falk-第13节

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！



proceeded　very　slowly；　watching　him　with　great　at…

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

perhaps；　to　the　young　lady　herself。　　I　can't　speak

German；　you　know。　　But　。　。　。〃



He　interrupted　me　with　the　earnest　assurance

that　Hermann　had　the　highest　opinion　of　me；　and

at　once　I　felt　the　need　for　the　greatest　possible

diplomacy　at　this　juncture。　　So　I　demurred　just

enough　to　draw　him　on。　　Falk　sat　up；　but　except

for　a　very　noticeable　enlargement　of　the　pupils；

till　the　irises　of　his　eyes　were　reduced　to　two　narrow

yellow　rings；　his　face；　I　should　judge；　was　incapa…

ble　of　expressing　excitement。　　〃Oh；　yes！　　Hermann

did　have　the　greatest　。　。　。〃



〃Take　up　your　cards。　　Here's　Schomberg　peep…

ing　at　us　through　the　blind！〃　I　said。



We　went　through　the　motions　of　what　might

have　been　a　game　of　e'carte'。　　Presently　the　intoler…

able　scandalmonger　withdrew；　probably　to　inform

the　people　in　the　billiard…room　that　we　two　were

gambling　on　the　verandah　like　mad。



We　were　not　gambling；　but　it　was　a　game；　a

game　in　which　I　felt　I　held　the　winning　cards。　　The

stake；　roughly　speaking；　was　the　success　of　the　voy…

agefor　me；　and　he；　I　apprehended；　had　nothing

to　lose。　　Our　intimacy　matured　rapidly；　and　before

many　words　had　been　exchanged　I　perceived　that

the　excellent　Hermann　had　been　making　use　of　me。

That　simple　and　astute　Teuton　had　been；　it　seems；

holding　me　up　to　Falk　in　the　light　of　a　rival。　　I

was　young　enough　to　be　shocked　at　so　much　duplic…

ity。　　〃Did　he　tell　you　that　in　so　many　words？〃　I

asked　with　indignation。



Hermann　had　not。　　He　had　given　hints　only；

and　of　course　it　had　not　taken　very　much　to　alarm

Falk；　but；　instead　of　declaring　himself；　he　had

taken　steps　to　remove　the　family　from　under　my　in…

fluence。　　He　was　perfectly　straightforward　about

itas　straightforward　as　a　tile　falling　on　your

head。　　There　was　no　duplicity　in　that　man；　and

when　I　congratulated　him　on　the　perfection　of　his

arrangementseven　to　the　bribing　of　the　wretched

Johnson　against　mehe　had　a　genuine　movement

of　protest。　　Never　bribed。　　He　knew　the　man

wouldn't　work　as　long　as　he　had　a　few　cents　in　his

pocket　to　get　drunk　on；　and；　naturally　（he　said

〃NATURALLY〃）　he　let　him　have　a　dollar　or　two。　　He

was　himself　a　sailor；　he　said；　and　anticipated　the

view　another　sailor；　like　myself；　was　bound　to　take。

On　the　other　hand；　he　was　sure　that　I　should　have

to　come　to　grief。　　He　hadn't　been　knocking　about

for　the　last　seven　years　up　and　down　that　river　for

nothing。　　It　would　have　been　no　disgrace　to　me

but　he　asserted　confidently　I　would　have　had　my

ship　very　awkwardly　ashore　at　a　spot　two　miles

below　the　Great　Pagoda。　。　。　。



And　with　all　that　he　had　no　ill…will。　　That　was

evident。　　This　was　a　crisis　in　which　his　only　object

had　been　to　gain　timeI　fancy。　　And　presently

he　mentioned　that　he　had　written　for　some　jewel…

lery；　real　good　jewelleryhad　written　to　Hong…

Kong　for　it。　　It　would　arrive　in　a　day　or　two。



〃Well；　then；〃　I　said　cheerily；　〃everything　is　all

right。　　All　you've　got　to　do　is　to　present　it　to　the

lady　together　with　your　heart；　and　live　happy　ever

after。〃



Upon　the　whole　he　seemed　to　accept　that　view　as

far　as　the　girl　was　concerned；　but　his　eyelids

drooped。　　There　was　still　something　in　the　way。

For　one　thing　Hermann　disliked　him　so　much。　　As

to　me；　on　the　contrary；　it　seemed　as　though　he　could

not　praise　me　enough。　　Mrs。　Hermann　too。　　He

didn't　know　why　they　disliked　him　so。　　It　made

everything　most　difficult。



I　listened　impassive；　feeling　more　and　more　dip…

lomatic。　　His　speech　was　not　transparently　clear。

He　was　one　of　those　men　who　seem　to　live；　feel；

suffer　in　a　sort　of　mental　twilight。　　But　as　to　being

fascinated　by　the　girl　and　possessed　by　the　desire

of　home　life　with　herit　was　as　clear　as　daylight。

So　much　being　at　stake；　he　was　afraid　of　putting

it　to　the　hazard　of　declaration。　　Besides；　there

was　something　else。　　And　with　Hermann　being　so

set　against　him　。　。　。



〃I　see；〃　I　said　thoughtfully；　while　my　heart　beat

fast　with　the　excitement　of　my　diplomacy。　　〃I

don't　mind　sounding　Hermann。　　In　fact；　to　show

you　how　mistaken　you　were；　I　am　ready　to　do　all　I

can　for　you　in　that　way。〃



A　light　sigh　escaped　him。　　He　drew　his　hands

down　his　face；　and　it　emerged；　bony；　unchanged　of

expression；　as　if　all　the　tissues　had　been　ossified。

All　the　passion　was　in　those　big　brown　hands。　　He

was　satisfied。　　Then　there　was　that　other　matter。

If　there　were　anybody　on　earth　it　was　I　who　could

persuade　Hermann　to　take　a　reasonable　view！　　I

had　a　knowledge　of　the　world　and　lots　of　expe…

rience。　　Hermann　admitted　this　himself。　　And　then

I　was　a　sailor　too。　　Falk　thought　that　a　sail…

or　would　be　able　to　understand　certain　things

best。　。　。　。



He　talked　as　if　the　Hermanns　had　been　living　all

their　life　in　a　rural　hamlet；　and　I　alone　had　been

capable；　with　my　practice　in　life；　of　a　large　and

indulgent　view　of　certain　occurrences。　　That　was

what　my　diplomacy　was　leading　me　to。　　I　began

suddenly　to　dislike　it。



〃I　say；　Falk；〃　I　asked　quite　brusquely；　〃you

haven't　already　a　wife　put　away　somewhere？〃



The　pain　and　disgust　of　his　denial　were　very

striking。　　Couldn't　I　understand　that　he　was　as

respectable　as　any　white　man　hereabouts；　earning

his　living　honestly。　　He　was　suffering　from　my　sus…

picion；　and　the　low　undertone　of　his　voice　made　his

protestations　sound　very　pathetic。　　For　a　moment

he　shamed　me；　but；　my　diplomacy　notwithstanding；

I　seemed　to　develop　a　conscience；　as　if　in　very

truth　it　were　in　my　power　to　decide　the　success　of

this　matrimonial　enterprise。　　By　pretending　hard

enough　we　come　to　believe　anythinganything　to

our　advantage。　　And　I　had　been　pretending　very

hard；　because　I　meant　yet　to　be　towed　safely　down

the　river。　　But　through　conscience　or　stupidity；　I

couldn't　help　alluding　to　the　Vanlo　affair。　　〃You

acted　rather　badly　there。　　Didn't　you？〃　was　what

I　ventured　actually　to　sayfor　the　logic　of　our

conduct　is　always　at　the　mercy　of　obscure　and　un…

foreseen　impulses。



His　dilated　pupils　swerved　from　my　face；　glan…

cing　at　the　window　with　a　sort　of　scared　fury。　　We

heard　behind　the　blinds　the　continuous　and　sudden

clicking　of　ivory；　a　jovial　murmur　of　many　voices；

and　Schomberg's　deep　manly　laugh。



〃That　confounded　old　woman　of　a　hotel…keeper

then　would　never；　never　let　it　rest！〃　Falk　ex…

claimed。　　〃Well；　yes！　　It　had　happened　two　years

ago。〃　　When　it　came　to　the　point　he　owned　he

couldn't　make　up　his　mind　to　trust　Fred　Vanlo

no　sailor；　a　bit　of　a　fool　too。　　He　could　not　trust

him；　but；　to　stop　his　row；　he　had　lent　him　enough

money　to　pay　all　his　debts　before　he　left。　　I　was

greatly　surprised　to　hear　this。　　Then　Falk　could

not　be　such　a　miser　after　all。　　So　much　the　better

for　the　girl。　　For　a　time　he　sat　silent；　then　he

picked　up　a　card；　and　while　looking　at　it　he

said：



〃You　need　not　think　of　anything　bad。　　It　was

an　accident。　　I've　been　unfortunate　once。〃



〃Then　in　heaven's　name　say　nothing　about　it。〃



As　soon　as　these　words　were　out　of　my　mouth　I

fancied　I　had　said　something　immoral。　　He　shook

his　head　negatively。　　It　had　to　be　told。　　He　con…

sidered　it　proper　that　the　relations　of　the　lady

should　know。　　No　doubtI　thought　to　myself

had　Miss　Vanlo　not　been　thirty　and　damaged　by　the

climate　he　would　have　found　it　possible　to　entrust

Fred　Vanlo　with　this　confidence。　　And　then　the　fig…

ure　of　Hermann's　niece　appeared　before　my　mind's

eye；　with　the　wealth　of　her　opulent　form；　her　rich

youth；　her　lavish　strength。　　With　that　powerful

and　immaculate　vitality；　her　girlish　form　must　have

shouted　aloud　of　life　to　that　man；　whereas　poor

Miss　Vanlo　could　only　sing　sentimental　songs　to

the　strumming　of　a　piano。



〃And　that　Hermann　hates　me；　I　know　it！〃　he

cried　in　his　undertone；　with　a　sudden　recrudescence

of　anxiety。　　〃I　must　tell　them。　　It　is　proper　that

they　should　know。　　You　would　say　so　yourself。〃



He　then　murmured　an　utterly　mysterious　allu…

sion　to　the　necessity　for　peculiar　domestic　arrange…

ments。　　Though　my　curiosity　was　excited　I　did　not

want　to　hear　any　of　his　confidences。　　I　feared　he

might　give　me　a　piece　of　information　that　would

make　my　assumed　role　of　match…maker　odious

however　unreal　it　was。　　I　was　aware　that　he　could

have　the　girl　for　the　asking；　and　keeping　down　a

desire　to　laugh　in　his　face；　I　expressed　a　confident

belief　in　my　ability　to　argue　away　Hermann's　dis…

like　for　him。　　〃I　am　sure　I　can　make　it　all　right；〃

I　said。　　He　looked　very　pleased。



And　when　we　rose　not　a　word　had　been　said　about

towage！　　Not　a　word！　　The　game　was　won　and　the

honour　was　safe。　　Oh！　blessed　white　cotton　um…

brella！　　We　shook　hands；　and　I　was　holding　myself

with　difficulty　from　breaking　into　a　step　dance　of

joy　when　he　came　back；　striding　all　the　length　of

the　verand