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第13节

falk-第13节

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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

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