the turmoil-第7章

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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　the　Gloaming。'

In　the　gloaming；　oh；　my　darling；　la…la…lum…teeWell；　if　they　don't　know　that；

what's　the　matter　with　'Larboard　Watch；　Ahoy'？　　THAT'S　good　music！　That's　the

kind　o'　music　I　like！　　Come　on；　now！　　Mrs。　Callin；　get　'em　singin'　down　in

your　part　o'　the　table。　　What's　the　matter　you　folks　down　there；　anyway？

Larboard　watch；　ahoy！〃



〃What　joy　he　feels；　asta…tum…dum…tee…dee…dum　steals。　　La…a…r…board　watch；

ahoy！〃



No　external　bubbling　contributed　to　this　effervescence；　the　Sheridans'　table

had　never　borne　wine；　and；　more　because　of　timidity　about　it　than　conviction；

it　bore　none　now；　though　〃mineral　waters〃　were　copiously　poured　from　bottles

wrapped；　for　some　reason；　in　napkins；　and　proved　wholly　satisfactory　to　almost

all　of　the　guests。　　And　certainly　no　wine　could　have　inspired　more　turbulent

good　spirits　in　the　host。　　Not　even　Bibbs　was　an　alloy　in　this　night's

happiness；　for；　as　Mrs。　Sheridan　had　said；　he　had　〃plans　for　Bibbs〃plans

which　were　going　to　straighten　out　some　things　that　had　gone　wrong。



So　he　pounded　the　table　and　boomed　his　echoes　of　old　songs；　and　then；

forgetting　these；　would　renew　his　friendly　railleries；　or　perhaps；　turning　to

Mary　Vertrees；　who　sat　near　him；　round　the　corner　of　the　table　at　his　right；

he　would　become　autobiographical。　　Gentlemen　less　naive　than　he　had　paid　her

that　tribute；　for　she　was　a　girl　who　inspired　the　autobiographical　impulse　in

every　man　who　met　herit　needed　but　the　sight　of　her。



The　dinner　seemed；　somehow；　to　center　about　Mary　Vertrees　and　the　jocund　host

as　a　play　centers　about　its　hero　and　heroine；　they　were　the　rubicund　king　and

the　starry　princess　of　this　spectaclethey　paid　court　to　each　other；　and

everybody　paid　court　to　them。　　Down　near　the　sugar　Pump　Works；　where　Bibbs

sat；　there　was　audible　speculation　and　admiration。　　〃Wonder　who　that　lady

ismakin'　such　a　hit　with　the　old　man。〃　　〃Must　be　some　heiress。〃　　〃Heiress？

Golly；　I　guess　I　could　stand　it　to　marry　rich；　then！〃



Edith　and　Sibyl　were　radiant：　at　first　they　had　watched　Miss　Vertrees　with　an

almost　haggard　anxiety；　wondering　what　disasterous　effect　Sheridan's　pastoral

gaietiesand　other　thingswould　have　upon　her；　but　she　seemed　delighted　with

everything；　and　with　him　most　of　all。　　She　treated　him　as　if　he　were　some

delicious；　foolish　old　joke　that　she　understood　perfectly；　laughing　at　him

almost　violently　when　he　braggedprobably　his　first　experience　of　that　kind

in　his　life。　　It　enchanted　him。



As　he　proclaimed　to　the　table；　she　had　〃a　way　with　her。〃　　She　had；　indeed；　as

Roscoe　Sheridan；　upon　her　right；　discovered　just　after　the　feast　began。　Since

his　marriage　three　years　before；　no　lady　had　bestowed　upon　him　so　protracted　a

full　view　of　brilliant　eyes；　and；　with　the　look；　his　lovely　neighbor　saidand

it　was　her　first　speech　to　him



〃I　hope　you're　very　susceptible；　Mr。　Sheridan！〃



Honest　Roscoe　was　taken　aback；　and　〃Why？〃　was　all　he　managed　to　say。



She　repeated　the　look　deliberately；　which　was　noted；　with　a　mystification

equal　to　his　own；　by　his　sister　across　the　table。　　No　one；　reflected　Edith；

could　image　Mary　Vertrees　the　sort　of　girl　who　would　〃really　flirt〃　with

married　menshe　was　obviously　the　〃opposite　of　all　that。〃　　Edith　defined　her

as　a　〃thoroughbred；〃　a　〃nice　girl〃；　and　the　look　given　to　Roscoe　was

astounding。　　Roscoe's　wife　saw　it；　too；　and　she　was　another　whom　it　puzzled

though　not　because　its　recipient　was　married。



〃Because！〃　said　Mary　Vertrees；　replying　to　Roscoe's　monosyllable。　　〃And　also

because　we're　next…door　neighbors　at　table；　and　it's　dull　times　ahead　for　both

of　us　if　we　don't　get　along。〃



Roscoe　was　a　literal　young　man；　all　stocks　and　bonds；　and　he　had　been　brought

up　to　believe　that　when　a　man　married　he　〃married　and　settled　down。〃　　It　was

〃all　right；〃　he　felt；　for　a　man　as　old　as　his　father　to　pay　florid　compliments

to　as　pretty　a　girl　as　this　Miss　Vertrees；　but　for　himself〃a　young　married

man〃it　wouldn't　do；　and　it　wouldn't　even　be　quite　moral。　He　knew　that　young

married　people　might　have　friendships；　like　his　wife's　for　Lamhorn；　but　Sibyl

and　Lamhorn　never　〃flirted〃they　were　always　very　matter…of…fact　with　each

other。　　Roscoe　would　have　been　troubled　if　Sibyl　had　ever　told　Lamhorn　she

hoped　he　was　susceptible。



〃Yeswe're　neighbors；〃　he　said；　awkwardly。



〃Next…door　neighbors　in　houses；　too；〃　she　added。



〃No；　not　exactly。　　I　live　across　the　street。〃



〃Why；　no！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　seemed　startled。　　〃Your　mother　told　me　this

afternoon　that　you　lived　at　home。〃



〃Yes；　of　course　I　live　at　home。　　I　built　that　new　house　across　the　street。〃



〃But　you〃　　she　paused；　confused；　and　then　slowly　a　deep　color　came　into　her

cheek。　　〃But　I　understood〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃my　wife　and　I　lived　with　the　old　folks　the　first　year；　but

that's　all。　　Edith　and　Jim　live　with　them；　of　course。〃



〃II　see；〃　she　said；　the　deep　color　still　deepening　as　she　turned　from　hi