the turmoil-第58章

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your　brotherjust　a　quick　scrawl。　　I　told　him　just　what　I'd　done；　I　asked　his

pardon；　and　I　said　I　would　not　marry　him。　　I　posted　the　letter；　but　he　never

got　it。　　That　was　the　afternoon　he　was　killed。　　That's　all；　Bibbs。　Now　you

know　what　I　didand　you　knowME！〃　　She　pressed　her　clenched　hands　tightly

against　her　eyes；　leaning　far　forward；　her　head　bowed　before　him。



Bibbs　had　forgotten　himself　long　ago；　his　heart　broke　for　her。　　〃Couldn't

youIsn't　thereWon't　you〃　he　stammered。　　〃Mary；　I'm　going　with　father。

Isn't　there　some　way　you　could　use　the　money　withoutwithout　〃



She　gave　a　choked　little　laugh。



〃You　gave　me　something　to　live　for；〃　he　said。　　〃You　kept　me　alive；　I　think

and　I've　hurt　you　like　this！〃



〃Not　youoh　no！〃



〃You　could　forgive　me；　Mary？〃



〃Oh；　a　thousand　times！〃　　Her　right　hand　went　out　in　a　faltering　gesture；　and

just　touched　his　own　for　an　instant。　　〃But　there's　nothing　to　forgive。〃



〃And　you　can'tyou　can't〃



〃Can't　what；　Bibbs？〃



〃You　couldn't〃



〃Marry　you？〃　she　said　for　him。



〃Yes。〃



〃No；　no；　no！〃　　She　sprang　up；　facing　him；　and；　without　knowing　what　she　did；

she　set　her　hands　upon　his　breast；　pushing　him　back　from　her　a　little。　　〃I

can't；　I　can't！　　Don't　you　SEE？〃



〃Mary〃



〃No；　no！　　And　you　must　go　now；　Bibbs；　I　can't　bear　any　moreplease〃



〃MARY〃



〃Never；　never；　never！〃　she　cried；　in　a　passion　of　tears。　　〃You　mustn't　come

any　more。　　I　can't　see　you；　dear！　　Never；　never；　never！〃



Somehow；　in　helpless；　stumbling　obedience　to　her　beseeching　gesture；　he　got

himself　to　the　door　and　out　of　the　house。





Sibyl　and　Roscoe　were　upon　the　point　of　leaving　when　Bibbs　returned　to　the　New

House。　　He　went　straight　to　Sibyl　and　spoke　to　her　quietly；　but　so　that　the

others　might　hear。



〃When　you　said　that　if　I'd　stop　to　think；　I'd　realize　that　no　one　would　be　apt

to　care　enough　about　me　to　marry　me；　you　were　right；〃　he　said。　　〃I　thought

perhaps　you　weren't；　and　so　I　asked　Miss　Vertrees　to　marry　me。　　It　proved　what

you　said　of　me；　and　disproved　what　you　said　of　her。　　She　refused。〃



And；　having　thus　spoken；　he　quitted　the　room　as　straightforwardly　as　he　had

entered　it。



〃He's　SO　queer！〃　Mrs。　Sheridan　gasped。　　〃Who　on　earth　would　thought　of　his

doin'　THAT？〃



〃I　told　you；〃　said　her　husband；　grimly。



〃You　didn't　tell　us　he'd　go　over　there　and〃



〃I　told　you　she　wouldn't　have　him。　　I　told　you　she　wouldn't　have　JIM；　didn't

I？〃



Sibyl　was　altogether　taken　aback。　　〃Do　you　supose　it's　true？　　Do　you　suppose

she　WOULDN'T？〃



〃He　didn't　look　exactly　like　a　young　man　that　had　just　got　things　fixed　up

fine　with　his　girl；〃　said　Sheridan。　　〃Not　to　me；　he　didn't！〃



〃But　why　would〃



〃I　told　you；〃　he　interrupted；　angrily；　〃she　ain't　that　kind　of　a　girl！　　If　you

got　to　have　proof；　well；　I'll　tell　you　and　get　it　over　with；　though　I'd　pretty

near　just　as　soon　not　have　to　talk　a　whole　lot　about　my　dead　boy's　private

affairs。　　She　wrote　to　Jim　she　couldn't　take　him；　and　it　was　a　good；　straight

letter；　too。　　It　came　to　Jim's　office；　he　never　saw　it。　She　wrote　it　the

afternoon　he　was　hurt。〃



〃I　remember　I　saw　her　put　a　letter　in　the　mail…box　that　afternoon；〃　said

Roscoe。　　〃Don't　you　remember；　Sibyl？　　I　told　you　about　itI　was　waiting　for

you　while　you　were　in　there　so　long　talking　to　her　mother。　　It　was　just　before

we　saw　that　something　was　wrong　over　here；　and　Edith　came　and　called　me。〃



Sibyl　shook　her　head；　but　she　remembered。　　And　she　was　not　cast　down；　for；

although　some　remnants　of　perplexity　were　left　in　her　eyes；　they　were　dimmed

by　an　increasing　glow　of　triumph；　and　she　departedafter　some　further

fragmentary　discoursevisably　elated。　　After　all；　the　guilty　had　not　been

exalted；　and　she　perceived　vaguely；　but　none　the　less　surely；　that　her　injury

had　been　copiously　avenged。　　She　bestowed　a　contented　glance　upon　the　old

house　with　the　cupola；　as　she　and　Roscoe　crossed　the　street。



When　they　had　gone；　Mrs。　Sheridan　indulged　in　reverie；　but　after　a　while　she

said；　uneasily；　〃Papa；　you　think　it　would　be　any　use　to　tell　Bibbs　about　that

letter？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　he　answered；　walking　moodily　to　the　window。　　〃I　been　thinkin'

about　it。〃　　He　came　to　a　decision。　　〃I　reckon　I　will。〃　　And　he　went　up　to

Bibbs's　room。



〃Well；　you　goin'　back　on　what　you　said？〃　he　inquired；　brusquely；　as　he　opened

the　door。　　〃You　goin'　to　take　it　back　and　lay　down　on　me　again？〃



〃No；〃　said　Bibbs。



〃Well；　perhaps　I　didn't　have　any　call　to　accuse　you　of　that。　　I　don't　know　as

you　ever　did　go　back　on　anything　you　said；　exactly；　though　the　Lord　knows

you've　laid　down　on　me　enough。　　You　certainly　have！〃　　Sheridan　was　baffled。

This　was　not　what　he　wished　to　say；　but　his　words　were　unmanageable；　he　found

himself　unable　to　control　them；　and　his　querulous　abuse　went　on　in　spite　of

him。　　〃I　can't　say　I　expect　much　of　younot　from　the　way　you　always　been；　up

to　nowunless　you　turn　over　a　new　leaf；　and　I　don't　see　any　encouragement　to

think　you're　goin'　to　do　THAT！　If　you　go　down　there　and　show　a　spark　o'　real

GIT…up；　I　reckon　the　whole　office　'll　fall　in　a　faint。　　But　if　you're　ever

goin'　to　show　any；　you　better　begin　right　at　the　beginning　and　begin　to　show

it　to…morrow。〃



〃YesI'll　try。〃



〃You　better；　if　it's　in　you！〃　　Sheridan　was　sheerly　nonplussed。　　He　ad　always

been　able　to　say　whatever　he　wished　to　say；　but　his　tongue　seemed　bewitched。

He　had　come　to　tell　Bibbs　about　Mary's　letter；　and　to　his　own　angry

astonishment　he　found　it　impossible　to　do　anything　except　to　scold　like　a

drudge…driver。　　〃You　better　come　down　there　with　your　mind　made　up　to　hustle

harder　than　the　hardest　workin'…man　that's　under　you；　or　you'll　not　get　on

very　good　with　me；　I　tell　you！　　The　way　to　get　aheadand　you　better　set　it

down　in　your　booksthe　way　to　get　ahead　is　to　do　ten　times　the　work　of　the

hardest　worker　that　works　FOR　you。　　But　you　don't　know　what　work　is；　yet。　　All

you've　ever　done　was　just　stand　around　and　feed　a　machine　a　child　could

handle；　and　then　come　home　and　take　a　bath　and　go　callin'。　　I　tell　you　you're

up　against　a　mighty　different　proposition　now；　and　if　you're　worth　your

saltand　you　never　showed　any　signs　of　it　yetnot　any　signs　that　stuck　out

enough　　to　bang　somebody　on　the　head　and　make　'em　sit　up　and　take

noticewell；　I　want　to　say；　right　here　and　nowand　you　better　listen；

because　I　want　to　say　just　what　I　DO　say。　　I　say〃



He　meandered　to　a　full　stop。　　His　mouth　hung　open；　and　his　mind　was　a　hopeless

blank。



Bibbs　looked　up　patientlyan　old；　old　look。　　〃Yes；　father；　I'm　listening。〃



〃That's　all；〃　said　Sheridan；　frowning　heavily。　　〃That's　all　I　came　to　say；　and

you　better　see　't　you　remember　it！〃



He　shook　his　head　warningly；　and　went　out；　closing　the　door　behind　him　with　a

crash。　　However；　no　sound　of　footsteps　indicated　his　departure。　　He　stopped

just　outside　the　door；　and　stood　there　a　minute　or　more。　　Then　abruptly　he

turned　the　knob　and　exhibited　to　his　son　a　forehead　liberally　covered　with

perspiration。



〃Look　here；〃　he　said；　crossly。　　〃That　girl　over　yonder　wrote　Jim　a　letter　〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃She　told　me。〃



〃Well；　I　thought　you　needn't　feel　so　much　upset　about　it〃　　The　door　closed

on　his　voice　as　he　withdrew；　but　the　conclusion　of　the　sentence　was

nevertheless　audible〃if　you　knew　she　wouldn't　have　Jim；　either。〃



And　he　stamped　his　way　down…stairs　to　tell　his　wife　to　quit　her　frettin'　and

not　bother　him　with　any　more　fool's　errands。　　She　was　about　to　inquire　what

Bibbs　〃said；〃　but　after　a　second　thought　she　decided　not　to　speak　at　all。　　She

merely　murmured　a　wordless　assent；　and　verbal　communication　was　given　over

between　them　for　the　rest　of　that　afternoon。



Bibbs　and　his　father　were　gone　when　Mrs。　Sheridan　woke；　the　next　morning；　and

she　had　a　dreary　day。　　She　missed　Edith　woefully；　and　she　worried　about　what

might　be　taking　place　in　the　Sheridan　Building。　　She　felt　that　ever