falk-第3节

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qualified　for　command；　and　the　Consul　was　bound；

if　at　all　possible；　to　put　a　properly　certificated　man

on　board。　　As　to　the　second　mate；　all　I　can　say　his

name　was　Tottersen；　or　something　like　that。　　His

practice　was　to　wear　on　his　head；　in　that　tropical

climate；　a　mangy　fur　cap。　　He　was；　without　excep…

tion；　the　stupidest　man　I　had　ever　seen　on　board

ship。　　And　he　looked　it　too。　　He　looked　so　con…

foundedly　stupid　that　it　was　a　matter　of　surprise

for　me　when　he　answered　to　his　name。



I　drew　no　great　comfort　from　their　company；　to

say　the　least　of　it；　while　the　prospect　of　making　a

long　sea　passage　with　those　two　fellows　was　depress…

ing。　　And　my　other　thoughts　in　solitude　could　not

be　of　a　gay　complexion。　　The　crew　was　sickly；　the

cargo　was　coming　very　slow；　I　foresaw　I　would

have　lots　of　trouble　with　the　charterers；　and　doubted

whether　they　would　advance　me　enough　money　for

the　ship's　expenses。　　Their　attitude　towards　me　was

unfriendly。　　Altogether　I　was　not　getting　on。　　I

would　discover　at　odd　times　（generally　about　mid…

night）　that　I　was　totally　inexperienced；　greatly　ig…

norant　of　business；　and　hopelessly　unfit　for　any

sort　of　command；　and　when　the　steward　had　to　be

taken　to　the　hospital　ill　with　choleraic　symptoms　I

felt　bereaved　of　the　only　decent　person　at　the　after

end　of　the　ship。　　He　was　fully　expected　to　recover；

but　in　the　meantime　had　to　be　replaced　by　some　sort

of　servant。　　And　on　the　recommendation　of　a　cer…

tain　Schomberg；　the　proprietor　of　the　smaller　of

the　two　hotels　in　the　place；　I　engaged　a　Chinaman。

Schomberg；　a　brawny；　hairy　Alsatian；　and　an　awful

gossip；　assured　me　that　it　was　all　right。　　〃First…

class　boy　that。　　Came　in　the　suite　of　his　Excellency

Tseng　the　Commissioneryou　know。　　His　Excel…

lency　Tseng　lodged　with　me　here　for　three　weeks。〃



He　mouthed　the　Chinese　Excellency　at　me　with

great　unction；　though　the　specimen　of　the　〃suite〃

did　not　seem　very　promising。　　At　the　time；　however；

I　did　not　know　what　an　untrustworthy　humbug

Schomberg　was。　　The　〃boy〃　might　have　been　forty

or　a　hundred　and　forty　for　all　you　could　tell

one　of　those　Chinamen　of　the　death's…head　type　of

face　and　completely　inscrutable。　　Before　the　end　of

the　third　day　he　had　revealed　himself　as　a　confirmed

opium…smoker；　a　gambler；　a　most　audacious　thief；

and　a　first…class　sprinter。　　When　he　departed　at　the

top　of　his　speed　with　thirty…two　golden　sovereigns

of　my　own　hard…earned　savings　it　was　the　last　straw。

I　had　reserved　that　money　in　case　my　difficulties

came　to　the　worst。　　Now　it　was　gone　I　felt　as　poor

and　naked　as　a　fakir。　　I　clung　to　my　ship；　for　all

the　bother　she　caused　me；　but　what　I　could　not　bear

were　the　long　lonely　evenings　in　her　cuddy；　where

the　atmosphere；　made　smelly　by　a　leaky　lamp；　was

agitated　by　the　snoring　of　the　mate。　　That　fellow

shut　himself　up　in　his　stuffy　cabin　punctually　at

eight；　and　made　gross　and　revolting　noises　like　a

water…logged　trump。　　It　was　odious　not　to　be　able

to　worry　oneself　in　comfort　on　board　one's　own

ship。　　Everything　in　this　world；　I　reflected；　even

the　command　of　a　nice　little　barque；　may　be　made

a　delusion　and　a　snare　for　the　unwary　spirit　of

pride　in　man。



From　such　reflections　I　was　glad　to　make　any　es…

cape　on　board　that　Bremen　Diana。　　There　appar…

ently　no　whisper　of　the　world's　iniquities　had　ever

penetrated。　　And　yet　she　lived　upon　the　wide　sea：

and　the　sea　tragic　and　comic；　the　sea　with　its　horrors

and　its　peculiar　scandals；　the　sea　peopled　by　men

and　ruled　by　iron　necessity　is　indubitably　a　part　of

the　world。　　But　that　patriarchal　old　tub；　like　some

saintly　retreat；　echoed　nothing　of　it。　　She　was　world

proof。　　Her　venerable　innocence　apparently　had

put　a　restraint　on　the　roaring　lusts　of　the　sea。　　And

yet　I　have　known　the　sea　too　long　to　believe　in　its

respect　for　decency。　　An　elemental　force　is　ruthlessly

frank。　　It　may；　of　course；　have　been　Hermann's

skilful　seamanship；　but　to　me　it　looked　as　if　the　al…

lied　oceans　had　refrained　from　smashing　these　high

bulwarks；　unshipping　the　lumpy　rudder；　frighten…

ing　the　children；　and　generally　opening　this　fam…

ily's　eyes　out　of　sheer　reticence。　　It　looked　like　reti…

cence。　　The　ruthless　disclosure　was　in　the　end　left

for　a　man　to　make；　a　man　strong　and　elemental

enough　and　driven　to　unveil　some　secrets　of　the　sea

by　the　power　of　a　simple　and　elemental　desire。



This；　however；　occurred　much　later；　and　mean…

time　I　took　sanctuary　in　that　serene　old　ship　early

every　evening。　　The　only　person　on　board　that

seemed　to　be　in　trouble　was　little　Lena；　and　in　due

course　I　perceived　that　the　health　of　the　rag…doll

was　more　than　delicate。　　This　object　led　a　sort　of

〃in　extremis〃　existence　in　a　wooden　box　placed

against　the　starboard　mooring…bitts；　tended　and

nursed　with　the　greatest　sympathy　and　care　by　all

the　children；　who　greatly　enjoyed　pulling　long　faces

and　moving　with　hushed　footsteps。　　Only　the　baby

Nicholaslooked　on　with　a　cold；　ruffianly　leer；

as　if　he　had　belonged　to　another　tribe　altogether。

Lena　perpetually　sorrowed　over　the　box；　and　all　of

them　were　in　deadly　earnest。　　It　was　wonderful　the

way　these　children　would　work　up　their　compassion

for　that　bedraggled　thing　I　wouldn't　have　touched

with　a　pair　of　tongs。　　I　suppose　they　were　exercis…

ing　and　developing　their　racial　sentimentalism　by

the　means　of　that　dummy。　　I　was　only　surprised

that　Mrs。　Hermann　let　Lena　cherish　and　hug　that

bundle　of　rags　to　that　extent；　it　was　so　disreputably

and　completely　unclean。　　But　Mrs。　Hermann　would

raise　her　fine　womanly　eyes　from　her　needlework　to

look　on　with　amused　sympathy；　and　did　not　seen　to

see　it；　somehow；　that　this　object　of　affection　was　a

disgrace　to　the　ship's　purity。　　Purity；　not　cleanli…

ness；　is　the　word。　　It　was　pushed　so　far　that　I　seemed

to　detect　in　this　too　a　sentimental　excess；　as　if　dirt

had　been　removed　in　very　love。　　It　is　impossible　to

give　you　an　idea　of　such　a　meticulous　neatness。　　It

was　as　if　every　morning　that　ship　had　been　ardu…

ously　explored　withwith　toothbrushes。　　Her　very

bowsprit　three　times　a　week　had　its　toilette　made

with　a　cake　of　soap　and　a　piece　of　soft　flannel。　　Ar…

rayedI　MUST　say　arrayedarrayed　artlessly　in

dazzling　white　paint　as　to　wood　and　dark　green　as

to　ironwork　the　simple…minded　distribution　of　these

colours　evoked　the　images　of　simple…minded　peace；

of　arcadian　felicity；　and　the　childish　comedy　of

disease　and　sorrow　struck　me　sometimes　as　an　abom…

inably　real　blot　upon　that　ideal　state。



I　enjoyed　it　greatly；　and　on　my　part　I　brought

a　little　mild　excitement　into　it。　　Our　intimacy　arose

from　the　pursuit　of　that　thief。　　It　was　in　the　even…

ing；　and　Hermann；　who；　contrary　to　his　habits；　had

stayed　on　shore　late　that　day；　was　extricating　him…

self　backwards　out　of　a　little　gharry　on　the　river

bank；　opposite　his　ship；　when　the　hunt　passed。

Realising　the　situation　as　though　he　had　eyes　in　his

shoulder…blades；　he　joined　us　with　a　leap　and　took

the　lead。　　The　Chinaman　fled　silent　like　a　rapid

shadow　on　the　dust　of　an　extremely　oriental　road。

I　followed。　　A　long　way　in　the　rear　my　mate

whooped　like　a　savage。　　A　young　moon　threw　a

bashful　light　on　a　plain　like　a　monstrous　waste

ground：　the　architectural　mass　of　a　Buddhist　tem…

ple　far　away　projected　itself　in　dead　black　on　the

sky。　　We　lost　the　thief　of　course；　but　in　my　disap…

pointment　I　had　to　admire　Hermann's　presence　of

mind。　　The　velocity　that　stodgy　man　developed　in

the　interests　of　a　complete　stranger　earned　my


warm　gratitudethere　was　something　truly　cordial

in　his　exertions。



He　seemed　as　vexed　as　myself　at　our　failure；　and

would　hardly　listen　to　my　thanks。　　He　said　it　was

〃nothings；〃　and　invited　me　on　the　spot　to　come　on

board　his　ship　and　drink　a　glass　of　beer　with　him。

We　poked　sceptically　for　a　while　amongst　the

bushes；　peered　without　conviction　into　a　ditch　or

two。　　There　was　not　a　sound：　patches　of　slime　glim…

mered　feebly　amongst　the　reeds。　　Slowly　we　trudged

back；　drooping　under　the　thin　sickle　of　the　moon；

and　I　heard　him　mutter　to　himself；　〃Himmel！　　Zwei

und　dreissig　Pfund！〃　　He　was　impressed　by　the

figure　of　my　loss。　　For　a　long　time　we　had　ceased　to

hear　the　mate's　whoops　and　yells。



Then　he　said　to　me；　〃Everybody　has　his　troub…

les；〃　and　as　we　went　on　remarked　that　he　would

never　have　known　anything　of　mine　hadn't　he　by　an

extraordinary　chance　been　detained　on　shore　by

Captain　Falk。　　He　didn't　like　to　stay　late　ashore

he　added　with　a　sigh。　　The　something　doleful　in　his

tone　I　put　to　his　sympathy　with　my　misfortune；　of

course。



On　board　the　Diana　Mrs。　Hermann's　fine　eyes

expressed　much　interest　and　commiseration。　　We

had　found　the　two　women　sewing　face　to　face　under

the　open　skylight　in　the　strong　glare　of　the　lamp。

Hermann　walked　in　first；　starting　in　the　very　door…

way　to　pull　off　his　coat；　and　encou