the turmoil-第8章

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

mortgaged　his　house　long　ago　to　help　〃manage　somehow〃　according　to　his

conception　of　his　〃position　in　life〃one　of　his　own　old…fashioned　phrases。

Six　months　before　the　completion　of　the　New　House　next　door；　Mr。　Vertrees　had

sold　his　horses　and　the　worn　Victoria　and　〃station…wagon；〃　to　pay　the　arrears

of　his　two　servants　and　re…establish　credit　at　the　grocer's　and　butcher's

and　a　pair　of　elderly　carriage…horses　with　such　accoutrements　are　not　very

ample　barter；　in　these　days；　for　six　months'　food　and　fuel　and　service。　　Mr。

Vertrees　had　discovered；　too；　that　there　was　no　salary　for　him　in　all　the

buzzing　cityhe　could　do　nothing。



It　may　be　said　that　he　was　at　the　end　of　his　string。　　Such　times　do　come　in

all　their　bitterness；　finally；　to　the　man　with　no　trade　or　craft；　if　his

feeble　clutch　on　that　slippery　ghost；　Property；　shall　fail。



The　windows　grew　black　while　he　paced　the　room；　and　smoky　twilight　closed

round　about　the　house；　yet　not　more　darkly　than　what　closed　round　about　the

heart　of　the　anxious　little　man　patrolling　the　fan…shaped　zone　of　firelight。

But　as　the　mantel　clock　struck　wheezily　six　there　was　the　rattle　of　an　outer

door；　and　a　rich　and　beautiful　peal　of　laughter　went　ringing　through　the

house。　　Thus　cheerfully　did　Mary　Vertrees　herald　her　return　with　her　mother

from　their　expedition　among　the　barbarians。



She　came　rushing　into　the　library　and　threw　herself　into　a　deep　chair　by　the

hearth；　laughing　so　uncontrollably　that　tears　were　in　her　eyes。　　Mrs。　Vertrees

followed　decorously；　no　mirth　about　her；　on　the　contrary；　she　looked　vaguely

disturbed；　as　if　she　had　eaten　something　not　quite　certain　to　agree　with　her；

and　regretted　it。



〃Papa！　　Oh；　oh！〃　　And　Miss　Vertrees　was　fain　to　apply　a　handkerchief　upon　her

eyes。　　〃I'm　SO　glad　you　made　us　go！　　I　wouldn't　have　missed　it〃



Mrs。　Vertrees　shook　her　head。　　〃I　suppose　I'm　very　dull；〃　she　said；　gently。　〃I

didn't　see　anything　amusing。　　They're　most　ordinary；　and　the　house　is

altogether　in　bad　taste；　but　we　anticipated　that；　and〃



〃Papa！〃　Mary　cried；　breaking　in。　　〃They　asked　us　to　DINNER！〃



〃What！〃



〃And　I'm　GOING！〃　she　shouted；　and　was　seized　with　fresh　paroxysms。　　〃Think　of

it！　　Never　in　their　house　before；　never　met　any　of　them　but　the　daughter　and

just　BARELY　met　her〃



〃What　about　you？〃　interrrupted　Mr。　Vertrees；　turning　sharply　upon　his　wife。



She　made　a　little　face　as　if　positive　now　that　what　she　had　eaten　would　not

agree　with　her。　　〃I　couldn't！〃　she　said。　　〃I〃



〃Yes；　that's　justjust　the　way　sheshe　looked　when　they　asked　her！〃　cried

Mary；　choking。　　〃And　then　sheshe　realized　it；　and　tried　to　turn　it　into　a

cough；　and　she　didn't　know　how；　and　it　sounded　likelike　a　squeal！〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　Mrs。　Vertrees；　much　injured；　〃that　Mary　will　have　an

uproarious　time　at　my　funeral。　　She　makes　fun　of〃



Mary　jumped　up　instantly　and　kissed　her；　then　she　went　to　the　mantel　and；

leaning　an　elbow　upon　it；　gazed　thoughtfully　at　the　buckle　of　her　shoe；

twinkling　in　the　firelight。



〃THEY　didn't　notice　anything；〃　she　said。　　〃So　far　as　they　were　concerned；

mamma；　it　was　one　of　the　finest　coughs　you　ever　coughed。〃



〃Who　were　'they'？〃　asked　her　father。　　〃Whom　did　you　see？〃



〃Only　the　mother　and　daughter；〃　Mary　answered。　　〃Mrs。　Sheridan　is　dumpy　and

rustly；　and　Miss　Sheridan　is　pretty　and　pushingdresses　by　the　fashion

magazines　and　talks　about　New　York　people　that　have　their　pictures　in　'em。　She

tutors　the　mother；　but　not　very　successfullypartly　because　her　own

foundation　is　too　flimsy　and　partly　because　she　began　too　late。　　They've　got

an　enormous　Moor　of　painted　plaster　or　something　in　the　hall；　and　the　girl

evidently　thought　it　was　to　her　credit　that　she　selected　it！〃



〃They　have　oil…paintings；　too；〃　added　Mrs。　Vertrees；　with　a　glance　of　gentle

price　at　the　Landseers。　　〃I've　always　thought　oil…paintings　in　a　private　house

the　worst　of　taste。〃



〃Oh；　if　one　owned　a　Raphael　or　a　Titian！〃　said　Mr。　Vertrees；　finishing　the

implication；　not　in　words；　but　with　a　wave　of　his　hand。　　〃Go　on；　Mary。　　None

of　the　rest　of　them　came　in？　　You　didn't　meet　Mr。　Sheridan　or〃　　He　paused

and　adjusted　a　lump　of　coal　in　the　fire　delicately　with　the　poker。　　〃Or　one　of

the　sons？〃



Mary's　glance　crossed　his；　at　that；　with　a　flash　of　utter　comprehension。　　He

turned　instantly　away；　but　she　had　begun　to　laugh　again。



〃No；〃　she　said；　〃no　one　except　the　women；　but　mamma　inquired　about　the　sons

thoroughly！〃



〃Mary！〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　protested。



〃Oh；　most　adroitly；　too！〃　laughed　the　girl。　　〃Only　she　couldn't　help

unconsciously　turning　to　look　at　mewhen　she　did　it！〃



〃Mary　Vertrees！〃



〃Never　mind；　mamma！　　Mrs。　Sheridan　and　Miss　Sheridan　neither　of　THEM　could

help　unconsiously　turning　to　look　at　mespeculativelyat　the　same　time！　They

all　three　kept　looking　at　me　and　talking　about　the　oldest　son；　Mr。　James

Sheridan；　Junior。　　Mrs。　Sheridan　said　his　father　is　very　anxious　'to　get　Jim

to　marry　and　settle　down；'　and　she　assured　me　that　'Jim　is　right　cultivated。'

Another　of　the　sons；　the　youngest　one；　caught　me　looking　in　the　window　this

afternoon；　but　they　didn't　seem　to　consider　him　quite　one　of　themselves；

somehow；　though　Mrs。　Sheridan　mentioned　that　a　couple　of　years　or　so　ago　he

had　been　'right　sick；'　and　had　been　to　some　cure　or　other。　　They　seemed

relieved　to　bring　the　subject　back　to　'Jim'　and　his　virtuesand　to　look　at

me！　　The　other　brother　is　the　middle　one；　Roscoe；　he's　the　one　that　owns　the

new　house　across　the　street；　where　that　young　black…sheep　of　the　Lamhorns；

Robert；　goes　so　often。　　I　saw　a　short；　dark　young　man　standing　on　the　porch

with　Robert　Lamhorn　there　the　other　day；　so　I　suppose　that　was　Roscoe。　　'Jim'

still　lurks　in　the　mists；　but　I　shall　meet　him　to…night。　　Papa〃　　She　stepped

nearer　to　him　so　that　he　had　to　face　her；　and　his　eyes　were　troubled　as　he

did。　　There　may　have　been　a　trouble　deep　within　her　own；　but　she　kept　their

surface　merry　with　laughter。　　〃Papa；　Bibbs　is　the　youngest　one's　name；　and

Bibbsto　the　best　of　our　informationis　a　lunatic。　　Roscoe　is　married。

Papa；　does　it　have　to　be　Jim？〃



〃Mary！〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　cried；　sharply。　　〃You're　outrageous！　　That's　a　perfectly

horrible　way　of　talking！〃



〃Well；　I'm　close　to　twenty…four；〃　said　Mary；　turning　to　her。　　〃I　haven't　been

able　to　like　anybody　yet　that's　asked　me　to　marry　him；　and　maybe　I　never

shall。　　Until　a　year　or　so　ago　I've　had　everything　I　ever　wanted　in　my　life

you　and　papa　gave　it　all　to　meand　it's　about　time　I　began　to　pay　back。

Unfortunately；　I　don't　kow　how　to　do　anythingbut　something's　got　to　be

done。〃



〃But　you　needn't　talk　of　it　like　THAT！〃　insisted　the　mother；　plaintively。

〃It's　notit's　not〃



〃No；　it's　not；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I　know　that！〃



〃How　did　they　happen　to　ask　you　to　dinner？〃　Mr。　Vertrees　inquired；　uneasily。

〃'Stextrawdn'ry　thing！〃



〃Climbers'　hospitality；〃　Mary　defined　it。　　〃We　were　so　very　cordial　and　easy！

I　think　Mrs。　Sheridan　herself　might　have　done　it　just　as　any　kind　old　woman　on

a　farm　might　ask　a　neighbor；　but　it　was　Miss　Sheridan　who　did　it。　　She　played

around　it　awhile；　you　could　see　she　wanted　toshe's　in　a　dreadful　hurry　to

get　into　thingsand　I　fancied　she　had　an　idea　it　might　impress　that　Lamhorn

boy　to　find　us　there　to…night。　　It's　a　sort　of　house…warming　dinner；　and　they

talked　about　it　and　talked　about　itand　then　the　girl　got　her　courage　up　and

blurted　out　the　invitation。　　And　mamma〃　　Here　Mary　was　once　more　a　victim　to

incorrigible　merriment。　　〃Mamma　tried　to　say　yes；　and　COULDN'T！　　She　swallowed

and　squealedI　mean　you　coughed；　dear！　　And　then；　papa；　she　said　that　you　and

she　had　promised　to　go　to　a　lecture　at　the　Emerson　Club　to…night；　but　that　her

daughter　would　be　delighted　to　come　to　the　Big　Show！　　So　there　I　am；　and

there's　Mr。　Jim　Sheridanand　there's　the　clock。　Dinner's　at　seven…thirty！〃



And　she　ran　out　o