falk-第9节

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edge　of　the　table。



While　I　watched　his　concentrated　efforts　with　as…

tonishment　he　threw　at　me　one　or　two　perplexed；

half…shy　glances。　　Then　he　sat　down。　　〃That's　all

very　well；〃　he　said　reflectively。



It　cannot　be　doubted　that　the　man　had　been

thrown　off　his　balance　by　being　hauled　out　of　the

harbour　against　his　wish。　　His　stolidity　had　been

profoundly　stirred；　else　he　would　never　have　made

up　his　mind　to　ask　me　unexpectedly　whether　I　had

not　remarked　that　Falk　had　been　casting　eyes　upon

his　niece。　　〃No　more　than　myself；〃　I　answered　with

literal　truth。　　The　girl　was　of　the　sort　one　necessa…

rily　casts　eyes　at　in　a　sense。　　She　made　no　noise；

but　she　filled　most　satisfactorily　a　good　bit　of　space。



〃But　you；　captain；　are　not　the　same　kind　of

man；〃　observed　Hermann。



I　was　not；　I　am　happy　to　say；　in　a　position　to

deny　this。　　〃What　about　the　lady？〃　I　could　not

help　asking。　　At　this　he　gazed　for　a　time　into　my

face；　earnestly；　and　made　as　if　to　change　the　sub…

ject。　　I　heard　him　beginning　to　mutter　something

unexpected；　about　his　children　growing　old　enough

to　require　schooling。　　He　would　have　to　leave　them

ashore　with　their　grandmother　when　he　took　up　that

new　command　he　expected　to　get　in　Germany。



This　constant　harping　on　his　domestic　arrange…

ments　was　funny。　　I　suppose　it　must　have　been　like

the　prospect　of　a　complete　alteration　in　his　life。　　An

epoch。　　He　was　going；　too；　to　part　with　the　Diana！

He　had　served　in　her　for　years。　　He　had　inherited

her。　　From　an　uncle；　if　I　remember　rightly。　　And

the　future　loomed　big　before　him；　occupying　his

thought　exclusively　with　all　its　aspects　as　on　the

eve　of　a　venturesome　enterprise。　　He　sat　there

frowning　and　biting　his　lip；　and　suddenly　he　began

to　fume　and　fret。



I　discovered　to　my　momentary　amusement　that

he　seemed　to　imagine　I　could；　should　or　ought；

have　caused　Falk　in　some　way　to　pronounce　him…

self。　　Such　a　hope　was　incomprehensible；　but　funny。

Then　the　contact　with　all　this　foolishness　irritated

me。　　I　said　crossly　that　I　had　seen　no　symptoms；

but　if　there　were　anysince　he；　Hermann；　was　so

surethen　it　was　still　worse。　　What　pleasure　Falk

found　in　humbugging　people　in　just　that　way　I

couldn't　say。　　It　was；　however；　my　solemn　duty　to

warn　him。　　It　had　lately；　I　said；　come　to　my　knowl…

edge　that　there　was　a　man　（not　a　very　long　time

ago　either）　who　had　been　taken　in　just　like　this。



All　this　passed　in　undertones；　and　at　this　point

Schomberg；　exasperated　at　our　secrecy；　went　out

of　the　room　slamming　the　door　with　a　crash　that

positively　lifted　us　in　our　chairs。　　This；　or　else　what

I　had　said；　huffed　my　Hermann；　He　supposed；　with

a　contemptuous　toss　of　his　head　towards　the　door

which　trembled　yet；　that　I　had　got　hold　of　some　of

that　man's　silly　tales。　　It　looked；　indeed；　as　though

his　mind　had　been　thoroughly　poisoned　against

Schomberg。　　〃His　tales　werethey　were；〃　he　re…

peated；　seeking　for　the　word〃trash。〃　　They

were　trash；　he　reiterated；　and　moreover　I　was　young

yet　。　。　。



This　horrid　aspersion　（I　regret　I　am　no　longer

exposed　to　that　sort　of　insult）　made　me　huffy　too。

I　felt　ready　in　my　own　mind　to　back　up　every　asser…

tion　of　Schomberg's　and　on　any　subject。　　In　a　mo…

ment；　devil　only　knows　why；　Hermann　and　I　were

looking　at　each　other　most　inimically。　　He　caught

up　his　hat　without　more　ado　and　I　gave　myself　the

pleasure　of　calling　after　him：



〃Take　my　advice　and　make　Falk　pay　for　break…

ing　up　your　ship。　　You　aren't　likely　to　get　any…

thing　else　out　of　him。〃



When　I　got　on　board　my　ship　later　on；　the　old

mate；　who　was　very　full　of　the　events　of　the　morn…

ing；　remarked：



〃I　saw　the　tug　coming　back　from　the　outer　Roads

just　before　two　P。M。〃　　（He　never　by　any　chance　used

the　words　morning　or　afternoon。　　Always　P。M。　or

A。M。；　log…book　style。）　　〃Smart　work　that。　　Man's

always　in　a　state　of　hurry。　　He's　a　regular

chucker…out；　ain't　he；　sir？　　There's　a　few　pubs　I

know　of　in　the　East…end　of　London　that　would　be

all　the　better　for　one　of　his　sort　around　the　bar。〃

He　chuckled　at　his　joke。　　〃A　regular　chucker…out。

Now　he　has　fired　out　that　Dutchman　head　over　heels；

I　suppose　our　turn's　coming　to…morrow　morning。〃



We　were　all　on　deck　at　break　of　day　（even　the

sickpoor　devilshad　crawled　out）　ready　to　cast

off　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye。　　Nothing　came。

Falk　did　not　come。　　At　last；　when　I　began　to　think

that　probably　something　had　gone　wrong　in　his

engine…room；　we　perceived　the　tug　going　by；　full

pelt；　down　the　river；　as　if　we　hadn't　existed。　　For　a

moment　I　entertained　the　wild　notion　that　he　was

going　to　turn　round　in　the　next　reach。　　Afterwards

I　watched　his　smoke　appear　above　the　plain；　now

here；　now　there；　according　to　the　windings　of　the

river。　　It　disappeared。　　Then　without　a　word　I

went　down　to　breakfast。　　I　just　simply　went　down

to　breakfast。



Not　one　of　us　uttered　a　sound　till　the　mate；　after

imbibingby　means　of　suction　out　of　a　saucer

his　second　cup　of　tea；　exclaimed：　〃Where　the　devil

is　the　man　gone　to？〃



〃Courting！〃　I　shouted；　with　such　a　fiendish

laugh　that　the　old　chap　didn't　venture　to　open　his

lips　any　more。



I　started　to　the　office　perfectly　calm。　　Calm　with

excessive　rage。　　Evidently　they　knew　all　about　it

already；　and　they　treated　me　to　a　show　of　conster…

nation。　　The　manager；　a　soft…footed；　immensely

obese　man；　breathing　short；　got　up　to　meet　me；

while　all　round　the　room　the　young　clerks；　bend…

ing　over　the　papers　on　their　desks；　cast　upward

glances　in　my　direction。　　The　fat　man；　without

waiting　for　my　complaint；　wheezing　heavily　and

in　a　tone　as　if　he　himself　were　incredulous；　con…

veyed　to　me　the　news　that　FalkCaptain　Falk

had　declinedhad　absolutely　declinedto　tow　my

shipto　have　anything　to　do　with　my　shipthis

day　or　any　other　day。　　Never！



I　did　my　best　to　preserve　a　cool　appearance；　but；

all　the　same；　I　must　have　shown　how　much　taken

aback　I　was。　　We　were　talking　in　the　middle　of　the

room。　　Suddenly　behind　my　back　some　ass　blew

his　nose　with　great　force；　and　at　the　same　time　an…

other　quill…driver　jumped　up　and　went　out　on　the

landing　hastily。　　It　occurred　to　me　I　was　cutting

a　foolish　figure　there。　　I　demanded　angrily　to　see

the　principal　in　his　private　room。



The　skin　of　Mr。　Siegers'　head　showed　dead　white

between　the　iron　grey　streaks　of　hair　lying　plas…

tered　cross…wise　from　ear　to　ear　over　the　top　of　his

skull　in　the　manner　of　a　bandage。　　His　narrow

sunken　face　was　of　an　uniform　and　permanent　ter…

ra…cotta　colour；　like　a　piece　of　pottery。　　He　was

sickly；　thin；　and　short；　with　wrists　like　a　boy　of　ten。

But　from　that　debile　body　there　issued　a　bullying

voice；　tremendously　loud；　harsh　and　resonant；　as

if　produced　by　some　powerful　mechanical　contriv…

ance　in　the　nature　of　a　fog…horn。　　I　do　not　know

what　he　did　with　it　in　the　private　life　of　his　home；

but　in　the　larger　sphere　of　business　it　presented　the

advantage　of　overcoming　arguments　without　the

slightest　mental　effort；　by　the　mere　volume　of

sound。　　We　had　had　several　passages　of　arms。　　It

took　me　all　I　knew　to　guard　the　interests　of　my

ownerswhom；　nota　bene；　I　had　never　seenwhile

Siegers　（who　had　made　their　acquaintance　some

years　before；　during　a　business　tour　in　Australia）

pretended　to　the　knowledge　of　their　innermost

minds；　and；　in　the　character　of　〃our　very　good

friends；〃　threw　them　perpetually　at　my　head。



He　looked　at　me　with　a　jaundiced　eye　（there　was

no　love　lost　between　us）；　and　declared　at　once　that

it　was　strange；　very　strange。　　His　pronunciation

of　English　was　so　extravagant　that　I　can't　even

attempt　to　reproduce　it。　　For　instance；　he　said

〃Fferie　strantch。〃　　Combined　with　the　bellowing

intonation　it　made　the　language　of　one's　childhood

sound　weirdly　startling；　and　even　if　considered

purely　as　a　kind　of　unmeaning　noise　it　filled　you

with　astonishment　at　first。　　〃They　had；〃　he　con…

tinued；　〃been　acquainted　with　Captain　Falk　for

very　many　years；　and　never　had　any　reason。　。　。　。〃



〃That's　why　I　come　to　you；　of　course；〃　I　inter…

rupted。　　〃I've　the　right　to　know　the　meaning　of

this　infernal　nonsense。〃　　In　the　half　light　of　the

room；　which　was　greenish；　because　of　the　tree…tops

screening　the　window；　I　saw　him　writhe　his　meagre

shoulders。　　It　came　into　my　head；　as　disconnected

ideas　will　come　at　all　sorts　of　times　into　one's　head；

that　this；　most　likely；　was　the　very　room　where；　if

the　tale　were　true；　Falk　had　been　lectured　by　Mr。

Siegers；　the　father。　　Mr。　Siegers'　（the　son's）　over…

whelming　voice；　in　brassy　blasts；　as　though　he　had

been　trying　to　articulate　his　words　through　a　trom…

bone；　was　expressing　his　great　regret　at　a　conduct

characterised　by　a　very　marked　want　of　discre…

tion。　。　。　　As　I　lived　I　was　being　lectured　too！　　His

deafening　gibberish　was　difficult　to　follow；　but　it

was　MY　conductmine！that　。　。　。　Damn！　　I

wa