the turmoil-第7章

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Bibbs's　window　and　not　thirty　feet　away；　and　it　was　easy　for　him　to　imagine

the　present　dynasty　of　Vertreeses　in　grievous　outcry　when　they　had　found　this

retreat　ruined　by　the　juxtaposition　of　the　parvenu　intruder。　Probably　the

〃summer…house〃　was　pleasant　and　pretty　in　summer。　　It　had　the　lookof　a　place

wherein　little　girls　had　played　for　a　generation　or　so　with　dolls　and

〃housekeeping；〃　or　where　a　lovely　old　lady　might　come　to　read　something　dull

on　warm　afternoons；　but　now　in　the　thin　light　it　was　desolate；　the　color　of

dust；　and　hung　with　haggard　vines　which　had　lost　their　leaves。



Bibbs　looked　at　it　with　grave　sympathy；　probably　feeling　some　kinship　with

anything　so　dismantled；　then　he　turned　to　a　cheval…glass　beside　the　window　and

paid　himself　the　dubious　tribute　of　a　thorough　inspection。　　He　looked　the

mirror　up　and　down；　slowly；　repeatedly；　but　came　in　the　end　to　a　long　and

earnest　scrutiny　of　the　face。　　Throughout　this　cryptic　seance　his　manner　was

profoundly　impersonal；　he　had　the　air　of　an　entomologist　intent　upon

classifying　a　specimen；　but　finally　he　appeared　to　become　pessimistic。　　He

shook　his　head　solemnly；　then　gazed　again　and　shook　his　head　again；　and

continued　to　shake　it　slowly；　in　complete　disapproval。



〃You　certainly　are　one　horrible　sight！〃　he　said；　aloud。



And　at　that　he　was　instantly　aware　of　an　observer。　　Turning　quickly；　he　was

vouchsafed　the　picture　of　a　charming　lady；　framed　in　a　rustic　aperture　of　the

〃summer…house〃　and　staring　full　into　his　windowstraight　into　his　eyes；　too；

for　the　infinitesimal　fraction　of　a　second　before　the　flashingly　censorious

withdrawal　of　her　own。　　Composedly；　she　pulled　several　dead　twigs　from　a　vine；

the　manner　of　her　action　conveying　a　message　or　proclamation　to　the　effect

that　she　was　in　the　summer…house　for　the　sole　purpose　of　such…like　pruning　and

tending；　and　that　no　gentleman　could　suppose　her　presence　there　to　be　due　to

any　other　purpose　whatsoever；　or　that；　being　there　on　that　account；　she　had

allowed　her　attention　to　wander　for　one　instant　in　the　direction　of　things　of

which　she　was　in　reality　unconscious。



Having　pulled　enough　twigs　to　emphasize　her　unconsciousnessand　at　the　same

time　her　disapprovalof　everything　in　the　nature　of　a　Sheridan　or　belonging

to　a　Sheridan；　she　descended　the　knoll　with　maintained　composure；　and

sauntered　toward　a　side…door　of　the　country　mansion　of　the　Vertreeses。　An

elderly　lady；　bonneted　and　cloaked；　opened　the　door　and　came　to　meet　her。



〃Are　you　ready；　Mary？　　I've　been　looking　for　you。　　What　were　you　doing？〃



〃Nothing。　　Just　looking　into　one　of　Sheridans'　windows；〃　said　Mary　Vertrees。

〃I　got　caught　at　it。〃



〃Mary！〃　cried　her　mother。　　〃Just　as　we　were　going　to　call！　　Good　heavens！〃



〃We'll　go；　just　the　same；〃　the　daughter　returned。　　〃I　suppose　those　women

would　be　glad　to　have　us　if　we'd　burned　their　house　to　the　ground。〃



〃But　WHO　saw　you？〃　insisted　Mrs。　Vertrees。



〃One　of　the　sons；　I　suppose　he　was。　　I　believe　he's　insane；　or　something。　　At

least　I　hear　they　keep　him　in　a　sanitarium　somewhere；　and　never　talk　about

him。　　He　was　staring　at　himself　in　a　mirror　and　talking　to　himself。　　Then　he

looked　out　and　caught　me。〃



〃What　did　he〃



〃Nothing；　of　course。〃



〃How　did　he　look？〃



〃Like　a　ghost　in　a　blue　suit；〃　said　Miss　Vertrees；　moving　toward　the　street

and　waving　a　white…gloved　hand　in　farewell　to　her　father；　who　was　observing

them　from　the　window　of　his　library。　　〃Rather　tragic　and　altogether

impossible。　　Do　come　on；　mother；　and　let's　get　it　over！〃



And　Mrs。　Vertrees；　with　many　misgivings；　set　forth　with　her　daughter　for　their

gracious　assault　upon　the　New　House　next　door。





Mr。　Vertrees；　having　watched　their　departure　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　had

something　at　hazard　upon　the　expedition；　turned　from　the　window　and　began　to

pace　the　library　thoughtfully；　pending　their　return。　　He　was　about　sixty；　a

small　man；　withered　and　dry　and　fine；　a　trim　little　sketch　of　an　elderly

dandy。　　His　lambrequin　mustacherelic　of　a　forgotten　Anglomaniahad　been

profoundly　black；　but　now；　like　his　smooth　hair；　it　was　approaching　an　equally

sheer　whiteness；　and　though　his　clothes　were　old；　they　had　shapeliness　and　a

flavor　of　mode。　　And　for　greater　spruceness　there　were　some　jaunty　touches；

gray　spats；　a　narrow　black　ribbon　across　the　gray　waistcoat　to　the　eye…glasses

in　a　pocket；　a　fleck　of　color　from　a　button　in　the　lapel　of　the　black　coat；

labeling　him　the　descendant　of　patriot　warriors。



The　room　was　not　like　him；　being　cheerful　and　hideous；　whereas　Mr。　Vertrees

was　anxious　and　decorative。　　Under　a　mantel　of　imitation　black　marble　a　merry

little　coal…fire　beamed　forth　upon　high　and　narrow　〃Eastlake〃　bookcases　with

long　glass　doors；　and　upon　comfortable；　incongruous　furniture；　and　upon

meaningless　〃woodwork〃　everywhere；　and　upon　half　a　dozen　Landseer　engravings

which　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　sometimes　mentioned　to　each　other；　after　thirty

years　of　possession；　as　〃very　fine　things。〃　　They　had　been　the　first　people　in

town　to　possess　Landseer　engravings；　and　there；　in　art；　they　had　rested；　but

they　still　had　a　feeling　that　in　all　such　matters　they　were　in　the　van；　and

when　Mr。　Vertrees　discovered　Landseers　upon　the　walls　of　other　people's　houses

he　thawed；　as　a　chieftain　to　a　trusted　follower；　and　if　he　found　an　edition　of

Bulwer　Lytton　accompanying　the　Landseers　as　a　final　corroboration　of　culture；

he　would　say；　inevitably；　〃Those　people　know　good　pictures　and　they　know　good

books。〃



The　growth　of　the　city；　which　might　easily　have　made　him　a　millionaire；　　had

ruined　him　because　he　had　failed　to　understand　it。　　When　towns　begin　to　grow

they　have　whims；　and　the　whims　of　a　town　always　ruin　somebody。　　Mr。　Vertrees

had　been　most　strikingly　the　somebody　in　this　case。　　At　about　the　time　he

bought　the　Landseers；　he　owned；　through　inheritance；　an　office…building　and　a

large　house　not　far　from　it；　where　he　spent　the　winter；　and　he　had　a　country

placea　farm　of　four　hundred　acreswhere　he　went　for　the　summers　to　the

comfortable；　ugly　old　house　that　was　his　home　now；　perforce；　all　the　year

round。　　If　he　had　known　how　to　sit　still　and　let　things　happen　he　would　have

prospered　miraculously；　but；　strangely　enough；　the　dainty　little　man　was　one

of　the　first　to　fall　down　and　worship　Bigness；　the　which　proceeded　straightway

to　enact　the　role　of　Juggernaut　for　his　better　education。　　He　was　a　true

prophet　of　the　prodigious　growth；　but　he　had　a　fatal　gift　for　selling　good　and

buying　bad。　　He　should　have　stayed　at　home　and　looked　at　his　Landseers　and

read　his　Bulwer；　but　he　took　his　cow　to　market；　and　the　trained　milkers　milked

her　dry　and　then　ate　her。　　He　sold　the　office…building　and　the　house　in　town

to　buy　a　great　tract　of　lots　in　a　new　suburb；　then　he　sold　the　farm；　except

the　house　and　the　ground　about　it；　to　pay　the　taxes　on　the　suburban　lots　and

to　〃keep　them　up。〃　　The　lots　refused　to　stay　up；　but　he　had　to　do　something　to

keep　himself　and　his　family　up；　so　in　despair　he　sold　the　lots　（which　went　up

beautifully　the　next　year）　for　〃traction　stock〃　that　was　paying　dividends；　and

thereafter　he　ceased　to　buy　and　sell。　　Thus　he　disappeared　altogether　from　the

commercial　surface　at　about　the　time　James　Sheridan　came　out　securely　on　top；

and　Sheridan；　until　Mrs。　Vertrees　called　upon　him　with　her　〃anti…smoke〃

committee；　had　never　heard　the　name。



Mr。　Vertrees；　pinched；　retired　to　his　Landseers；　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　〃managed

somehow〃　on　the　dividends；　though　〃managing〃　became　more　and　more　difficult　as

the　years　went　by　and　money　bought　less　and　less。　　But　there　came　a　day　when

three　servitors　of　Bigness　in　Philadelphia　took　greedy　counsel　with　four

fellow…worshipers　from　New　York；　and　not　long　after　that　there　were　no　more

dividends　for　Mr。　Vertrees。　　In　fact；　there　was　nothing　for　Mr。　Vertrees；

because　the　〃traction　stock〃　henceforth　was　no　stock　at　all；　and　he　had

mortgaged　his　house　long　ago　to　help