never　known　before；

it　was　indefinite　and　vague；　but　very　poignantsomething　in　her　mourned　for

him　uncomprehendingly。　　She　felt　that　an　awful　thing　had　been　done　to　him；

though　she　did　not　know　what　it　was。　　She　went　up　to　his　room。



The　fire　George　had　built　for　him　was　almost　smothered　under　thick；　charred

ashes　of　paper。　　The　lid　of　his　trunk　stood　open；　and　the　large　upper　tray；

which　she　remembered　to　have　seen　full　of　papers　and　note…books；　was　empty。

And　somehow　she　understood　that　Bibbs　had　given　up　the　mysterious　vocation　he

had　hoped　to　followand　that　he　had　given　it　up　for　ever。　　She　thought　it　was

the　wisest　thing　he　could　have　done　and　yet；　for　an　unknown　reason；　she　sat

upon　the　bed　and　wept　a　little　before　she　went　down…stairs。



So　Sheridan　had　his　way　with　Bibbs；　all　through。





As　Bibbs　came　out　of　the　New　House；　a　Sunday　trio　was　in　course　of　passage

upon　the　sidewalk：　an　ample　young　woman；　placid　of　face；　a　black…clad；　thin

young　man；　whose　expression　was　one　of　habitual　anxiety；　habitual　wariness　and

habitual　eagerness。　　He　propelled　a　perambulator　containing　the　thirdand　all

three　were　newly　cleaned；　Sundayfied；　and　made　fit　to　dine　with　the　wife's

relatives。



〃How'd　you　like　for　me　to　be　THAT　young　fella；　mamma？〃　the　husband　whispered。

〃He's　one　of　the　sons；　and　there　ain't　but　two　left　now。〃



The　wife　stared　curiously　at　Bibbs。　　〃Well；　I　don't　know；〃　she　returned。　〃He

looks　to　me　like　he　had　his　own　troubles。〃



〃I　expect　he　has；　like　anybody　else；〃　said　the　young　husband；　〃but　I　guess　we

could　stand　a　good　deal　if　we　had　his　money。〃



〃Well；　maybe；　if　you　keep　on　the　way　you　been；　baby　'll　be　as　well　fixed　as

the　Sheridans。　　You　can't　tell。〃　　She　glanced　back　at　Bibbs；　who　had　turned

north。　　〃He　walks　kind　of　slow　and　stooped　over；　like。〃



〃So　much　money　in　his　pockets　it　makes　him　sag；　I　guess；〃　said　the　young

husband；　with　bitter　admiration。



Mary；　happening　to　glance　from　a　window；　saw　Bibbs　coming；　and　she　started；

clasping　her　hands　together　in　a　sudden　alarm。　　She　met　him　at　the　door。



〃Bibbs！〃　she　cried。　　〃What　is　the　matter？　　I　saw　something　was　terribly　wrong

when　IYou　look〃　　She　paused；　and　he　came　in；　not　lifting　his　eyes　to　hers。

Always　when　he　crossed　that　threshold　he　had　come　with　his　head　up　and　his

wistful　gaze　seeking　hers。　　〃Ah；　poor　boy！〃　she　said；　with　a　gesture　of

understanding　and　pity。　　〃I　know　what　it　is！〃



He　followed　her　into　the　room　where　they　always　sat；　and　sank　into　a　chair。



〃You　needn't　tell　me；〃　she　said。　　〃They've　made　you　give　up。　　Your　father's

wonyou're　going　to　do　what　he　wants。　　You've　given　up。〃



Still　without　looking　at　her；　he　inclined　his　head　in　affirmation。



She　gave　a　little　cry　of　compassion；　and　came　and　sat　near　him。　　〃Bibbs；〃　she

said。　　〃I　can　be　glad　of　one　thing；　though　it's　selfish。　　I　can　be　glad　you

came　straight　to　me。　　It's　more　to　me　than　even　if　you'd　come　because　you　were

happy。〃　　She　did　not　speak　again　for　a　little　while；　then　she　said：

〃Bibbsdearcould　you　tell　me　about　it？　　Do　you　want　to？〃



Still　he　did　not　look　up；　but　in　a　voice；　shaken　and　husky　he　asked　her　a

question　so　grotesque　that　at　first　she　thought　she　had　misunderstood　his　words。



〃Mary；〃　he　said；　〃could　you　marry　me？〃



〃What　did　you　say；　Bibbs？〃　she　asked；　quietly。



His　tone　and　attitude　did　not　change。　　〃Will　you　marry　me？〃



Both　of　her　hands　leaped　to　her　cheeksshe　grew　red　and　then　white。　She　rose

slowly　and　moved　backward　from　him；　staring　at　him；　at　first　incredulously；

then　with　an　intense　perplexity　more　and　more　luminous　in　her　wide　eyes；　it

was　like　a　spoken　question。　　The　room　filled　with　strangeness　in　the　long

silencethe　two　were　so　strange　to　each　other。　At　last　she　said：



〃What　made　you　say　that？〃



He　did　not　answer。



〃Bibbs；　look　at　me！〃　　Her　voice　was　loud　and　clear。　　〃What　made　you　say　that？

Look　at　me！〃



He　could　not　look　at　her；　and　he　could　not　speak。



〃What　was　it　that　made　you？〃　she　said。　　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me。〃



She　went　closer　to　him；　her　eyes　ever　brighter　and　wider　with　that　intensity

of　wonder。　　〃You've　given　upto　your　father；〃　she　said；　slowly；　〃and　then　you

came　to　ask　me〃　　She　broke　off。　　〃