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