the turmoil-第9章

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



And　she　ran　out　of　the　room；　scooping　up　her　fallen　furs　with　a　gesture　of

flying　grace　as　she　sped。



When　she　came　down；　at　twenty　munutes　after　seven；　her　father　stood　in　the

hall；　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　waiting　to　be　her　escort　through　the　dark。　He

looked　up　and　watched　her　as　she　descended；　and　his　gaze　was　fond　and

proudand　profoundly　disturbed。　　But　she　smiled　and　nodded　gaily；　and；　when

she　reached　the　floor；　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。



〃At　least　no　one　could　suspect　me　to…night；〃　she　said。　　〃I　LOOK　rich；　don't　I；

papa？〃



She　did。　　She　had　a　look　that　worshipful　girl　friends　bravely　called　〃regal。〃

A　head　taller　than　her　father；　she　was　as　straight　and　jauntily　poised　as　a

boy　athlete；　and　her　brown　hair　and　her　brown　eyes　were　like　her　mother's；　but

for　the　rest　she　went　back　to　some　stronger　and　livelier　ancestor　than　either

of　her　parents。



〃Don't　I　look　too　rich　to　be　suspected？〃　she　insisted。



〃You　look　everything　beautiful；　Mary；〃　he　said；　huskily。



〃And　my　dress？〃　　She　threw　open　her　dark　velvet　cloak；　showing　a　splendor　of

white　and　silver。　　〃Anything　better　at　Nice　next　winter；　do　you　think？〃　She

laughed；　shrouding　her　glittering　figure　in　the　cloak　again。　　〃Two　years　old；

and　no　one　would　dream　it！　　I　did　it　over。〃



〃You　can　do　anything；　Mary。〃



There　was　a　curious　humility　in　his　tone；　and　something　morea　significance

not　veiled　and　yet　abysmally　apologetic。　　It　was　as　if　he　suggested　something

to　her　and　begged　her　forgiveness　in　the　same　breath。



And　upon　that；　for　the　moment；　she　became　as　serious　as　he。　　She　lifted　her

hand　from　his　shoulder　and　then　set　it　back　more　firmly；　so　that　he　should

feel　the　reassurance　of　its　pressure。



〃Don't　worry；〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice　and　gravely。　　〃I　know　exactly　what　you

want　me　to　do。〃





It　was　a　brave　and　lustrous　banquet；　and　a　noisy　one；　too；　because　there　was

an　orchestra　among　some　plants　at　one　end　of　the　long　dining…room；　and　after　a

preliminary　stiffness　the　guests　were　impelled　to　conversenecessarily　at　the

tops　of　their　voices。　　The　whole　company　of　fifty　sat　at　a　great　oblong　table；

improvised　for　the　occasion　by　carpenters；　but；　not　betraying　itself　as　an

improvisation；　it　seemed　a　permanent　continent　of　damask　and　lace；　with　shores

of　crystal　and　silver　running　up　to　spreading　groves　of　orchids　and　lilies　and

white　rosesan　inhabited　continent；　evidently；　for　there　were　three

marvelous；　gleaming　buildings：　　one　in　the　center　and　one　at　each　end；　white

miracles　wrought　by　some　inspired　craftsman　in　sculptural　icing。　　They　were

models　in　miniature；　and　they　represented　the　Sheridan　Building；　the　Sheridan

Apartments；　and　the　Pump　Works。　　Nearly　all　the　guests　recognized　them　without

having　to　be　told　what　they　were；　and　pronounced　the　likenesses　superb。



The　arrangement　of　the　table　was　visably　baronial。　　At　the　head　sat　the　great

Thane；　with　the　flower　of　his　family　and　of　the　guests　about　him；　then　on　each

side　came　the　neighbors　of　the　〃old〃　house；　grading　down　to　vassals　and

retainerssuperintendents；　cashiers；　heads　of　departments；　and　the　like　at

the　foot；　where　the　Thane's　lady　took　her　place　as　a　consolation　for　the　less

important。　　Here；　too；　among　the　thralls　and　bondmen；　sat　Bibbs　Sheridan；　a

meek　Banquo；　wondering　how　anybody　could　look　at　him　and　eat。



Nevertheless；　there　was　a　vast；　continuous　eating；　for　these　were　wholesome

folk　who　understood　that　dinner　meant　something　intended　for　introduction　into

the　system　by　means　of　an　aperture　in　the　face；　devised　by　nature　for　that

express　purpose。　　And　besides；　nobody　looked　at　Bibbs。



He　was　better　content　to　be　left　to　himself；　his　voice　was　not　strong　enough

to　make　itself　heard　over　the　hubbub　without　an　exhausting　effort；　and　the

talk　that　went　on　about　him　was　too　fast　and　too　fragmentary　for　his　drawl　to

keep　pace　with　it。　　So　he　felt　relieved　when　each　of　his　neighbors　in　turn；

after　a　polite　inquiry　about　his　health；　turned　to　seek　livelier　reponses　in

other　directions。　　For　the　talk　went　on　with　the　eating；　incessantly。　　It　rose

over　the　throbbing　of　the　orchestra　and　the　clatter　and　clinking　of　silver　and

china　and　glass；　and　there　was　a　mighty　babble。



〃Yes；　sir！　　Started　without　a　dollar。〃　。　。　。　〃Yellow　flounces　on　the

overskirt〃　。　。　。　〃I　says；　'Wilkie；　your　department's　got　to　go　bigger　this

year；'　I　says。〃　。　。　。　〃Fifteen　per　cent。　turnover　in　thirty…one　weeks。〃　。　。　。

〃One　of　the　bigest　men　in　the　bigest〃　。。。　　〃The　wife　says　she'll　have　to　let

out　my　pants　if　my　appetite〃　。　。　。　〃Say；　did　you　see　that　statue　of　a　Turk

in　the　hall？　　One　of　the　finest　things　I　ever〃　　。　。　。　〃Not　a　dollar；　not　a

nickel；　not　one　red　cent　do　you　get　out　o'　me；'　I　says；　and　so　he　ups　and〃　。

。　。　〃Yes；　the　baby　makes　four；　　they've　lost　now。〃。　。　。　〃Well；　they　got　their

raise；　and　they　went　in　big。〃　。　。　。　〃Yes；　sir！　　Not　a　dollar　to　his　name；　and

look　at　what〃　。　。　。　〃You　wait！　The　population　of　this　town's　goin'　to　hit

the　million　mark　before　she　stops。〃　。　。　。　〃Well；　if　you　can　show　me　a　bigger

deal　than〃



And　through　the　interstices　of　this　clamoring　Bibbs　could　hear　the　continual

booming　of　his　father's　heavy　voice；　and　once　he　caught　the　sentence；　〃Yes；

young　lady；　that's　just　what　did　it　for　me；　and　that's　just　what'll　do　it　for

my　boysthey　got　to　make　two　blades　o'　grass　grow　where　one　grew　before！〃　　It

was　his　familiar　flourish；　an　old　story　to　Bibbs；　and　now　jovially　declaimed

for　the　edification　of　Mary　Vertrees。



It　was　a　great　night　for　Sheridanthe　very　crest　of　his　wave。　　He　sat　there

knowing　himself　Thane　and　master　by　his　own　endeavor；　and　his　big；　smooth；　red

face　grew　more　and　more　radiant　with　good　will　and　with　the　simplest；

happiest；　most　boy…like　vanity。　　He　was　the　picture　of　health；　of　good　cheer；

and　of　power　on　a　holiday。　　He　had　thirty　teeth；　none　bought；　and　showed　most

of　them　when　he　laughed；　his　grizzled　hair　was　thick；　and　as　unruly　as　a　farm

laborer's；　his　chest　was　deep　and　big　beneath　its　vast　facade　of　starched

white　linen；　where　little　diamonds　twinkled；　circling　three　large　pearls；　his

hands　were　stubby　and　strong；　and　he　used　them　freely　in　gestures　of　marked

picturesqueness；　and；　though　he　had　grown　fat　at　chin　and　waist　and　wrist；　he

had　not　lost　the　look　of　readiness　and　activity。



He　dominated　the　table；　shouting　jocular　questions　and　railleries　at　every

one。　His　idea　was　that　when　people　were　having　a　good　time　they　were　noisy；

and　his　own　additions　to　the　hubbub　increased　his　pleasure；　and；　of　course；

met　the　warmest　encouragement　from　his　guests。　　Edith　had　discovered　that　he

had　very　foggy　notions　of　the　difference　between　a　band　and　an　orchestra；　and

when　it　was　made　clear　to　him　he　had　held　out　for　a　band　until　Edith

threatened　tears；　but　the　size　of　the　orchestra　they　hired　consoled　him；　and

he　had　now　no　regrets　in　the　matter。



He　kept　time　to　the　music　continuallywith　his　feet；　or　pounding　on　the　table

with　his　fist；　and　sometimes　with　spoon　or　knife　upon　his　plate　or　a　glass；

without　permitting　these　side…products　to　interfere　with　the　real　business　of

eating　and　shouting。



〃Tell　'em　to　play　'Nancy　Lee'！〃　he　would　bellow　down　the　length　of　the　table

to　his　wife；　while　the　musicians　were　in　the　midst　of　the　〃Toreador〃　song；

perhaps。　　〃Ask　that　fellow　if　they　don't　know　'Nancy　Lee'！〃　　And　when　the

leader　would　shake　his　head　apologetically　in　answer　to　an　obedient　shriek

from　Mrs。　Sheridan；　the　〃Toreador〃　continuing　vehemently；　Sheridan　would　roar

half…remembered　fragments　of　〃Nancy　Lee；〃　naturally　mingling　some　Bizet　with

the　air　of　that　uxorious　tribute。



〃Oh；　there　she　stands　and　waves　her　hands　while　I'm　away！　〃A　sail…er's　wife　a

sail…er's　star　should　be！　　Yo　ho；　oh；　oh！　〃Oh；　Nancy；　Nancy；　Nancy　Lee！　　Oh；

Na…hancy　Lee！〃



〃HAY；　there；　old　lady！〃　he　would　bellow。　　〃Tell　'em　to　play　'In　th