falk-第16节

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luted　conch　of　her　rosy　ear！　　To　pull　her　needle　she

kept　the　little　finger　apart　from　the　others；　it

seemed　a　waste　of　power　to　see　her　sewingeter…

nally　sewingwith　that　industrious　and　precise

movement　of　her　arm；　going　on　eternally　upon　all

the　oceans；　under　all　the　skies；　in　innumerable　har…

bours。　　And　suddenly　I　heard　Falk's　voice　declare

that　he　could　not　marry　a　woman　unless　she　knew

of　something　in　his　life　that　had　happened　ten

years　ago。　　It　was　an　accident。　　An　unfortunate　ac…

cident。　　It　would　affect　the　domestic　arrangements

of　their　home；　but；　once　told；　it　need　not　be　alluded

to　again　for　the　rest　of　their　lives。　　〃I　should　want

my　wife　to　feel　for　me；〃　he　said。　　〃It　has　made　me

unhappy。〃　　And　how　could　he　keep　the　knowledge

of　it　to　himselfhe　asked　usperhaps　through

years　and　years　of　companionship？　　What　sort　of

companionship　would　that　be？　　He　had　thought　it

over。　　A　wife　must　know。　　Then　why　not　at　once？

He　counted　on　Hermann's　kindness　for　presenting

the　affair　in　the　best　possible　light。　　And　Her…

mann's　countenance；　mystified　before；　became　very

sour。　　He　stole　an　inquisitive　glance　at　me。　　I

shook　my　head　blankly。　　Some　people　thought；

Falk　went　on；　that　such　an　experience　changed　a

man　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　　He　couldn't　say。　　It

was　hard；　awful；　and　not　to　be　forgotten；　but　he

did　not　think　himself　a　worse　man　than　before。

Only　he　talked　in　his　sleep　now；　he　believed。　。　。　。

At　last　I　began　to　think　he　had　accidentally　killed

some　one；　perhaps　a　friendhis　own　father　may…

be；　when　he　went　on　to　say　that　probably　we　were

aware　he　never　touched　meat。　　Throughout　he

spoke　English；　of　course　of　my　account。



He　swayed　forward　heavily。



The　girl；　with　her　hands　raised　before　her　pale

eyes；　was　threading　her　needle。　　He　glanced　at　her；

and　his　mighty　trunk　overshadowed　the　table；

bringing　nearer　to　us　the　breadth　of　his　shoulders；

the　thickness　of　his　neck；　and　that　incongruous；　an…

chorite　head；　burnt　in　the　desert；　hollowed　and　lean

as　if　by　excesses　of　vigils　and　fasting。　　His　beard

flowed　imposingly　downwards；　out　of　sight；　be…

tween　the　two　brown　hands　gripping　the　edge　of

the　table；　and　his　persistent　glance　made　sombre　by

the　wide　dilations　of　the　pupils；　fascinated。



〃Imagine　to　yourselves；〃　he　said　in　his　ordinary

voice；　〃that　I　have　eaten　man。〃



I　could　only　ejaculate　a　faint　〃Ah！〃　of　com…

plete　enlightenment。　　But　Hermann；　dazed　by　the

excessive　shock；　actually　murmured；　〃Himmel！

What　for？〃



〃It　was　my　terrible　misfortune　to　do　so；〃　said

Falk　in　a　measured　undertone。　　The　girl；　uncon…

scious；　sewed　on。　　Mrs。　Hermann　was　absent　in

one　of　the　state…rooms；　sitting　up　with　Lena；　who

was　feverish；　but　Hermann　suddenly　put　both　his

hands　up　with　a　jerk。　　The　embroidered　calotte

fell；　and；　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　he　had　rum…

pled　his　hair　all　ends　up　in　a　most　extravagant

manner。　　In　this　state　he　strove　to　speak；　with

every　effort　his　eyes　seemed　to　start　further　out　of

their　sockets；　his　head　looked　like　a　mop。　　He

choked；　gasped；　swallowed；　and　managed　to　shriek

out　the　one　word；　〃Beast！〃



From　that　moment　till　Falk　went　out　of　the　cab…

in　the　girl；　with　her　hands　folded　on　the　work　lying

in　her　lap；　never　took　her　eyes　off　him。　　His　own；

in　the　blindness　of　his　heart；　darted　all　over　the

cabin；　only　seeking　to　avoid　the　sight　of　Hermann's

raving。　　It　was　ridiculous；　and　was　made　almost

terrible　by　the　stillness　of　every　other　person　pres…

ent。　　It　was　contemptible；　and　was　made　appalling

by　the　man's　overmastering　horror　of　this　awful

sincerity；　coming　to　him　suddenly；　with　the　confes…

sion　of　such　a　fact。　　He　walked　with　great　strides；

he　gasped。　　He　wanted　to　know　from　Falk　how

dared　he　to　come　and　tell　him　this？　　Did　he　think

himself　a　proper　person　to　be　sitting　in　this　cabin

where　his　wife　and　children　lived？　　Tell　his　niece！

Expected　him　to　tell　his　niece！　　His　own　brother's

daughter！　　Shameless！　　Did　I　ever　hear　tell　of　such

impudence？he　appealed　to　me。　　〃This　man　here

ought　to　have　gone　and　hidden　himself　out　of　sight

instead　of　。　。　。〃



〃But　it's　a　great　misfortune　for　me。　　But　it's　a

great　misfortune　for　me；〃　Falk　would　ejaculate

from　time　to　time。



However；　Hermann　kept　on　running　frequently

against　the　corners　of　the　table。　　At　last　he　lost　a

slipper；　and　crossing　his　arms　on　his　breast；　walked

up　with　one　stocking　foot　very　close　to　Falk；　in　or…

der　to　ask　him　whether　he　did　think　there　was　any…

where　on　earth　a　woman　abandoned　enough　to　mate

with　such　a　monster。　　〃Did　he？　　Did　he？　　Did

he？〃　　I　tried　to　restrain　him。　　He　tore　himself　out

of　my　hands；　he　found　his　slipper；　and；　endeavour…

ing　to　put　it　on；　stormed　standing　on　one　leg

and　Falk；　with　a　face　unmoved　and　averted

eyes；　grasped　all　his　mighty　beard　in　one　vast

palm。



〃Was　it　right　then　for　me　to　die　myself？〃　he

asked　thoughtfully。　　I　laid　my　hand　on　his　shoul…

der。



〃Go　away；〃　I　whispered　imperiously；　without

any　clear　reason　for　this　advice；　except　that　I

wished　to　put　an　end　to　Hermann's　odious　noise。

〃Go　away。〃



He　looked　searchingly　for　a　moment　at　Hermann

before　he　made　a　move。　　I　left　the　cabin　too　to　see

him　out　of　the　ship。　　But　he　hung　about　the　quar…

ter…deck。



〃It　is　my　misfortune；〃　he　said　in　a　steady

voice。



〃You　were　stupid　to　blurt　it　out　in　such　a　man…

ner。　　After　all；　we　don't　hear　such　confidences

every　day。〃



〃What　does　the　man　mean？〃　he　mused　in　deep

undertones。　　〃Somebody　had　to　diebut　why

me？〃



He　remained　still　for　a　time　in　the　darksilent；

almost　invisible。　　All　at　once　he　pinned　my　elbows

to　my　sides。　　I　felt　utterly　powerless　in　his　grip；

and　his　voice；　whispering　in　my　ear；　vibrated。



〃It's　worse　than　hunger。　　Captain；　do　you　know

what　that　means？　　And　I　could　kill　thenor　be

killed。　　I　wish　the　crowbar　had　smashed　my　skull

ten　years　ago。　　And　I've　got　to　live　now。　　Without

her。　　Do　you　understand？　　Perhaps　many　years。

But　how？　　What　can　be　done？　　If　I　had　allowed

myself　to　look　at　her　once　I　would　have　carried　her

off　before　that　man　in　my　handslike　this。〃



I　felt　myself　snatched　off　the　deck；　then　suddenly

droppedand　I　staggered　backwards；　feeling

bewildered　and　bruised。　　What　a　man！　　All　was

still；　he　was　gone。　　I　heard　Hermann's　voice　de…

claiming　in　the　cabin；　and　I　went　in。



I　could　not　at　first　make　out　a　single　word；　but

Mrs。　Hermann；　who；　attracted　by　the　noise；　had

come　in　some　time　before；　with　an　expression　of

surprise　and　mild　disapproval；　depicted　broadly　on

her　face；　was　giving　now　all　the　signs　of　profound；

helpless　agitation。　　Her　husband　shot　a　string　of

guttural　words　at　her；　and　instantly　putting　out

one　hand　to　the　bulkhead　as　if　to　save　herself　from

falling；　she　clutched　the　loose　bosom　of　her　dress

with　the　other。　　He　harangued　the　two　women　ex…

traordinarily；　with　much　of　his　shirt　hanging　out　of

his　waistbelt；　stamping　his　foot；　turning　from　one

to　the　other；　sometimes　throwing　both　his　arms　to…

gether；　straight　up　above　his　rumpled　hair；　and

keeping　them　in　that　position　while　he　uttered　a

passage　of　loud　denunciation；　at　others　folding

them　tight　across　his　breastand　then　he　hissed

with　indignation；　elevating　his　shoulders　and　pro…

truding　his　head。　　The　girl　was　crying。



She　had　not　changed　her　attitude。　　From　her

steady　eyes　that；　following　Falk　in　his　retreat；　had

remained　fixed　wistfully　on　the　cabin　door；　the

tears　fell　rapid；　thick；　on　her　hands；　on　the　work　in

her　lap；　warm　and　gentle　like　a　shower　in　spring。

She　wept　without　grimacing；　without　noisevery

touching；　very　quiet；　with　something　more　of　pity

than　of　pain　in　her　face；　as　one　weeps　in　compassion

rather　than　in　griefand　Hermann；　before　her；

declaimed。　　I　caught　several　times　the　word

〃Mensch；〃　man；　and　also　〃Fressen；〃　which　last　I

looked　up　afterwards　in　my　dictionary。　　It　means

〃Devour。〃　　Hermann　seemed　to　be　requesting　an

answer　of　some　sort　from　her；　his　whole　body

swayed。　　She　remained　mute　and　perfectly　still；

at　last　his　agitation　gained　her；　she　put　the　palms

of　her　hands　together；　her　full　lips　parted；　no

sound　came。　　His　voice　scolded　shrilly；　his　arms

went　like　a　windmillsuddenly　he　shook　a　thick

fist　at　her。　　She　burst　out　into　loud　sobs。　　He

seemed　stupefied。



Mrs。　Hermann　rushed　forward　babbling　rap…

dly。　　The　two　women　fell　on　each　other's　necks；

and；　with　an　arm　round　her　niece's　waist；　she　led　her

away。　　Her　own　eyes　were　simply　streaming；　her

face　was　flooded。　　She　shook　her　head　back　at　me

negatively；　I　wonder　why　to　this　day。　　The　girl's

head　dropped　heavily　on　her　shoulder。　　They　dis…

appeared。



Then　Hermann　sat　down　and　stared　at　the　cabin

floor。



〃We　don't　know　all　the　circumstances；〃　I　ven…

tured　to　break　the　silence。　　He　retorted　tartly　that

he　didn't　want　to　know　of　any。