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mother had retired to some upper fastness； but Bibbs interviewed Jackson and
had the various groups of relatives summoned to the dining…room for food。
One great…uncle； old Gideon Sheridan from Boonville； could not be found； and
Bibbs went in search of him。 He ransacked the house； discovering the missing
antique at last by accident。 Passing his father's closed door on tiptoe；
Bibbs heard a murmurous sound； and paused to listen。 The sound proved to be
a quavering and rickety voice； monotonously bleating：
〃The Lo…ord givuth and the Lo…ord takuth away！ We got to remember that； we
got to remember that！ I'm a…gittin' along； James； I'm a…gittin' along； and
I've seen a…many of 'em gotwo daughters and a son the Lord give me； and He
has taken all away。 For the Lo…ord givuth and the Lo…ord takuth away！
Remember the words of Bildad the Shuhite； James。 Bildad the Shuhite says；
'He shall have neither son nor nephew among his people； nor any remaining in
his dwellings。' Bildad the Shuhite〃
Bibbs opened the door softly。 His father was lying upon the bed； in his
underclothes； face downward； and Uncle Gideon sat near by； swinging backward
and forward in a rocking…chair； stroking his long white beard and gazing at
the ceiling as he talked。 Bibbs beckoned him urgently； but Uncle Gideon paid
no attention。
〃Bibdad the Shuhite spake and his says； 'If thy children have sinned against
Him and He have cast them away〃
There was a muffled explosion beneath the floor； and the windows rattled。
The figure lying face downward on the bed did not move； but Uncle Gideon
leaped from his chair。 〃My God！〃 he cried。 〃What's that？〃
There came a second explosion； and Uncle Gideon ran out into the hall。 Bibbs
went to the head of the great staircase； and； looking down； discovered the
source of the distubance。 Gideon's grandson； a boy of fourteen； had brought
his camera to the funeral and was taking 〃flash…lights〃 of the Moor。 Uncle
Gideon； reassured by Bibbs's explanation； would have returned to finish his
quotation from Bildad the Shuhite； but Bibbs detained him； and after a little
argument persuaded him to descend to the dining…room whither Bibbs followed；
after closing the door of his father's room。
He kept his eye on Gideon after dinner； diplomatically preventing several
attempts on the part of that comforter to reascend the stairs； and it was a
relief to Bibbs when George announced that an automobile was waiting to
convey the ancient man and his grandson to their train。 They were the last
to leave； and when they had gone Bibbs went sighing to his own room。
He stretched himself wearily upon the bed； but presently rose； went to the
window； and looked for a long time at the darkened house where Mary Vertrees
lived。 Then he open his trunk； took therefrom a small note…book half filled
with fragmentary scribblings； and began to write：
Laughter after a funeral。 In this reaction people will laugh at
anything and at nothing。 The band plays a dirge on the way to the cemetery；
but when it turns back； and the mourning carriages are out of hearing； it
strikes up； 〃Darktown is Out To…night。〃 That is natural but there are women
whose laughter is like the whirring of whips。 Why is it that certain kinds
of laughter seem to spoil something hidden away from the laughers？ If they
do not know of it； and have never seen it； how can their laughter hurt it？
Yet it does。 Beauty is not out of place among grave…stones。 It is not
out of place anywhere。 But a woman who has been betrothed to a man would not
look beautiful at his funeral。 A woman might look beautiful； though； at the
funeral of a man whom she had known and liked。 And in that case； too； she
would probably not want to talk if she drove home from the cemetery with his
brother： nor would she want the brother to talk。 Silence is usually either
stupid or timid。 But for a man who stammers if he tries to talk fast； and
drawls so slowly； when he doesn't stammer； that nobody has time to listen to
him； silence is advisable。 Nevertheless； too much silence is open to
suspicion。 It may be reticence； or it may be a vacuum。 It may be dignity；
or it may be false teeth。 Sometimes an imperceptible odor will become
perceptible in a small inclosure； such as a closed carriage。 The ghost of
gasoline rising from a lady's glove might be sweeter to the man riding beside
her than all the scents of Arcady in spring。 It depends on the ladybut
there ARE！ Three miles may be three hundred miles； or it may be three
feet。 When it is three feet you have not time to say a great deal before you
reach the end of it。 Still； it may be that one should begin to speak。 No one
could help wishing to stay in a world that holds some of the people that are
in this world。 There are some so wonderful you do not understand how the
dead COULD die。 How could they let themselves？ A falling building does
not care who falls with it。 It does not choose who shall be upon its roof
and who shall not。 Silence CAN be golden？ Yes。 But perhaps if a woman
of the world should find herself by accident sitting beside a man for the
length of time it must necessarily take two slow old horses to jog three
miles； she might expect that man to say something of some sort！ Even if she
thought him a feeble hypochondriac； even if she had heard from others that he
was a disappointment to his own people； even if she had seen for herself that
he was a useless and irritating encumbrance everywhere； she might expect him
at least to speakshe might expect him to open his mouth and try to make
sounds； if he only barked。 If he did not even try； but sat every step of the
way as dumb as a frozen fish； she might THINK him a frozen fish。 And she
might be right。 She might be right if she thought him about as pleasant a
companion asas Bildad the Shuhite！
Bibbs closed his note…book； replacing it in his trunk。 Then； after a period
of melancholy contemplation； he undressed； put on a dressing…gown and
slippers； and went softly out into the hallto his father's door。 Upon the
floor was a tray which Bibbs had sent George； earlier in the evening； to
place upon a table in Sheridan's roombut the food was untouched。 Bibbs
stood listening outside the door for several minutes。 There came no sound
from within； and he went back to his own room and to bed。
In the morning he woke to a state of being hitherto unknown in his
experience。 Sometimes in the process of waking there is a little pause
sleep has gone； but coherent thought has not begun。 It is a curious
half…void； a glimpse of aphasia； and although the person experiencing it may
not know for that instant his own name or age or sex； he may be acutely
conscious of depression or elation。 It is the moment； as we say； before we
〃remember〃； and for the first time in Bibbs's life it came to him bringing a
vague happiness。 He woke to a sense of new riches； he had the feeling of a
boy waking to a birthday。 But when the next moment brought him his memory；
he found nothing that could explain his exhilaration。 On the contrary； under
the circumstances it seemed grotesquely unwarranted。 However； it was a brief
visitation and was gone before he had finished dressing。 It left a little
trail； the pleased recollection of it and the puzzle of it； which remained
unsolved。 And； in fact； waking happily in the morning is not usually the
result of a drive home from a funeral。 No wonder the sequence evaded Bibbs
Sheridan！
His father had gone when he came down…stairs。 〃Went on down to 's office；
jes' same；〃 Jackson informed him。 〃Came sat breakfas'…table； all by 'mself；
eat nothin'。 George bring nice breakfas'； but he di'n' eat a thing。 Yessuh；
went on down…town； jes' same he yoosta do。 Yessuh； I reckon putty much
ev'y…thing goin' go on same as it yoosta do。〃
It struck Bibbs that Jackson was right。 The day passed as other days had
passed。 Mrs。 Sheridan and Edith were in black； and Mrs。 Sheridan cried a
little； now and then； but no other external difference was to be seen。 Edith
was quiet； but not noticeably depressed； and at lunch proved herself able to
argue with her mother upon the propriety of receiving calls in the earliest
stages of 〃mourning。〃 Lunch was as usualfor Jim and his father had always
lunched down…townand the afternoon was as usual。 Bibbs went for his drive；
and his mother went with him； as she sometimes did when the weather was
pleasant。 Altogether； the usualness of things was rather startling to Bibbs。
During the drive Mrs。 Sheridan talked fragmentarily of Jim's childhood。 〃But
you wouldn't remember about that；〃 she said； after narrating an episode。
〃You were too little。 He was always a good boy； just like that。 And he'd
save whatever papa gave him； and put it in the bank。 I reckon it 'll just
about kill