falk-第8节

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

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

mate　had　been　playing　the　deuce　with　her。　　Then

don't　you　knowFred　had　to　sit　up　with　them　for

propriety；　and　during　whole　weeks　on　end　never　got

a　single　chance　to　get　to　bed　before　midnight。

That　was　not　pleasant　for　a　tired　manwas　it？

And　besides　Fred　had　worries　then　because　his　shop

didn't　pay　and　he　was　dropping　money　fast。　　He

just　longed　to　get　away　from　here　and　try　his　luck

somewhere　else；　but　for　the　sake　of　his　sister　he

hung　on　and　on　till　he　ran　himself　into　debt　over　his

earsI　can　tell　you。　　I；　myself；　could　show　a　hand…

ful　of　his　chits　for　meals　and　drinks　in　my　drawer。

I　could　never　find　out　tho'　where　he　found　all　the

money　at　last。　　Can't　be　but　he　must　have　got　some…

thing　out　of　that　brother　of　his；　a　coal　merchant　in

Port　Said。　　Anyhow　he　paid　everybody　before　he

left；　but　the　girl　nearly　broke　her　heart。　　Disap…

pointment；　of　course；　and　at　her　age；　don't　you

know。　。　。　。　　Mrs。　Schomberg　here　was　very　friendly

with　her；　and　she　could　tell　you。　　Awful　despair。

Fainting　fits。　　It　was　a　scandal。　　A　notorious　scan…

dal。　　To　that　extent　that　old　Mr。　Siegersnot

your　present　charterer；　but　Mr。　Siegers　the　father；

the　old　gentleman　who　retired　from　business　on　a

fortune　and　got　buried　at　sea　going　home；　HE　had

to　interview　Falk　in　his　private　office。　　He　was　a

man　who　could　speak　like　a　Dutch　Uncle；　and；　be…

sides；　Messrs。　Siegers　had　been　helping　Falk　with

a　good　bit　of　money　from　the　start。　　In　fact　you

may　say　they　made　him　as　far　as　that　goes。

It　so　happened　that　just　at　the　time　he　turned　up

here；　their　firm　was　chartering　a　lot　of　sailing　ships

every　year；　and　it　suited　their　business　that　there

should　be　good　towing　facilities　on　the　river。　　See？

。　。　。　　Wellthere's　always　an　ear　at　the　keyhole

isn't　there？　　In　fact；〃　he　lowered　his　tone　confiden…

tially；　〃in　this　case　a　good　friend　of　mine；　a　man

you　can　see　here　any　evening；　only　they　conversed

rather　low。　　Anyhow　my　friend's　certain　that　Falk

was　trying　to　make　all　sorts　of　excuses；　and　old　Mr。

Siegers　was　coughing　a　lot。　　And　yet　Falk　wanted

all　the　time　to　be　married　too。　　Why！　　It's　notorious

the　man　has　been　longing　for　years　to　make　a　home

for　himself。　　Only　he　can't　face　the　expense。

When　it　comes　to　putting　his　hand　in　his　pocket

it　chokes　him　off。　　That's　the　truth　and　no　other。

I've　always　said　so；　and　everybody　agrees　with　me

by　this　time。　　What　do　you　think　of　thateh？〃



He　appealed　confidently　to　my　indignation；　but

having　a　mind　to　annoy　him　I　remarked；　〃that　it

seemed　to　me　very　pitifulif　true。〃



He　bounced　in　his　chair　as　if　I　had　run　a　pin　into

him。　　I　don't　know　what　he　might　have　said；　only

at　that　moment　we　heard　through　the　half　open

door　of　the　billiard…room　the　footsteps　of　two　men

entering　from　the　verandah；　a　murmur　of　two

voices；　at　the　sharp　tapping　of　a　coin　on　a　table

Mrs。　Schomberg　half　rose　irresolutely。　　〃Sit　still；〃

he　hissed　at　her；　and　then；　in　an　hospitable；　jovial

tone；　contrasting　amazingly　with　the　angry　glance

that　had　made　his　wife　sink　in　her　chair；　he　cried

very　loud：　〃Tiffin　still　going　on　in　here；　gentle…

men。〃



There　was　no　answer；　but　the　voices　dropped　sud…

denly。　　The　head　Chinaman　went　out。　　We　heard

the　clink　of　ice　in　the　glasses；　pouring　sounds；　the

shuffling　of　feet；　the　scraping　of　chairs。　　Schom…

berg；　after　wondering　in　a　low　mutter　who　the　devil

could　be　there　at　this　time　of　the　day；　got　up　napkin

in　hand　to　peep　through　the　doorway　cautiously。

He　retreated　rapidly　on　tip…toe；　and　whispering　be…

hind　his　hand　informed　me　that　it　was　Falk；　Falk

himself　who　was　in　there；　and；　what's　more；　he　had

Captain　Hermann　with　him。



The　return　of　the　tug　from　the　outer　Roads　was

unexpected　but　possible；　for　Falk　had　taken　away

the　Diana　at　half…past　five；　and　it　was　now　two

o'clock。　　Schomberg　wished　me　to　observe　that

neither　of　these　men　would　spend　a　dollar　on　a　tiffin；

which　they　must　have　wanted。　　But　by　the　time　I

was　ready　to　leave　the　dining…room　Falk　had　gone。

I　heard　the　last　of　his　big　boots　on　the　planks　of

the　verandah。　　Hermann　was　sitting　quite　alone　in

the　large；　wooden　room　with　the　two　lifeless　billiard

tables　shrouded　in　striped　covers；　mopping　his　face

diligently。　　He　wore　his　best　go…ashore　clothes；　a

stiff　collar；　black　coat；　large　white　waistcoat；　grey

trousers。　　A　white　cotton　sunshade　with　a　cane　han…

dle　reposed　between　his　legs；　his　side　whiskers　were

neatly　brushed；　his　chin　had　been　freshly　shaved；

and　he　only　distantly　resembled　the　dishevelled　and

terrified　man　in　a　snuffy　night　shirt　and　ignoble　old

trousers　I　had　seen　in　the　morning　hanging　on　to

the　wheel　of　the　Diana。



He　gave　a　start　at　my　entrance；　and　addressed

me　at　once　in　some　confusion；　but　with　genuine　ea…

gerness。　　He　was　anxious　to　make　it　clear　he　had

nothing　to　do　with　what　he　called　the　〃tam　piz…

ness〃　of　the　morning。　　It　was　most　inconvenient。

He　had　reckoned　upon　another　day　up　in　town　to

settle　his　bills　and　sign　certain　papers。　　There　were

also　some　few　stores　to　come；　and　sundry　pieces　of

〃my　ironwork；〃　as　he　called　it　quaintly；　landed　for

repairs；　had　been　left　behind。　　Now　he　would　have

to　hire　a　native　boat　to　take　all　this　out　to　the　ship。

It　would　cost　five　or　six　dollars　perhaps。　　He　had

had　no　warning　from　Falk。　　Nothing。　。　。　。　　He

hit　the　table　with　his　dumpy　fist。　。　。　。　　Der　ver…

fluchte　Kerl　came　in　the　morning　like　a　〃tam'

ropper；〃　making　a　great　noise；　and　took　him　away。

His　mate　was　not　prepared；　his　ship　was　moored

fasthe　protested　it　was　shameful　to　come　upon

a　man　in　that　way。　　Shameful！　　Yet　such　was　the

power　Falk　had　on　the　river　that　when　I　suggested

in　a　chilling　tone　that　he　might　have　simply　refused

to　have　his　ship　moved；　Hermann　was　quite　startled

at　the　idea。　　I　never　realised　so　well　before　that　this

is　an　age　of　steam。　　The　exclusive　possession　of　a

marine　boiler　had　given　Falk　the　whiphand　of　us

all。　　Hermann；　recovering；　put　it　to　me　appealingly

that　I　knew　very　well　how　unsafe　it　was　to　contra…

dict　that　fellow。　　At　this　I　only　smiled　distantly。



〃Der　Kerl！〃　he　cried。　　He　was　sorry　he　had　not

refused。　　He　was　indeed。　　The　damage！　　The　dam…

age！　　What　for　all　that　damage！　　There　was　no

occasion　for　damage。　　Did　I　know　how　much　dam…

age　he　had　done？　　It　gave　me　a　certain　satisfaction

to　tell　him　that　I　had　heard　his　old　waggon　of　a

ship　crack　fore　and　aft　as　she　went　by。　　〃You

passed　close　enough　to　me；〃　I　added　significantly。



He　threw　both　his　hands　up　to　heaven　at　the　rec…

ollection。　　One　of　them　grasped　by　the　middle　the

white　parasol；　and　he　resembled　curiously　a　carica…

ture　of　a　shopkeeping　citizen　in　one　of　his　own　Ger…

man　comic　papers。　　〃Ach！　　That　was　dangerous；〃

he　cried。　　I　was　amused。　　But　directly　he　added

with　an　appearance　of　simplicity；　〃The　side　of

your　iron　ship　would　have　been　crushed　in　like

like　this　matchbox。〃



〃Would　it？〃　I　growled；　much　less　amused　now；

but　by　the　time　I　had　decided　that　this　remark　was

not　meant　for　a　dig　at　me　he　had　worked　himself

into　a　high　state　of　resentfulness　against　Falk。

The　inconvenience；　the　damage；　the　expense！　　Gott…

ferdam！　　Devil　take　the　fellow。　　Behind　the　bar

Schomberg　with　a　cigar　in　his　teeth；　pretended　to

be　writing　with　a　pencil　on　a　large　sheet　of　paper；

and　as　Hermann's　excitement　increased　it　made　me

comfortingly　aware　of　my　own　calmness　and　supe…

riority。　　But　it　occurred　to　me　while　I　listened　to

his　revilings；　that　after　all　the　good　man　had　come

up　in　the　tug。　　There　perhapssince　he　must　come

to　townhe　had　no　option。　　But　evidently　he　had

had　a　drink　with　Falk；　either　accepted　or　offered。

How　was　that？　　So　I　checked　him　by　saying　loftily

that　I　hoped　he　would　make　Falk　pay　for　every

penny　of　the　damage。



〃That's　it！　　That's　it！　　Go　for　him；〃　called　out

Schomberg　from　the　bar；　flinging　his　pencil　down

and　rubbing　his　hands。



We　ignored　his　noise。　　But　Hermann's　excite…

ment　suddenly　went　off　the　boil　as　when　you　remove

a　saucepan　from　the　fire。　　I　urged　on　his　considera…

tion　that　he　had　done　now　with　Falk　and　Falk's　con…

founded　tug。　　He；　Hermann；　would　not；　perhaps；

turn　up　again　in　this　part　of　the　world　for　years　to

come；　since　he　was　going　to　sell　the　Diana　at　the　end

of　this　very　trip　（〃Go　home　passenger　in　a　mail

boat；〃　he　murmured　mechanically）。　　He　was　there…

fore　safe　from　Falk's　malice。　　All　he　had　to　do　was

to　race　off　to　his　consignees　and　stop　payment　of

the　towage　bill　before　Falk　had　the　time　to　get　in

and　lift　the　money。



Nothing　could　have　been　less　in　the　spirit　of　my

advice　than　the　thoughtful　way　in　which　he　set

about　to　make　his　parasol　stay　propped　against　the

edge　of　the　table。



While　I　watched　his　concentrated　efforts　with　as…

toni