falk-第12节

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nese　theatres　across　the　water　made；　in　the　sparsely

twinkling　masses　of　gloom　an　Eastern　town　pre…

sents　at　night；　blazing　centres　of　light；　and　of　a

distant　and　howling　uproar。　　I　felt　him　become

suddenly　tractable　again　like　an　animal；　like　a

good…tempered　horse　when　the　object　that　scares

him　is　removed。　　Yes。　　I　felt　in　the　darkness　there

how　tractable　he　was；　without　my　conviction　of　his

inflexibilitytenacity；　rather；　perhapsbeing　in

the　least　weakened。　　His　very　arm　abandoning　it…

self　to　my　grasp　was　as　hard　as　marblelike　a　limb

of　iron。　　But　I　heard　a　tumultuous　scuffling　of

boot…soles　within。　　The　unspeakable　idiots　inside

were　crowding　to　the　windows；　climbing　over　each

other's　backs　behind　the　blinds；　billiard　cues　and　all。

Somebody　broke　a　window　pane；　and　with　the　sound

of　falling　glass；　so　suggestive　of　riot　and　devasta…

tion；　Schomberg　reeled　out　after　us　in　a　state　of

funk　which　had　prevented　his　parting　with　his

brandy　and　soda。　　He　must　have　trembled　like　an

aspen　leaf。　　The　piece　of　ice　in　the　long　tumbler

he　held　in　his　hand　tinkled　with　an　effect　of　chat…

tering　teeth。　　〃I　beg　you；　gentlemen；〃　he　expost…

ulated　thickly。　　〃Come！　　Really；　now；　I　must　in…

sist　。　。　。〃



How　proud　I　am　of　my　presence　of　mind！

〃Hallo；〃　I　said　instantly　in　a　loud　and　naive　tone；

〃somebody's　breaking　your　windows；　Schomberg。

Would　you　please　tell　one　of　your　boys　to　bring

out　here　a　pack　of　cards　and　a　couple　of　lights？

And　two　long　drinks。　　Will　you？〃



To　receive　an　order　soothed　him　at　once。　　It　was

business。　　〃Certainly；〃　he　said　in　an　immensely

relieved　tone。　　The　night　was　rainy；　with　wander…

ing　gusts　of　wind；　and　while　we　waited　for　the　can…

dles　Falk　said；　as　if　to　justify　his　panic；　〃I　don't

interfere　in　anybody's　business。　　I　don't　give　any

occasion　for　talk。　　I　am　a　respectable　man。　　But

this　fellow　is　always　making　out　something　wrong；

and　can　never　rest　till　he　gets　somebody　to　believe

him。〃



This　was　the　first　of　my　knowledge　of　Falk。

This　desire　of　respectability；　of　being　like　every…

body　else；　was　the　only　recognition　he　vouchsafed

to　the　organisation　of　mankind。　　For　the　rest　he

might　have　been　the　member　of　a　herd；　not　of　a　so…

ciety。　　Self…preservation　was　his　only　concern。

Not　selfishness；　but　mere　self…preservation。　　Sel…

fishness　presupposes　consciousness；　choice；　the　pres…

ence　of　other　men；　but　his　instinct　acted　as　though

he　were　the　last　of　mankind　nursing　that　law　like

the　only　spark　of　a　sacred　fire。　　I　don't　mean　to

say　that　living　naked　in　a　cavern　would　have　satis…

fied　him。　　Obviously　he　was　the　creature　of　the

conditions　to　which　he　was　born。　　No　doubt　self…

preservation　meant　also　the　preservation　of　these

conditions。　　But　essentially　it　meant　something

much　more　simple；　natural；　and　powerful。　　How

shall　I　express　it？　　It　meant　the　preservation　of　the

five　senses　of　his　bodylet　us　saytaking　it　in　its

narrowest　as　well　as　in　its　widest　meaning。　　I　think

you　will　admit　before　long　the　justice　of　this　judg…

ment。　　However；　as　we　stood　there　together　in　the

dark　verandah　I　had　judged　nothing　as　yetand

I　had　no　desire　to　judgewhich　is　an　idle　practice

anyhow。　　The　light　was　long　in　coming。



〃Of　course；〃　I　said　in　a　tone　of　mutual　under…

standing；　〃it　isn't　exactly　a　game　of　cards　I　want

with　you。〃



I　saw　him　draw　his　hands　down　his　facethe

vague　stir　of　the　passionate　and　meaningless　ges…

ture；　but　he　waited　in　silent　patience。　　It　was　only

when　the　lights　had　been　brought　out　that　he

opened　his　lips。　　I　understood　his　mumble　to　mean

that　〃he　didn't　know　any　game。〃



〃Like　this　Schomberg　and　all　the　other　fools

will　have　to　keep　off；〃　I　said　tearing　open　the　pack。

〃Have　you　heard　that　we　are　universally　supposed

to　be　quarrelling　about　a　girl？　　You　know　who

of　course。　　I　am　really　ashamed　to　ask；　but　is　it

possible　that　you　do　me　the　honour　to　think　me　dan…

gerous？〃



As　I　said　these　words　I　felt　how　absurd　it　was

and　also　I　felt　flatteredfor；　really；　what　else

could　it　be？　　His　answer；　spoken　in　his　usual　dis…

passionate　undertone；　made　it　clear　that　it　was　so；

but　not　precisely　as　flattering　as　I　supposed。　　He

thought　me　dangerous　with　Hermann；　more　than

with　the　girl　herself；　but；　as　to　quarrelling；　I　saw

at　once　how　inappropriate　the　word　was。　　We　had

no　quarrel。　　Natural　forces　are　not　quarrelsome。

You　can't　quarrel　with　the　wind　that　inconveniences

and　humiliates　you　by　blowing　off　your　hat　in　a

street　full　of　people。　　He　had　no　quarrel　with　me。

Neither　would　a　boulder；　falling　on　my　head；　have

had。　　He　fell　upon　me　in　accordance　with　the　law

by　which　he　was　movednot　of　gravitation；　like　a

detached　stone；　but　of　self…preservation。　　Of　course

this　is　giving　it　a　rather　wide　interpretation。

Strictly　speaking；　he　had　existed　and　could　have

existed　without　being　married。　　Yet　he　told　me　that

he　had　found　it　more　and　more　difficult　to　live

alone。　　Yes。　　He　told　me　this　in　his　low；　careless

voice；　to　such　a　pitch　of　confidence　had　we　arrived

at　the　end　of　half　an　hour。



It　took　me　just　about　that　time　to　convince　him

that　I　had　never　dreamed　of　marrying　Hermann's

niece。　　Could　any　necessity　have　been　more　extrava…

gant？　　And　the　difficulty　was　the　greater　because

he　was　so　hard　hit　that　he　couldn't　imagine　any…

body　being　able　to　remain　in　a　state　of　indifference。

Any　man　with　eyes　in　his　head；　he　seemed　to　think；

could　not　help　coveting　so　much　bodily　magnifi…

cence。　　This　profound　belief　was　conveyed　by　the

manner　he　listened　sitting　sideways　to　the　table　and

playing　absently　with　a　few　cards　I　had　dealt　to

him　at　random。　　And　the　more　I　saw　into　him　the

more　I　saw　of　him。　　The　wind　swayed　the　lights

so　that　his　sunburnt　face；　whiskered　to　the　eyes；

seemed　to　successively　flicker　crimson　at　me　and　to

go　out。　　I　saw　the　extraordinary　breadth　of　the

high　cheek…bones；　the　perpendicular　style　of　the

features；　the　massive　forehead；　steep　like　a　cliff；

denuded　at　the　top；　largely　uncovered　at　the　tem…

ples。　　The　fact　is　I　had　never　before　seen　him　with…

out　his　hat；　but　now；　as　if　my　fervour　had　made

him　hot；　he　had　taken　it　off　and　laid　it　gently　on

the　floor。　　Something　peculiar　in　the　shape　and

setting　of　his　yellow　eyes　gave　them　the　provoking

silent　intensity　which　characterised　his　glance。

But　the　face　was　thin；　furrowed；　worn；　I　discov…

ered　that　through　the　bush　of　his　hair；　as　you　may

detect　the　gnarled　shape　of　a　tree　trunk　lost　in　a

dense　undergrowth。　　These　overgrown　cheeks　were

sunken。　　It　was　an　anchorite's　bony　head　fitted　with

a　Capuchin's　beard　and　adjusted　to　a　herculean

body。　　I　don't　mean　athletic。　　Hercules；　I　take　it；

was　not　an　athlete。　　He　was　a　strong　man；　suscep…

tible　to　female　charms；　and　not　afraid　of　dirt。

And　thus　with　Falk；　who　was　a　strong　man。　　He

was　extremely　strong；　just　as　the　girl　（since　I

must　think　of　them　together）　was　magnificently　at…

tractive　by　the　masterful　power　of　flesh　and　blood；

expressed　in　shape；　in　size；　in　attitudethat　is　by

a　straight　appeal　to　the　senses。　　His　mind　mean…

time；　preoccupied　with　respectability；　quailed　be…

fore　Schomberg's　tongue　and　seemed　absolutely

impervious　to　my　protestations；　and　I　went　so　far

as　to　protest　that　I　would　just　as　soon　think　of

marrying　my　mother's　（dear　old　lady！）　faithful

female　cook　as　Hermann's　niece。　　Sooner；　I　pro…

tested；　in　my　desperation；　much　sooner；　but　it　did

not　appear　that　he　saw　anything　outrageous　in　the

proposition；　and　in　his　sceptical　immobility　he

seemed　to　nurse　the　argument　that　at　all　events　the

cook　was　very；　very　far　away。　　It　must　be　said　that；

just　before；　I　had　gone　wrong　by　appealing　to　the

evidence　of　my　manner　whenever　I　called　on　board

the　Diana。　　I　had　never　attempted　to　approach　the

girl；　or　to　speak　to　her；　or　even　to　look　at　her　in　any

marked　way。　　Nothing　could　be　clearer。　　But；　as

his　own　idea　oflet　us　saycourting；　seemed　to

consist　precisely　in　sitting　silently　for　hours　in　the

vicinity　of　the　beloved　object；　that　line　of　argu…

ment　inspired　him　with　distrust。　　Staring　down　his

extended　legs　he　let　out　a　gruntas　much　as　to

say；　〃That's　all　very　fine；　but　you　can't　throw　dust

in　MY　eyes。〃



At　last　I　was　exasperated　into　saying；　〃Why

don't　you　put　the　matter　at　rest　by　talking　to　Her…

mann？〃　and　I　added　sneeringly：　〃You　don't　ex…

pect　me　perhaps　to　speak　for　you？〃



To　this　he　said；　very　loud　for　him；　〃Would

you？〃



And　for　the　first　time　he　lifted　his　head　to　look

at　me　with　wonder　and　incredulity。　　He　lifted　his

head　so　sharply　that　there　could　be　no　mistake。　　I

had　touched　a　spring。　　I　saw　the　whole　extent　of

my　opportunity；　and　could　hardly　believe　in　it。



〃Why。　　Speak　to　。　。　。　　Well；　of　course；〃　I

proceeded　very　slowly；　watching　him　with　great　at…

tention；　for；　on　my　word；　I　feared　a　joke。　　〃Not；

perhaps；　to　the　you