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第20节

falk-第20节

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hair。  I thought how; if unplaited; it would have

covered her all round as low as the hips; like the

hair of a siren。  And she had bewitched him。  Fancy

a man who would guard his own life with the in…

flexibility of a pitiless and immovable fate; being

brought to lament that once a crowbar had missed

his skull!  The sirens sing and lure to death; but

this one had been weeping silently as if for the pity

of his life。  She was the tender and voiceless siren

of this appalling navigator。  He evidently wanted

to live his whole conception of life。  Nothing else

would do。  And she too was a servant of that life

that; in the midst of death; cries aloud to our senses。

She was eminently fitted to interpret for him its

feminine side。  And in her own way; and with her

own profusion of sensuous charms; she also seemed

to illustrate the eternal truth of an unerring prin…

ciple。  I don't know though what sort of principle

Hermann illustrated when he turned up early on

board my ship with a most perplexed air。  It

struck me; however; that he too would do his best

to survive。  He seemed greatly calmed on the sub…

ject of Falk; but still very full of it。



〃What is it you said I was last night?  You

know;〃 he asked after some preliminary talk。

〃TootooI don't know。  A very funny word。〃



〃Squeamish?〃 I suggested。



〃Yes。  What does it mean?〃



〃That you exaggerate thingsto yourself。

Without inquiry; and so on。〃



He seemed to turn it over in his mind。  We went

on talking。  This Falk was the plague of his life。

Upsetting everybody like this!  Mrs。 Hermann

was unwell rather this morning。  His niece was

crying still。  There was nobody to look after the

children。  He struck his umbrella on the deck。  She

would be like that for months。  Fancy carrying all

the way home; second class; a perfectly useless girl

who is crying all the time。  It was bad for Lena

too; he observed; but on what grounds I could not

guess。  Perhaps of the bad example。  That child

was already sorrowing and crying enough over the

rag doll。  Nicholas was really the least sentimental

person of the family。



〃Why does she weep?〃 I asked。



〃From pity;〃 cried Hermann。



It was impossible to make out women。  Mrs。 Her…

mann was the only one he pretended to understand。

She was very; very upset and doubtful。



〃Doubtful about what?〃 I asked。



He averted his eyes and did not answer this。  It

was impossible to make them out。  For instance;

his niece was weeping for Falk。  Now he (Her…

mann) would like to wring his neckbut then 。 。 。

He supposed he had too tender a heart。  〃Frank…

ly;〃 he asked at last; 〃what do you think of what

we heard last night; captain?〃



〃In all these tales;〃 I observed; 〃there is always

a good deal of exaggeration。〃



And not letting him recover from his surprise I

assured him that I knew all the details。  He begged

me not to repeat them。  His heart was too tender。

They made him feel unwell。  Then; looking at his

feet and speaking very slowly; he supposed that he

need not see much of them after they were married。

For; indeed; he could not bear the sight of Falk。

On the other hand it was ridiculous to take home a

girl with her head turned。  A girl that weeps all

the time and is of no help to her aunt。



〃Now you will be able to do with one cabin only

on your passage home;〃 I said。



〃Yes; I had thought of that;〃 he said brightly;

almost。  〃Yes!  Himself; his wife; four children

one cabin might do。  Whereas if his niece

went 。 。 。〃



〃And what does Mrs。 Hermann say to it?〃 I

inquired。



Mrs。 Hermann did not know whether a man of

that sort could make a girl happyshe had been

greatly deceived in Captain Falk。  She had been

very upset last night。



Those good people did not seem to be able to re…

tain an impression for a whole twelve hours。  I

assured him on my own personal knowledge that

Falk possessed in himself all the qualities to make

his niece's future prosperous。  He said he was glad

to hear this; and that he would tell his wife。  Then

the object of the visit came out。  He wished me to

help him to resume relations with Falk。  His niece;

he said; had expressed the hope I would do so in my

kindness。  He was evidently anxious that I should;

for though he seemed to have forgotten nine…tenths

of his last night's opinions and the whole of his in…

dignation; yet he evidently feared to be sent to the

right…about。  〃You told me he was very much in

love;〃 he concluded slyly; and leered in a sort of bu…

colic way。



〃As soon as he had left my ship I called Falk on

board by signalthe tug still lying at the anchor…

age。  He took the news with calm gravity; as

though he had all along expected the stars to fight

for him in their courses。



I saw them once more together; and only once

on the quarter…deck of the Diana。  Hermann sat

smoking with a shirt…sleeved elbow hooked over the

back of his chair。  Mrs。 Hermann was sewing

alone。  As Falk stepped over the gangway; Her…

mann's niece; with a slight swish of the skirt and a

swift friendly nod to me; glided past my chair。



They met in sunshine abreast of the mainmast。

He held her hands and looked down at them; and

she looked up at him with her candid and unseeing

glance。  It seemed to me they had come together

as if attracted; drawn and guided to each other by

a mysterious influence。  They were a complete

couple。  In her grey frock; palpitating with life;

generous of form; olympian and simple; she was in…

deed the siren to fascinate that dark navigator; this

ruthless lover of the five senses。  From afar I

seemed to feel the masculine strength with which

he grasped those hands she had extended to him

with a womanly swiftness。  Lena; a little pale;

nursing her beloved lump of dirty rags; ran to…

wards her big friend; and then in the drowsy si…

lence of the good old ship Mrs。 Hermann's voice

rang out so changed that it made me spin round in

my chair to see what was the matter。



〃Lena; come here!〃 she screamed。  And this

good…natured matron gave me a wavering glance;

dark and full of fearsome distrust。  The child ran

back; surprised to her knee。  But the two; stand…

ing before each other in sunlight with clasped

hands; had heard nothing; had seen nothing and

no one。  Three feet away from them in the shade

a seaman sat on a spar; very busy splicing a strop;

and dipping his fingers into a tar…pot; as if utterly

unaware of their existence。



When I returned in command of another ship;

some five years afterwards; Mr。 and Mrs。 Falk

had left the place。  I should not wonder if Schom…

berg's tongue had succeeded at last in scaring Falk

away for good; and; indubitably; there was a tale

still going about the town of a certain Falk; owner

of a tug; who had won his wife at cards from the

captain of an English ship。









THE END

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