the turmoil-第5章
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the best。 He loves his chuldern and wants to do what's right by ALL of 'em
and you'll always find he's right in the end。〃
He made a little gesture of assent； which seemed to content her； and she
rustled to the door； turning to speak again after she had opened it。 〃You get
a good nap； now； so as to be all rested up for to…night。〃
〃Youyou meanhe〃 Bibbs stammered； having begun to speak too quickly。
Checking himself； he drew a long breath； then asked； quietly； 〃Does father
expect me to come down…stairs this evening？〃
〃Well； I think he does；〃 she answered。 〃You see； it's the 'house…warming；' as
he calls it； and he said he thinks all our chuldern ought to be around us； as
well as the old friends and other folks。 It's just what he thinks you
needto take an interest and liven up。 You don't feel too bad to come down；
do you？〃
〃Mother？〃
〃Well？〃
〃Take a good look at me；〃 he said。
〃Oh； see here！〃 she cried； with brusque cheerfulness。 〃You're not so bad off
as you think you are； Bibbs。 You're on the mend； and it won't do you any harm
to please your〃
〃It isn't that；〃 he interrupted。 〃Honestly； I'm only afraid it might spoil
somebody's appetite。 Edith〃
〃I told you the child was too sensitive；〃 she interrupted； in turn。 〃You're a
plenty good…lookin' enough young man for anybody！ You look like you been
through a long spell and begun to get well； and that's all there is to it。〃
〃All right。 I'll come to the party。 If the rest of you can stand it； I can！〃
〃It 'll do you good；〃 she returned； rustling into the hall。 〃Now take a nap；
and I'll send one o' the help to wake you in time for you to get dressed up
before dinner。 You go to sleep right away； now； Bibbs！〃
Bibbs was unable to obey； though he kept his eyes closed。 Something she had
said kept running in his mind； repeating itself over and over interminably。
〃His plans for youhis plans for youhis plans for youhis plans for you〃
And then； taking the place of 〃his plans for you；〃 after what seemed a long；
long while； her flurried voice came back to him insistently； seeming to
whisper in his ear： 〃He loves his chuldernhe loves his chuldernhe loves
his chuldern〃〃you'll find he's always rightyou'll find he's always
right〃 Until at last； as he drifted into the state of half…dreams and
distorted realities； the voice seemed to murmur from beyond a great black wing
that came out of the wall and stretched over his bedit was a black wing
within the room； and at the same time it was a black cloud crossing the sky；
bridging the whole earth from pole to pole。 It was a cloud of black smoke；
and out of the heart of it came a flurried voice whispering over and over；
〃His plans for youhis plans for youhis plans for you〃 And then there
was nothing。
He woke refreshed； stretched himself gingerlyas one might have a care
against too quick or too long a pull upon a frayed elasticand； getting to
his feet； went blinking to the window and touched the shade so that it flew
up； letting in a pale sunset。
He looked out into the lemon…colored light and smiled wanly at the next house；
as Edith's grandiose phrase came to mind； 〃the old Vertrees country mansion。〃
It stood in a broad lawn which was separated from the Sheridans' by a young
hedge； and it was a big； square； plain old box of a house with a giant
salt…cellar atop for a cupola。 Paint had been spared for a long time； and no
one could have put a name to the color of it； but in spite of that the place
had no look of being out at heel； and the sward was as neatly trimmed as the
Sheridans' own。
The separating hedge ran almost beneath Bibbs's windowfor this wing of the
New House extended here almost to the edge of the lotand； directly opposite
the window； the Vertreeses' lawn had been graded so as to make a little knoll
upon which stood a small rustic 〃summer…house。〃 It was almost on a level with
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 fami
