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第11节

falk-第11节

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trude upon a gentleman。  I am one。  I wish you to

understand that when I am in funds I don't work;

and now 。 。 。〃



I would have pronounced him perfectly sober

hadn't he paused in great concern to try and brush

a hole off the knee of his trousers。



〃I have moneyand friends。  Every gentle…

man has。  Perhaps you would like to know my

friend?  His name is Falk。  You could borrow

some money。  Try to remember。  F…A…L…K; Falk。〃

Abruptly his tone changed。  〃A noble heart;〃 he

said muzzily。



〃Has Falk been giving you some money?〃 I

asked; appalled by the detailed finish of the dark

plot。



〃Lent me; my good man; not given me。  Lent;〃

he corrected suavely。  〃Met me taking the air

last evening; and being as usual anxious to oblige

  Hadn't you better go to the devil out of my

compound?〃



And upon this; without other warning; he let

fly with the banana which missed my head; and took

the constable just under the left eye。  He rushed

at the miserable Johnson; stammering with fury。

They fell。 。 。 。  But why dwell on the wretched…

ness; the breathlessness; the degradation; the sense…

lessness; the weariness; the ridicule and humiliation

andandthe perspiration; of these moments?  I

dragged the ex…hussar off。  He was like a wild

beast。  It seems he had been greatly annoyed at

losing his free afternoon on my account。  The gar…

den of his bungalow required his personal atten…

tion; and at the slight blow of the banana the brute

in him had broken loose。  We left Johnson on his

back; still black in the face; but beginning to kick

feebly。  Meantime; the big woman had remained

sitting on the ground; apparently paralysed with

extreme terror。



For half an hour we jolted inside our rolling

box; side by side; in profound silence。  The ex…ser…

geant was busy staunching the blood of a long

scratch on his cheek。  〃I hope you're satisfied;〃 he

said suddenly。  〃That's what comes of all that

tomfool business。  If you hadn't quarrelled with

that tugboat skipper over some girl or other; all

this wouldn't have happened。〃



〃You heard THAT story?〃 I said。



〃Of course I heard。  And I shouldn't wonder if

the Consul…General himself doesn't come to hear

of it。  How am I to go before him to…morrow with

that thing on my cheekI want to know。  Its

YOU who ought to have got this!〃



After that; till the gharry stopped and he

jumped out without leave…taking; he swore to him…

self steadily; horribly; muttering great; purpose…

ful; trooper oaths; to which the worst a sailor can

do is like the prattle of a child。  For my part I had

just the strength to crawl into Schomberg's coffee…

room; where I wrote at a little table a note to the

mate instructing him to get everything ready for

dropping down the river next day。  I couldn't

face my ship。  Well! she had a clever sort of skip…

per and no mistakepoor thing!  What a horrid

mess!  I took my head between my hands。  At

times the obviousness of my innocence would reduce

me to despair。  What had I done?  If I had done

something to bring about the situation I should at

least have learned not to do it again。  But I felt

guiltless to the point of imbecility。  The room was

empty yet; only Schomberg prowled round me

goggle…eyed and with a sort of awed respectful cu…

riosity。  No doubt he had set the story going him…

self; but he was a good…hearted chap; and I am

really persuaded he participated in all my troubles。

He did what he could for me。  He ranged aside the

heavy matchstand; set a chair straight; pushed a

spittoon slightly with his footas you show small

attentions to a friend under a great sorrow

sighed; and at last; unable to hold his tongue:



〃Well!  I warned you; captain。  That's what

comes of running your head against Mr。 Falk。

Man'll stick at nothing。〃



I sat without stirring; and after surveying me

with a sort of commiseration in his eyes he burst

out in a hoarse whisper: 〃But for a fine lump of

a girl; she's a fine lump of a girl。〃  He made a loud

smacking noise with his thick lips。  〃The finest

lump of a girl that I ever 。 。 。〃 he was going on

with great unction; but for some reason or other

broke off。  I fancied myself throwing something

at his head。  〃I don't blame you; captain。  Hang

me if I do;〃 he said with a patronising air。



〃Thank you;〃 I said resignedly。  It was no use

fighting against this false fate。  I don't know even

if I was sure myself where the truth of the matter

began。  The conviction that it would end disas…

trously had been driven into me by all the succes…

sive shocks my sense of security had received。  I

began to ascribe an extraordinary potency to

agents in themselves powerless。  It was as if

Schomberg's baseless gossip had the power to bring

about the thing itself or the abstract enmity of

Falk could put my ship ashore。



I have already explained how fatal this last

would have been。  For my further action; my

youth; my inexperience; my very real concern for

the health of my crew must be my excuse。  The ac…

tion itself; when it came; was purely impulsive。  It

was set in movement quite undiplomatically and

simply by Falk's appearance in the doorway。



The room was full by then and buzzing with

voices。  I had been looked at with curiosity by

every one; but how am I to describe the sensation

produced by the appearance of Falk himself block…

ing the doorway?  The tension of expectation

could be measured by the profundity of the silence

that fell upon the very click of the billiard balls。

As to Schomberg; he looked extremely frightened;

he hated mortally any sort of row (fracas he called

it) in his establishment。  Fracas was bad for busi…

ness; he affirmed; but; in truth; this specimen of

portly; middle…aged manhood was of a timid dis…

position。  I don't know what; considering my pres…

ence in the place; they all hoped would come of it。

A sort of stag fight; perhaps。  Or they may have

supposed Falk had come in only to annihilate me

completely。  As a matter of fact; Falk had come in

because Hermann had asked him to inquire after the

precious white cotton parasol which; in the worry

and excitement of the previous day; he had forgot…

ten at the table where we had held our little discus…

sion。



It was this that gave me my opportunity。  I

don't think I would have gone to seek Falk out。

No。  I don't think so。  There are limits。  But there

was an opportunity and I seized itI have already

tried to explain why。  Now I will merely state that;

in my opinion; to get his sickly crew into the sea

air and secure a quick despatch for his ship a skip…

per would be justified in going to any length; short

of absolute crime。  He should put his pride in his

pocket; he may accept confidences; explain his in…

nocence as if it were a sin; he may take advantage

of misconceptions; of desires and of weaknesses; he

ought to conceal his horror and other emotions;

and; if the fate of a human being; and that human

being a magnificent young girl; is strangely in…

volvedwhy; he should contemplate that fate

(whatever it might seem to be) without turning a

hair。  And all these things I have done; the ex…

plaining; the listening; the pretendingeven to

the discretionand nobody; not even Hermann's

niece; I believe; need throw stones at me now。

Schomberg at all events needn't; since from first to

last; I am happy to say; there was not the slightest

〃fracas。〃



Overcoming a nervous contraction of the wind…

pipe; I had managed to exclaim 〃Captain Falk!〃

His start of surprise was perfectly genuine; but

afterwards he neither smiled nor scowled。  He sim…

ply waited。  Then; when I had said; 〃I must have

a talk with you;〃 and had pointed to a chair at my

table; he moved up to me; though he didn't sit

down。  Schomberg; however; with a long tumbler

in his hand; was making towards us prudently; and

I discovered then the only sign of weakness in Falk。

He had for Schomberg a repulsion resembling that

sort of physical fear some people experience at the

sight of a toad。  Perhaps to a man so essentially

and silently concentrated upon himself (though he

could talk well enough; as I was to find out

presently) the other's irrepressible loquacity; em…

bracing every human being within range of the

tongue; might have appeared unnatural; disgust…

ing; and monstrous。  He suddenly gave signs of

restivenesspositively like a horse about to rear;

and; muttering hurriedly as if in great pain; 〃No。

I can't stand that fellow;〃 seemed ready to bolt。

This weakness of his gave me the advantage at the

very start。  〃Verandah;〃 I suggested; as if ren…

dering him a service; and walked him out by the

arm。  We stumbled over a few chairs; we had the

feeling of open space before us; and felt the fresh

breath of the riverfresh; but tainted。  The Chi…

nese theatres across the water made; in the sparsely

twinkli

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