falk-第4节

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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　encouraging　me　with

loud；　hospitable　ejaculations：　〃Come　in！　　This

way！　　Come　in；　captain！〃　　At　once；　coat　in　hand；

he　began　to　tell　his　wife　all　about　it。　　Mrs。　Hermann

put　the　palms　of　her　plump　hands　together；　I

smiled　and　bowed　with　a　heavy　heart：　the　niece　got

up　from　her　sewing　to　bring　Hermann's　slippers

and　his　embroidered　calotte；　which　he　assumed　pon…

tifically；　talking　（about　me）　all　the　time。　　Billows

of　white　stuff　lay　between　the　chairs　on　the　cabin

floor；　I　caught　the　words　〃Zwei　und　dreissig

Pfund〃　repeated　several　times；　and　presently　came

the　beer；　which　seemed　delicious　to　my　throat；

parched　with　running　and　the　emotions　of　the　chase。



I　didn't　get　away　till　well　past　midnight；　long

after　the　women　had　retired。　　Hermann　had　been

trading　in　the　East　for　three　years　or　more；　carry…

ing　freights　of　rice　and　timber　mostly。　　His　ship

was　well　known　in　all　the　ports　from　Vladivostok　to

Singapore。　　She　was　his　own　property。　　The　profits

had　been　moderate；　but　the　trade　answered　well

enough　while　the　children　were　small　yet。　　In　an…

other　year　or　so　he　hoped　he　would　be　able　to　sell　the

old　Diana　to　a　firm　in　Japan　for　a　fair　price。　　He

intended　to　return　home；　to　Bremen；　by　mail　boat；

second　class；　with　Mrs。　Hermann　and　the　children。

He　told　me　all　this　stolidly；　with　slow　puffs　at　his

pipe。　　I　was　sorry　when　knocking　the　ashes　out　he

began　to　rub　his　eyes。　　I　would　have　sat　with　him

till　morning。　　What　had　I　to　hurry　on　board　my

own　ship　for？　　To　face　the　broken　rifled　drawer　in

my　state…room。　　Ugh！　　The　very　thought　made　me

feel　unwell。



I　became　their　daily　guest；　as　you　know。　　I　think

that　Mrs。　Hermann　from　the　first　looked　upon　me

as　a　romantic　person。　　I　did　not；　of　course；　tear　my

hair　coram　populo　over　my　loss；　and　she　took　it　for

lordly　indifference。　　Afterwards；　I　daresay；　I　did

tell　them　some　of　my　adventuressuch　as　they　were

and　they　marvelled　greatly　at　the　extent　of　my

experience。　　Hermann　would　translate　what　he

thought　the　most　striking　passages。　　Getting　up　on

his　legs；　and　as　if　delivering　a　lecture　on　a　phenom…

enon；　he　addressed　himself；　with　gestures；　to　the

two　women；　who　would　let　their　sewing　sink　slowly

on　their　laps。　　Meantime　I　sat　before　a　glass　of

Hermann's　beer；　trying　to　look　modest。　　Mrs。　Her…

mann　would　glance　at　me　quickly；　emit　slight

〃Ach's！〃　　The　girl　never　made　a　sound。　　Never。

But　she　too　would　sometimes　raise　her　pale　eyes　to

look　at　me　in　her　unseeing　gentle　way。　　Her　glance

was　by　no　means　stupid；　it　beamed　out　soft　and　dif…

fuse　as　the　moon　beams　upon　a　landscapequite

differently　from　the　scrutinising　inspection　of　the

stars。　　You　were　drowned　in　it；　and　imagined　your…

self　to　appear　blurred。　　And　yet　this　same　glance

when　turned　upon　Christian　Falk　must　have　been

as　efficient　as　the　searchlight　of　a　battle…ship。



Falk　was　the　other　assiduous　visitor　on　board；

but　from　his　behaviour　he　might　have　been　coming

to　see　the　quarter…deck　capstan。　　He　certainly　used

to　stare　at　it　a　good　deal　when　keeping　us　company

outside　the　cabin　door；　with　one　muscular　arm

thrown　over　the　back　of　the　chair；　and　his　big

shapely　legs；　in　very　tight　white　trousers；　extended

far　out　and　ending　in　a　pair　of　black　shoes　as

roomy　as　punts。　　On　arrival　he　would　shake　Her…

mann's　hand　with　a　mutter；　bow　to　the　women；　and

take　up　his　careless　and　misanthropic　attitude　by

our　side。　　He　departed　abruptly；　with　a　jump；　go…

ing　through　the　performance　of　grunts；　hand…

shakes；　bow；　as　if　in　a　panic。　　Sometimes；　with　a

sort　of　discreet　and　convulsive　effort；　he　approached

the　women　and　exchanged　a　few　low　words　with

them；　half　a　dozen　at　most。　　On　these　occasions　Her…

mann's　usual　stare　became　positively　glassy　and

Mrs。　Hermann's　kind　countenance　would　colour　up。

The　girl　herself　never　turned　a　hair。



Falk　was　a　Dane　or　perhaps　a　Norwegian；　I

can't　tell　now。　　At　all　events　he　was　a　Scandinavian

of　some　sort；　and　a　bloated　monopolist　to　boot。　　It

is　possible　he　was　unacquainted　with　the　word；　but

he　had　a　clear　perception　of　the　thing　itself。　　His

tariff　of　charges　for　towing　ships　in　and　out　was

the　most　brutally　inconsiderate　document　of　the　sort

I　had　ever　seen。　　He　was　the　commander　and　owner

of　the　only　tug…boat　on　the　river；　a　very　trim　white

craft　of　150　tons　or　more；　as　elegantly　neat　as　a

yacht；　with　a　round　wheel…house　rising　like　a　glazed

turret　high　above　her　sharp　bows；　and　with　one　slen…

der　varnished　pole　mast　forward。　　I　daresay　there

are　yet　a　few　shipmasters　afloat　who　remember　Falk

and　his　tug　very　well。　　He　extracted　his　pound　and

a　half　of　flesh　from　each　of　us　merchant…skippers

with　an　inflexible　sort　of　indifference　which　made

him　detested　and　even　feared。　　Schomberg　used　to

remark：　〃I　won't　talk　about　the　fellow。　　I　don't

think　he　has　six　drinks　from　year's　end　to　year's　end

in　my　place。　　But　my　advice　is；　gentlemen；　don't

you　have　anything　to　do　with　him；　if　you　can　help

it。〃



This　advice；　apart　from　unavoidable　business　re…

lations；　was　easy　to　follow　because　Falk　intruded

upon　no　one。　　It　seems　absurd　to　compare　a　tug…

boat　skipper　to　a　centaur：　but　he　reminded　me　some…

how　of　an　engraving　in　a　little　book　I　had　as　a　boy；

which　represented　centaurs　at　a　stream；　and　there

was　one；　especially　in　the　foreground；　prancing　bow

and　arrows　in　hand；　with　regular　severe　features

and　an　immense　curled　wavy　beard；　flowing　down

his　breast。　　Falk's　face　reminded　me　of　that　cen…

taur。　　Besides；　he　was　a　composite　creature。　　Not

a　man…horse；　it　is　true；　but　a　man…boat。　　He　lived

on　board　his　tug；　which　was　always　dashing　up　and

down　the　river　from　early　morn　till　dewy　eve。



In　the　last　rays　of　the　setting　sun；　you　could　pick

out　far　away　down　the　reach　his　beard　borne　high

up　on　the　white　structure；　foaming　up　stream　to

anchor　for　the　night。　　There　was　the　white…clad

man's　body；　and　the　rich　brown　patch　of　the　hair；

and　nothing　below　the　waist　but　the　'thwart…ship

white　lines　of　the　bridge…screens；　that　lead　the　eye

to　the　sharp　white　lines　of　the　bows　cleaving　the

muddy　water　of　the　river。



Separated　from　his　boat　to　me　at　least　he　seemed

incomplete。　　The　tug　herself　without　his　head　and

torso　on　the　bridge　looked　mutilated　as　it　were。

But　he　left　her　very　seldom。　　All　the　time　I　re…

mained　in　harbour　I　saw　him　only　twice　on　shore。

On　the　first　occasion　it　was　at　my　charterers；　where

he　came　in　misanthropically　to　get　paid　for　towing

out　a　French　barque　the　day　before。　　The　second

time　I　could　hardly　believe　my　eyes；　for　I　beheld

him　reclining　under　his　beard　in　a　cane…bottomed

chair　in　the　billiard…room　of　Schomberg's　hotel。



It　was　very　funny　to　see　Schomberg　ignoring

him　pointedly。　　The　artificiality　of　it　contrasted

strongly　with　Falk's　natural　unconcern。　　The　big

Alsatian　talked　loudly　with　his　other　customers；　go…

ing　from　one　little　table　to　the　other；　and　passing

Falk's　place　of　repose　with　his　eyes　fixed　straight

ahead。　　Falk　sat　there　with　an　untouched　glass　at

his　elbow。　　He　must　have　known　by　sight　and　name

every　white　man　in　the　room；　but　he　never　addressed

a　word　to　anybody。　　He　acknowledged　my　presence

by　a　drop　of　his　eyelids；　and　that　was　all。　　Sprawl…

ing　there　in　the　chair；　he　would；　now　and　again；

draw　the　palms　of　both　his　hands　down　his　face；

giving　at　the　same　time　a　slight；　almost　impercepti…

ble；　shudder。



It　was　a　habit　he　had；　and　of　course　I　was　per…

fectly　familiar　with　it；　since　you　could　not　remain

an　hour　in　his　company　without　being　made　to　won…

der　at　such　a　movement　breaking　some　long　period

of　stillness。　　it　was　a　passionate　and　inexplicable

gesture。　　He　used　to　make　it　at　all　sorts　of　times；

as　likely　as　not　after　he　had　been　listening　to　little

Lena's　chatter　about　the　suffering　doll；　for　instance。

The　Hermann　children　always　besieged　him　about

his　legs　closely；　though；　in　a　gentle　way；　he　shrank

from　them　a　little。　　He　seemed；　however；　to　feel　a

great　affection　for　the　whole　family。　　For　Hermann

himself　especially。　　He　sought　his　company。　　In

this　case；　for　instance；　he　must　have　been　waiting

for　him；　because　as　soon　as　he　appeared　Falk　rose

hastily；　and　they　went　out　together。　　Then　Schom…

berg　expounded　in　my　hearing　to　three　or　four

people　his　theory　that　Falk　was　after　Captain　Her…

mann's　niece；　and　asserted　confidently　that　nothing

would　come　of　it。　　It　was　the　same　last　year　when

Captain　Hermann　was　loading　here；　he　said。



Naturally；　I　did　not　believe　Schomberg；　but　I

own　that　for　a　time　I　observed　closely　what　went

on。　　All　I　discovered　was　some　impatience　on　Her…

mann's　part。　　At　the　sight　of　Falk；　stepping　over

the　gangway；　the　excellent　man　would　begin　to

mumble　and　chew　be