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第6节

falk-第6节

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of shrill voices; accompanied by a great commotion

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

steam…whistle。  Falk with his tug had come for me。



I began to dress。  It was remarkable that the

answering noise on board my ship together with the

patter of feet above my head ceased suddenly。  But

I heard more remote guttural cries which seemed to

express surprise and annoyance。  Then the voice of

my mate reached me howling expostulations to

somebody at a distance。  Other voices joined; ap…

parently indignant; a chorus of something that

sounded like abuse replied。  Now and then the

steam…whistle screeched。



Altogether that unnecessary uproar was distract…

ing; but down there in my cabin I took it calmly。

In another moment; I thought; I should be going

down that wretched river; and in another week at

the most I should be totally quit of the odious place

and all the odious people in it。



Greatly cheered by the idea; I seized the hair…

brushes and looking at myself in the glass began to

use them。  Suddenly a hush fell upon the noise out…

side; and I heard (the ports of my cabin were thrown

open)I heard a deep calm voice; not on board my

ship; however; hailing resolutely in English; but

with a strong foreign twang; 〃Go ahead!〃



There may be tides in the affairs of men which

taken at the flood 。 。 。 and so on。  Personally I

am still on the look out for that important turn。

I am; however; afraid that most of us are fated to

flounder for ever in the dead water of a pool whose

shores are arid indeed。  But I know that there are

often in men's affairs unexpectedlyeven irration…

allyilluminating moments when an otherwise in…

significant sound; perhaps only some perfectly com…

monplace gesture; suffices to reveal to us all the

unreason; all the fatuous unreason; of our compla…

cency。  〃Go ahead〃 are not particularly striking

words even when pronounced with a foreign accent;

yet they petrified me in the very act of smiling at

myself in the glass。  And then; refusing to believe

my ears; but already boiling with indignation; I

ran out of the cabin and up on deck。



It was incredibly true。  It was perfectly true。  I

had no eyes for anything but the Diana。  It was she;

then; was being taken away。  She was already out

of her berth and shooting athwart the river。  〃The

way this loonatic plucked that ship out is a cau…

tion;〃 said the awed voice of my mate close to my

ear。  〃Hey!  Hallo!  Falk!  Hermann!  What's this

infernal trick?〃 I yelled in a fury。



Nobody heard me。  Falk certainly could not hear

me。  His tug was turning at full speed away under

the other bank。  The wire hawser between her and

the Diana; stretched as taut as a harpstring;

vibrated alarmingly。



The high black craft careened over to the awful

strain。  A loud crack came out of her; followed by

the tearing and splintering of wood。  〃There!〃

said the awed voice in my ear。  〃He's carried away

their towing chock。〃  And then; with enthusiasm;

〃Oh!  Look!  Look! sir; Look! at them Dutchmen

skipping out of the way on the forecastle。  I hope

to goodness he'll break a few of their shins before

he's done with 'em。〃



I yelled my vain protests。  The rays of the rising

sun coursing level along the plain warmed my back;

but I was hot enough with rage。  I could not have

believed that a simple towing operation could sug…

gest so plainly the idea of abduction; of rape。  Falk

was simply running off with the Diana。



The white tug careered out into the middle of the

river。  The red floats of her paddle…wheels revolv…

ing with mad rapidity tore up the whole reach into

foam。  The Diana in mid…stream waltzed round

with as much grace as an old barn; and flew after

her ravisher。  Through the ragged fog of smoke

driving headlong upon the water I had a glimpse

of Falk's square motionless shoulders under a white

hat as big as a cart…wheel; of his red face; his yel…

low staring eyes; his great beard。  Instead of keep…

ing a lookout ahead; he was deliberately turning his

back on the river to glare at his tow。  The tall

heavy craft; never so used before in her life; seemed

to have lost her senses; she took a wild sheer against

her helm; and for a moment came straight at us;

menacing and clumsy; like a runaway mountain。

She piled up a streaming; hissing; boiling wave

half…way up her blunt stem; my crew let out one

great howl;and then we held our breaths。  It was

a near thing。  But Falk had her!  He had her in

his clutch。  I fancied I could hear the steel hawser

ping as it surged across the Diana's forecastle; with

the hands on board of her bolting away from it in

all directions。  It was a near thing。  Hermann; with

his hair rumpled; in a snuffy flannel shirt and a pair

of mustard…coloured trousers; had rushed to help

with the wheel。  I saw his terrified round face; I

saw his very teeth uncovered by a sort of ghastly

fixed grin; and in a great leaping tumult of water

between the two ships the Diana whisked past so

close that I could have flung a hair…brush at his

head; for; it seems; I had kept them in my hands

all the time。  Meanwhile Mrs。 Hermann sat placidly

on the skylight; with a woollen shawl on her shoul…

ders。  The excellent woman in response to my in…

dignant gesticulations fluttered a handkerchief;

nodding and smiling in the kindest way imagina…

ble。  The boys; only half…dressed; were jumping

about the poop in great glee; displaying their

gaudy braces; and Lena in a short scarlet petticoat;

with peaked elbows and thin bare arms; nursed the

rag…doll with devotion。  The whole family passed

before my sight as if dragged across a scene of un…

paralleled violence。  The last I saw was Hermann's

niece with the baby Hermann in her arms standing

apart from the others。  Magnificent in her close…

fitting print frock she displayed something so com…

manding in the manifest perfection of her figure

that the sun seemed to be rising for her alone。  The

flood of light brought out the opulence of her form

and the vigour of her youth in a glorifying way。

She went by perfectly motionless and as if lost in

meditation; only the hem of her skirt stirred in the

draught; the sun rays broke on her sleek tawny

hair; that bald…headed ruffian; Nicholas; was whack…

ing her on the shoulder。  I saw his tiny fat arm

rise and fall in a workmanlike manner。  And then

the four cottage windows of the Diana came into

view retreating swiftly down the river。  The sashes

were up; and one of the white calico curtains was

fluttered straight out like a streamer above the agi…

tated water of the wake。



To be thus tricked out of one's turn was an un…

heard of occurrence。  In my agent's office; where I

went to complain at once; they protested with apol…

ogies they couldn't understand how the mistake

arose: but Schomberg when I dropped in later to get

some tiffin; though surprised to see me; was perfect…

ly ready with an explanation。  I found him seated at

the end of a long narrow table; facing his wifea

scraggy little woman; with long ringlets and a blue

tooth; who smiled abroad stupidly and looked

frightened when you spoke to her。  Between them a

waggling punkah fanned twenty cane…bottomed

chairs and two rows of shiny plates。  Three China…

men in white jackets loafed with napkins in their

hands around that desolation。  Schomberg's pet

table d'hote was not much of a success that day。

He was feeding himself ferociously and seemed to

overflow with bitterness。



He began by ordering in a brutal voice the chops

to be brought back for me; and turning in his chair:

〃Mistake they told you?  Not a bit of it!  Don't

you believe it for a moment; captain!  Falk isn't a

man to make mistakes unless on purpose。〃  His

firm conviction was that Falk had been trying all

along to curry favour on the cheap with Hermann。

〃On the cheapmind you!  It doesn't cost him a

cent to put that insult upon you; and Captain Her…

mann gets in a day ahead of your ship。  Time's

money!  Eh?  You are very friendly with Captain

Hermann I believe; but a man is bound to be pleased

at any little advantage he may get。  Captain Her…

mann is a good business man; and there's no such

thing as a friend in business。  Is there?〃  He

leaned forward and began to cast stealthy glances

as usual。  〃But Falk is; and always was; a misera…

ble fellow。  I would despise him。〃



I muttered; grumpily; that I had no particular

respect for Falk。



〃I would despise him;〃 he insisted; with an ap…

pearance of anxiety which would have amused me

if I had not been fathoms deep in discontent。  To

a young man fairly conscientious and as well…mean…

ing as only the young man can be; the current ill…

usage of life comes with a peculiar cruelty。  Youth

that is fresh enough to believe in guilt; in innocence;

and in itself; will always doubt whether it have not

perchance 

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