falk-第5节

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the　gangway；　the　excellent　man　would　begin　to

mumble　and　chew　between　his　teeth　something　that

sounded　like　German　swear…words。　　However；　as

I've　said；　I'm　not　familiar　with　the　language；　and

Hermann's　soft；　round…eyed　countenance　remained

unchanged。　　Staring　stolidly　ahead　he　greeted

him　with；　〃Wie　gehts；〃　or　in　English；　〃How　are

you？〃　with　a　throaty　enunciation。　　The　girl　would

look　up　for　an　instant　and　move　her　lips　slightly：

Mrs。　Hermann　let　her　hands　rest　on　her　lap　to　talk

volubly　to　him　for　a　minute　or　so　in　her　pleasant

voice　before　she　went　on　with　her　sewing　again。

Falk　would　throw　himself　into　a　chair；　stretch　his

big　legs；　as　like　as　not　draw　his　hands　down　his　face

passionately。　　As　to　myself；　he　was　not　pointedly

impertinent：　it　was　rather　as　though　he　could　not

be　bothered　with　such　trifles　as　my　existence；　and

the　truth　is　that　being　a　monopolist　he　was　under

no　necessity　to　be　amiable。　　He　was　sure　to　get　his

own　extortionate　terms　out　of　me　for　towage

whether　he　frowned　or　smiled。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；

he　did　neither：　but　before　many　days　elapsed　he

managed　to　astonish　me　not　a　little　and　to　set

Schomberg's　tongue　clacking　more　than　ever。



It　came　about　in　this　way。　　There　was　a　shallow

bar　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　which　ought　to　have

been　kept　down；　but　the　authorities　of　the　State

were　piously　busy　gilding　afresh　the　great　Buddhist

Pagoda　just　then；　and　I　suppose　had　no　money　to

spare　for　dredging　operations。　　I　don't　know　how

it　may　be　now；　but　at　the　time　I　speak　of　that　sand…

bank　was　a　great　nuisance　to　the　shipping。　　One　of

its　consequences　was　that　vessels　of　a　certain

draught　of　water；　like　Hermann's　or　mine；　could　not

complete　their　loading　in　the　river。　　After　taking

in　as　much　as　possible　of　their　cargo；　they　had　to

go　outside　to　fill　up。　　The　whole　procedure　was　an

unmitigated　bore。　　When　you　thought　you　had　as

much　on　board　as　your　ship　could　carry　safely　over

the　bar；　you　went　and　gave　notice　to　your　agents。

They；　in　their　turn；　notified　Falk　that　so…and…so

was　ready　to　go　out。　　Then　Falk　（ostensibly　when　it

fitted　in　with　his　other　work；　but；　if　the　truth　were

known；　simply　when　his　arbitrary　spirit　moved

him）；　after　ascertaining　carefully　in　the　office　that

there　was　enough　money　to　meet　his　bill；　would

come　along　unsympathetically；　glaring　at　you　with

his　yellow　eyes　from　the　bridge；　and　would　drag　you

out　dishevelled　as　to　rigging；　lumbered　as　to　the

decks；　with　unfeeling　haste；　as　if　to　execution。　　And

he　would　force　you　too　to　take　the　end　of　his　own

wire　hawser；　for　the　use　of　which　there　was　of　course

an　extra　charge。　　To　your　shouted　remonstrances

against　that　extortion　this　towering　trunk　with　one

hand　on　the　engine…room　telegraph　only　shook　its

bearded　head　above　the　splash；　the　racket；　and　the

clouds　of　smoke　in　which　the　tug；　backing　and　fill…

ing　in　the　smother　of　churning　paddle…wheels　be…

haved　like　a　ferocious　and　impatient　creature。　　He

had　her　manned　by　the　cheekiest　gang　of　lascars　I

ever　did　see；　whom　he　allowed　to　bawl　at　you　inso…

lently；　and；　once　fast；　he　plucked　you　out　of　your

berth　as　if　he　did　not　care　what　he　smashed。　　Eigh…

teen　miles　down　the　river　you　had　to　go　behind　him；

and　then　three　more　along　the　coast　to　where　a

group　of　uninhabited　rocky　islets　enclosed　a　shel…

tered　anchorage。　　There　you　would　have　to　lie　at

single　anchor　with　your　naked　spars　showing　to

seaward　over　these　barren　fragments　of　land　scat…

tered　upon　a　very　intensely　blue　sea。　　There　was

nothing　to　look　at　besides　but　a　bare　coast；　the　mud…

dy　edge　of　the　brown　plain　with　the　sinuosities　of

the　river　you　had　left；　traced　in　dull　green；　and　the

Great　Pagoda　uprising　lonely　and　massive　with

shining　curves　and　pinnacles　like　the　gorgeous　and

stony　efflorescence　of　tropical　rocks。　　You　had

nothing　to　do　but　to　wait　fretfully　for　the　balance

of　your　cargo；　which　was　sent　out　of　the　river　with

the　greatest　irregularity。　　And　it　was　open　to　you

to　console　yourself　with　the　thought　that；　after　all；

this　stage　of　bother　meant　that　your　departure　from

these　shores　was　indeed　approaching　at　last。



We　both　had　to　go　through　that　stage；　Hermann

and　I；　and　there　was　a　sort　of　tacit　emulation　be…

tween　the　ships　as　to　which　should　be　ready　first。

We　kept　on　neck　and　neck　almost　to　the　finish；　when

I　won　the　race　by　going　personally　to　give　notice　in

the　forenoon；　whereas　Hermann；　who　was　very　slow

in　making　up　his　mind　to　go　ashore；　did　not　get　to

the　agents'　office　till　late　in　the　day。　　They　told　him

there　that　my　ship　was　first　on　turn　for　next　morn…

ing；　and　I　believe　he　told　them　he　was　in　no　hurry。

It　suited　him　better　to　go　the　day　after。



That　evening；　on　board　the　Diana；　he　sat　with

his　plump　knees　well　apart；　staring　and　puffing　at

the　curved　mouthpiece　of　his　pipe。　　Presently　he

spoke　with　some　impatience　to　his　niece　about　put…

ting　the　children　to　bed。　　Mrs。　Hermann；　who　was

talking　to　Falk；　stopped　short　and　looked　at　her

husband　uneasily；　but　the　girl　got　up　at　once　and

drove　the　children　before　her　into　the　cabin。　　In　a

little　while　Mrs。　Hermann　had　to　leave　us　to　quell

what；　from　the　sounds　inside；　must　have　been　a　dan…

gerous　mutiny。　　At　this　Hermann　grumbled　to　him…

self。　　For　half　an　hour　longer　Falk　left　alone　with

us　fidgeted　on　his　chair；　sighed　lightly；　then　at　last；

after　drawing　his　hands　down　his　face；　got　up；　and

as　if　renouncing　the　hope　of　making　himself　under…

stood　（he　hadn't　opened　his　mouth　once）　he　said　in

English：　〃Well。　。　。　。　　Good　night；　Captain　Her…

mann。〃　　He　stopped　for　a　moment　before　my　chair

and　looked　down　fixedly；　I　may　even　say　he　glared：

and　he　went　so　far　as　to　make　a　deep　noise　in　his

throat。　　There　was　in　all　this　something　so　marked

that　for　the　first　time　in　our　limited　intercourse　of

nods　and　grunts　he　excited　in　me　something　like

interest。　　But　next　moment　he　disappointed　me

for　he　strode　away　hastily　without　a　nod　even。



His　manner　was　usually　odd　it　is　true；　and　I　cer…

tainly　did　not　pay　much　attention　to　it；　but　that

sort　of　obscure　intention；　which　seemed　to　lurk　in

his　nonchalance　like　a　wary　old　carp　in　a　pond；　had

never　before　come　so　near　the　surface。　　He　had　dis…

tinctly　aroused　my　expectations。　　I　would　have　been

unable　to　say　what　it　was　I　expected；　but　at　all

events　I　did　not　expect　the　absurd　developments　he

sprung　upon　me　no　later　than　the　break　of　the　very

next　day。



I　remember　only　that　there　was；　on　that　evening；

enough　point　in　his　behaviour　to　make　me；　after　he

had　fled；　wonder　audibly　what　he　might　mean。　　To

this　Hermann；　crossing　his　legs　with　a　swing　and

settling　himself　viciously　away　from　me　in　his　chair；

said：　〃That　fellow　don't　know　himself　what　he

means。〃



There　might　have　been　some　insight　in　such　a

remark。　　I　said　nothing；　and；　still　averted；　he

added：　〃When　I　was　here　last　year　he　was　just

the　same。〃　　An　eruption　of　tobacco　smoke　envel…

oped　his　head　as　if　his　temper　had　exploded　like

gunpowder。



I　had　half　a　mind　to　ask　him　point　blank　whether

he；　at　least；　didn't　know　why　Falk；　a　notoriously

unsociable　man；　had　taken　to　visiting　his　ship　with

such　assiduity。　　After　all；　I　reflected　suddenly；　it

was　a　most　remarkable　thing。　　I　wonder　now　what

Hermann　would　have　said。　　As　it　turned　out　he

didn't　let　me　ask。　　Forgetting　all　about　Falk　ap…

parently；　he　started　a　monologue　on　his　plans　for

the　future：　the　selling　of　the　ship；　the　going　home；

and　falling　into　a　reflective　and　calculating　mood

he　mumbled　between　regular　jets　of　smoke　about

the　expense。　　The　necessity　of　disbursing　passage

money　for　all　his　tribe　seemed　to　disturb　him　in　a

manner　that　was　the　more　striking　because　other…

wise　he　gave　no　signs　of　a　miserly　disposition。　　And

yet　he　fussed　over　the　prospect　of　that　voyage　home

in　a　mail　boat　like　a　sedentary　grocer　who　has　made

up　his　mind　to　see　the　world。　　He　was　racially　thrifty

I　suppose；　and　for　him　there　must　have　been　a　great

novelty　in　finding　himself　obliged　to　pay　for　travel…

lingfor　sea　travelling　which　was　the　normal　state

of　life　for　the　familyfrom　the　very　cradle　for

most　of　them。　　I　could　see　he　grudged　prospectively

every　single　shilling　which　must　be　spent　so　absurd…

ly。　　It　was　rather　funny。　　He　would　become　doleful

over　it；　and　then　again；　with　a　fretful　sigh；　he　would

suppose　there　was　nothing　for　it　now　but　to　take

three　second…class　ticketsand　there　were　the　four

children　to　pay　for　besides。　　A　lot　of　money　that

to　spend　at　once。　　A　big　lot　of　money。



I　sat　with　him　listening　（not　for　the　first　time）

to　these　heart…searchings　till　I　grew　thoroughly

sleepy；　and　then　I　left　him　and　turned　in　on　board

my　ship。　　At　daylight　I　was　awakened　by　a　yelping

of　shrill　voices；　accompanied　by　a　great　commotion

in　the　water；　and　the　short；　bullying　blasts　of　a

steam…wh