按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Dr。 Gurney was sitting by the log fire； alone in the room； and he merely
glanced over his shoulder when his patient came in。 He was not over fifty；
in spite of Sheridan's habitual 〃ole Doc Gurney。〃 He was gray； however；
almost as thin as Bibbs； and nearly always he looked drowsy。
〃Your father telephoned me yesterday afternoon； Bibbs；〃 he said； not rising。
〃Wants me to 'look you over' again。 Come around here in front of mebetween
me and the fire。 I want to see if I can see through you。〃
〃You mean you're too sleepy to move；〃 returned Bibbs； complying。 〃I think
you'll notice that I'm getting worse。〃
〃Taken on about twelve pounds；〃 said Gurney。 〃Thirteen； maybe。〃
〃Twelve。〃
〃Well； it won't do。〃 The doctor rubbed his eyelids。 〃You're so much better
I'll have to use some machinery on you before we can know just where you are。
You come down to my place this afternoon。 Walk down all the way。 I suppose
you know why your father wants to know。〃
Bibbs nodded。 〃Machine…shop。〃
〃Still hate it？〃
Bibbs nodded again。
〃Don't blame you！〃 the doctor grunted。 〃Yes； I expect it 'll make a lump in
your gizzard again。 Well； what do you say？ Shall I tell him you've got the
old lump there yet？ You still want to write； do you？〃
〃What's the use？〃 Bibbs said； smiling ruefully。 〃My kind of writing！〃
〃Yes；〃 the doctor agreed。 〃I suppose it you broke away and lived on roots
and berries until you began to 'attract the favorable attention of editors'
you might be able to hope for an income of four or five hundred dollars a
year by the time you're fifty。〃
〃That's about it；〃 Bibbs murmured。
〃Of course I know what you want to do；〃 said Gurney； drowsily。 〃You don't
hate the machine…shop only； you hate the whole showthe noice and jar and
dirt； the scramblethe whole bloomin' craze to 'get on。' You'd like to go
somewhere in Algiers； or to Taormina； perhaps； and bask on a balcony；
smelling flowers and writing sonnets。 You'd grow fat on it and have a
delicate little life all to yourself。 Well； what do you say？ I can lie
like sixty； Bibbs！ Shall I tell your father he'll lose another of his boys
if you don't go to Sicily？〃
〃I don't want to go to Sicily；〃 said Bibbs。 〃I want to stay right here。〃
The doctor's drowsiness disappeared for a moment； and he gave his patient a
sharp glance。 〃It's a risk；〃 he said。 〃I think we'll find you're so much
better he'll send you back to the shop pretty quick。 Something's got hold of
you lately； you're not quite so lackadaisical as you used to be。 But I warn
you： I think the shop will knock you just as it did before； and perhaps even
harder； Bibbs。〃
He rose； shook himself； and rubbed his eyelids。 〃Well； when we go over you
this afternoon what are we going to say about it？〃
〃Tell him I'm ready；〃 said Bibbs； looking at the floor。
〃Oh no；〃 Gurney laughed。 〃Not quite yet； but you may be almost。 We'll see。
Don't forget I said to walk down。〃
And when the examination was concluded； that afternoon； the doctor informed
Bibbs that the result was much too satisfactory to be pleasing。 〃Here's a
new 'situation' for a one…act farce；〃 he said； gloomily； to his next patient
when Bibbs had gone。 〃Doctor tells a man he's well； and that's his death
sentence； likely。 Dam' funny world！〃
Bibbs decided to walk home； though Gurney had not instructed him upon this
point。 In fact； Gurney seemed to have no more instructions on any point； so
discouraging was the young man's improvement。 It was a dingy afternoon； and
the smoke was evident not only to Bibbs's sight； but to his nostrils； though
most of the pedestrians were so saturated with the smell they could no longer
detect it。 Nearly all of them walked hurriedly； too intent upon their
destinations to be more than half aware of the wayside； they wore the
expressions of people under a vague yet constant strain。 They were all
lightly powdered； inside and out； with fine dust and grit from the hard…paved
streets； and they were unaware of that also。 They did not even notice that
they saw the smoke； though the thickened air was like a shrouding mist。 And
when Bibbs passed the new 〃Sheridan Apartments；〃 now almost completed； he
observed that the marble of the vestibule was already streaky with soot； like
his gloves； which were new。
That recalled to him the faint odor of gasolene in the coupe on the way from
his brother's funeral； and this incited a train of thought which continued
till he reached the vicinity of his home。 His route was by a street parallel
to that on which the New House fronted； and in his preoccupation he walked a
block farther than he intended； so that； having crossed to his own street； he
approached the New House from the north； and as he came to the corner of Mr。
Vertrees's lot Mr。 Vertrees's daughter emerged from the front door and walked
thoughtfully down the path to the old picket gate。 She was unconscious of
the approach of the pedestrian from the north； and did not see him until she
had opened the gate and he was almost beside her。 Then she looked up； and as
she saw him she started visibly。 And if this thing had happened to Robert
Lamhorn； he would have had a thought far beyond the horizon of faint…hearted
Bibbs's thoughts。 Lamhorn； indeed； would have spoken his thought。 He would
have said：
〃You jumped because you were thinking of me！〃
Mary was the picture of a lady flustered。 She stood with one hand closing
the gate behind her； and she had turned to go in the direction Bibbs was
walking。 There appeared to be nothing for it but that they should walk
together； at least as far as the New House。 But Bibbs had paused in his slow
stride； and there elapsed an instant before either spoke or movedit was no
longer than that； and yet it sufficed for each to seem to say； by look and
attitude； 〃Why； it's YOU！〃
Then they both spoke at once； each hurriedly pronouncing the other's name as
if about to deliver a message of importance。 Then both came to a stop
simultaneously； but Bibbs made a heroic effort； and as they began to walk on
together he contrived to find his voice。
〃IIhate a frozen fish myself；〃 he said。 〃I think three miles was too
long for you to put up with one。〃
〃Good gracious！〃 she cried； turning to him a glowing face from which
restraint and embarrassment had suddenly fled。 〃Mr。 Sheridan； you're lovely
to put it that way。 But it's always the girl's place to say it's turning
cooler！ I ought to have been the one to show that we didn't know each other
well enough not to say SOMETHING！ It was an imposition for me to have made
you bring me home； and after I went into the house I decided I should have
walked。 Besides； it wasn't three miles to the car…line。 I never thought of
it！〃
〃No；〃 said Bibbs； earnestly。 〃I didn't； either。 I might have said something
if I'd thought of anything。 I'm talking now； though； I must remember that；
and not worry about it later。 I think I'm talking； though it doesn't sound
intelligent even to me。 I made up my mind that if I ever met you again I'd
turn on my voice and keep it going； no mater what it said。 I〃
She interrupted him with laughter； and Mary Vertrees's laugh was one which
Bibbs's father had declared； after the house…warming； 〃a cripple would crawl
five miles to hear。〃 And at the merry lilting of it Bibbs's father's son
took heart to forget some of his trepidation。 〃I'll be any kind of idiot；〃
he said； 〃if you'll laugh at me some more。 It won't be difficult for me。〃
She did； and Bibbs's cheeks showed a little actual color； which Mary
perceived。 It recalled to her； by contrast； her careless and irritated
description of him to her mother just after she had seen him for the first
time。 〃Rather tragic and altogether impossible。〃 It seemed to her now that
she must have been blind。
They had passed the New House without either of them showingor
possessingany consciousness that it had been the destination of one of
them。
〃I'll keep on talking；〃 Bibbs continued； cheerfully； 〃and you keep on
laughing。 I'm amounting to something in the world this afternoon。 I'm
making a noise； and that makes you make music。 Don't be bothered by my
bleating out such things as that。 I'm really frightened； and that makes me
bleat anything。 I'm frightened about two things： I'm afraid of what I'll
think of myself later if I don't keep talkingtalking now； I mean and I'm
afraid of what I'll think of myself if I do。 And besides these two things；
I'm frightened； anyhow。 I don't remember talking as much as this more than
once or twice in my life。 I suppose it was always in me to do it； though；
the first time I met any one who didn't know me well enough not to listen。〃
〃But you're not really talking to me；〃 said Mary。 〃You're just think