falk-第7节

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and　in　itself；　will　always　doubt　whether　it　have　not

perchance　deserved　its　fate。　　Sombre　of　mind　and

without　appetite；　I　struggled　with　the　chop　while

Mrs。　Schomberg　sat　with　her　everlasting　stupid

grin　and　Schomberg's　talk　gathered　way　like　a　slide

of　rubbish。



〃Let　me　tell　you。　　It's　all　about　that　girl。　　I

don't　know　what　Captain　Hermann　expects；　but　if

he　asked　me　I　could　tell　him　something　about　Falk。

He's　a　miserable　fellow。　　That　man　is　a　perfect

slave。　　That's　what　I　call　him。　　A　slave。　　Last

year　I　started　this　table　d'hote；　and　sent　cards　out

you　know。　　You　think　he　had　one　meal　in　the

house？　　Give　the　thing　a　trial？　　Not　once。　　He　has

got　hold　now　of　a　Madras　cooka　blamed　fraud

that　I　hunted　out　of　my　cookhouse　with　a　rattan。

He　was　not　fit　to　cook　for　white　men。　　No；　not　for

the　white　men's　dogs　either；　but；　see；　any　damned

native　that　can　boil　a　pot　of　rice　is　good　enough　for

Mr。　Falk。　　Rice　and　a　little　fish　he　buys　for　a　few

cents　from　the　fishing　boats　outside　is　what　he　lives

on。　　You　would　hardly　credit　iteh？　　A　white

man；　too。　。　。　。〃



He　wiped　his　lips；　using　the　napkin　with　indig…

nation；　and　looking　at　me。　　It　flashed　through　my

mind　in　the　midst　of　my　depression　that　if　all　the

meat　in　the　town　was　like　these　table　d'hote　chops；

Falk　wasn't　so　far　wrong。　　I　was　on　the　point　of

saying　this；　but　Schomberg's　stare　was　intimidat…

ing。　　〃He's　a　vegetarian；　perhaps；〃　I　murmured

instead。



〃He's　a　miser。　　A　miserable　miser；〃　affirmed　the

hotel…keeper　with　great　force。　　〃The　meat　here　is

not　so　good　as　at　homeof　course。　　And　dear　too。

But　look　at　me。　　I　only　charge　a　dollar　for　the　tif…

fin；　and　one　dollar　and　fifty　cents　for　the　dinner。

Show　me　anything　cheaper。　　Why　am　I　doing　it？

There's　little　profit　in　this　game。　　Falk　wouldn't

look　at　it。　　I　do　it　for　the　sake　of　a　lot　of　young

white　fellows　here　that　hadn't　a　place　where　they

could　get　a　decent　meal　and　eat　it　decently　in　good

company。　　There's　first…rate　company　always　at

my　table。〃



The　convinced　way　he　surveyed　the　empty　chairs

made　me　feel　as　if　I　had　intruded　upon　a　tiffin　of

ghostly　Presences。



〃A　white　man　should　eat　like　a　white　man；　dash

it　all；〃　he　burst　out　impetuously。　　〃Ought　to　eat

meat；　must　eat　meat。　　I　manage　to　get　meat　for　my

patrons　all　the　year　round。　　Don't　I？　　I　am　not　ca…

tering　for　a　dam'　lot　of　coolies：　Have　another　chop

captain。　。　。　。　　No？　　You；　boytake　away！〃



He　threw　himself　back　and　waited　grimly　for　the

curry。　　The　half…closed　jalousies　darkened　the　room

pervaded　by　the　smell　of　fresh　whitewash：　a　swarm

of　flies　buzzed　and　settled　in　turns；　and　poor　Mrs。

Schomberg's　smile　seemed　to　express　the　quintes…

sence　of　all　the　imbecility　that　had　ever　spoken；　had

ever　breathed；　had　ever　been　fed　on　infamous　buffalo

meat　within　these　bare　walls。　　Schomberg　did　not

open　his　lips　till　he　was　ready　to　thrust　therein　a

spoonful　of　greasy　rice。　　He　rolled　his　eyes　ridicu…

lously　before　he　swallowed　the　hot　stuff；　and　only

then　broke　out　afresh。



〃It　is　the　most　degrading　thing。　　They　take　the

dish　up　to　the　wheelhouse　for　him　with　a　cover　on　it；

and　he　shuts　both　the　doors　before　he　begins　to　eat。

Fact！　　Must　be　ashamed　of　himself。　　Ask　the　engi…

neer。　　He　can't　do　without　an　engineerdon't　you

seeand　as　no　respectable　man　can　be　expected　to

put　up　with　such　a　table；　he　allows　them　fifteen　dol…

lars　a　month　extra　mess　money。　　I　assure　you　it　is

so！　　You　just　ask　Mr。　Ferdinand　da　Costa。　　That's

the　engineer　he　has　now。　　You　may　have　seen　him

about　my　place；　a　delicate　dark　young　man；　with

very　fine　eyes　and　a　little　moustache。　　He　arrived

here　a　year　ago　from　Calcutta。　　Between　you　and

me；　I　guess　the　money…lenders　there　must　have　been

after　him。　　He　rushes　here　for　a　meal　every　chance

he　can　get；　for　just　please　tell　me　what　satisfaction

is　that　for　a　well…educated　young　fellow　to　feed　all

alone　in　his　cabinlike　a　wild　beast？　　That's　what

Falk　expects　his　engineers　to　put　up　with　for　fifteen

dollars　extra。　　And　the　rows　on　board　every　time　a

little　smell　of　cooking　gets　about　the　deck！　　You

wouldn't　believe！　　The　other　day　da　Costa　got　the

cook　to　fry　a　steak　for　hima　turtle　steak　it　was

too；　not　beef　at　alland　the　fat　caught　or　some…

thing。　　Young　da　Costa　himself　was　telling　me　of

it　here　in　this　room。　　'Mr。　Schomberg'says　he

'if　I　had　let　a　cylinder　cover　blow　off　through　the

skylight　by　my　negligence　Captain　Falk　couldn't

have　been　more　savage。　　He　frightened　the　cook　so

that　he　won't　put　anything　on　the　fire　for　me　now。'

Poor　da　Costa　had　tears　in　his　eyes。　　Only　try　to

put　yourself　in　his　place；　captain：　a　sensitive；　gen…

tlemanly　young　fellow。　　Is　he　expected　to　eat　his

food　raw？　　But　that's　your　Falk　all　over。　　Ask　any

one　you　like。　　I　suppose　the　fifteen　dollars　extra　he

has　to　give　keep　on　ranklingin　there。〃



And　Schomberg　tapped　his　manly　breast。　　I　sat

half　stunned　by　his　irrelevant　babble。　　Suddenly

he　gripped　my　forearm　in　an　impressive　and　cau…

tious　manner；　as　if　to　lead　me　into　a　very　cavern　of

confidence。



〃It's　nothing　but　enviousness；〃　he　said　in　a　low…

ered　tone；　which　had　a　stimulating　effect　upon　my

wearied　hearing。　　〃I　don't　suppose　there　is　one

person　in　this　town　that　he　isn't　envious　of。　　I　tell

you　he's　dangerous。　　Even　I　myself　am　not　safe

from　him。　　I　know　for　certain　he　tried　to　poi…

son　。　。　。　。〃



〃Oh；　come　now；〃　I　cried；　revolted。



〃But　I　know　for　certain。　　The　people　themselves

came　and　told　me　of　it。　　He　went　about　saying

everywhere　I　was　a　worse　pest　to　this　town　than　the

cholera。　　He　had　been　talking　against　me　ever　since

I　opened　this　hotel。　　And　he　poisoned　Captain　Her…

mann's　mind　too。　　Last　time　the　Diana　was　loading

here　Captain　Hermann　used　to　come　in　every　day

for　a　drink　or　a　cigar。　　This　time　he　hasn't　been

here　twice　in　a　week。　　How　do　you　account　for

that？〃



He　squeezed　my　arm　till　he　extorted　from　me

some　sort　of　mumble。



〃He　makes　ten　times　the　money　I　do。　　I've

another　hotel　to　fight　against；　and　there　is　no　other

tug　on　the　river。　　I　am　not　in　his　way；　am　I？　　He

wouldn't　be　fit　to　run　an　hotel　if　he　tried。　　But　that's

just　his　nature。　　He　can't　bear　to　think　I　am　mak…

ing　a　living。　　I　only　hope　it　makes　him　properly

wretched。　　He's　like　that　in　everything。　　He

would　like　to　keep　a　decent　table　well　enough。

But　nofor　the　sake　of　a　few　cents。　　Can't　do　it。

It's　too　much　for　him。　　That's　what　I　call　being　a

slave　to　it。　　But　he's　mean　enough　to　kick　up　a　row

when　his　nose　gets　tickled　a　bit。　　See　that？　　That

just　paints　him。　　Miserly　and　envious。　　You　can't

account　for　it　any　other　way。　　Can　you？　　I　have

been　studying　him　these　three　years。〃



He　was　anxious　I　should　assent　to　his　theory。

And　indeed　on　thinking　it　over　it　would　have　been

plausible　enough　if　there　hadn't　been　always　the

essential　falseness　of　irresponsibility　in　Schom…

berg's　chatter。　　However；　I　was　not　disposed　to　in…

vestigate　the　psychology　of　Falk。　　I　was　engaged

just　then　in　eating　despondently　a　piece　of　stale

Dutch　cheese；　being　too　much　crushed　to　care　what

I　swallowed　myself；　let　along　bothering　my　head

about　Falk's　ideas　of　gastronomy。　　I　could　expect

from　their　study　no　clue　to　his　conduct　in　matters

of　business；　which　seemed　to　me　totally　unrestrained

by　morality　or　even　by　the　commonest　sort　of　de…

cency。　　How　insignificant　and　contemptible　I　must

appear；　for　the　fellow　to　dare　treat　me　like　thisI

reflected　suddenly；　writhing　in　silent　agony。　　And

I　consigned　Falk　and　all　his　peculiarities　to　the　devil

with　so　much　mental　fervour　as　to　forget　Schom…

berg's　existence；　till　he　grabbed　my　arm　urgently。

〃Well；　you　may　think　and　think　till　every　hair　of

your　head　falls　off；　captain；　but　you　can't　explain

it　in　any　other　way。〃



For　the　sake　of　peace　and　quietness　I　admitted

hurriedly　that　I　couldn't：　persuaded　that　now　he

would　leave　off。　　But　the　only　result　was　to　make

his　moist　face　shine　with　the　pride　of　cunning。　　He

removed　his　hand　for　a　moment　to　scare　a　black

mass　of　flies　off　the　sugar…basin　and　caught　hold　of

my　arm　again。



〃To　be　sure。　　And　in　the　same　way　everybody　is

aware　he　would　like　to　get　married。　　Only　he　can't。

Let　me　quote　you　an　instance。　　Well；　two　years　ago

a　Miss　Vanlo；　a　very　ladylike　girl；　came　from　home

to　keep　house　for　her　brother；　Fred；　who　had　an　en…

gineering　shop　for　small　repairs　by　the　water　side。

Suddenly　Falk　takes　to　going　up　to　their　bunga…

low　after　dinner；　and　sitting　for　hours　in　the　veran…

dah　saying　nothing。　　The　poor　girl　couldn't　tell

for　the　life　of　her　what　to　do　with　such　a　man；　so　she

would　keep　on　playing　the　piano　and　singing　to

him　evening　after　evening　till　she　was　ready　to

drop。　　And　it　wasn't　as　if　she　had　been　a　strong

young　woman　either。　　She　was　thirty；　and　the　cli…

mate　had　been　play