falk-第14章

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existed　without　being　married。　　Yet　he　told　me　that

he　had　found　it　more　and　more　difficult　to　live

alone。　　Yes。　　He　told　me　this　in　his　low；　careless

voice；　to　such　a　pitch　of　confidence　had　we　arrived

at　the　end　of　half　an　hour。



It　took　me　just　about　that　time　to　convince　him

that　I　had　never　dreamed　of　marrying　Hermann's

niece。　　Could　any　necessity　have　been　more　extrava…

gant？　　And　the　difficulty　was　the　greater　because

he　was　so　hard　hit　that　he　couldn't　imagine　any…

body　being　able　to　remain　in　a　state　of　indifference。

Any　man　with　eyes　in　his　head；　he　seemed　to　think；

could　not　help　coveting　so　much　bodily　magnifi…

cence。　　This　profound　belief　was　conveyed　by　the

manner　he　listened　sitting　sideways　to　the　table　and

playing　absently　with　a　few　cards　I　had　dealt　to

him　at　random。　　And　the　more　I　saw　into　him　the

more　I　saw　of　him。　　The　wind　swayed　the　lights

so　that　his　sunburnt　face；　whiskered　to　the　eyes；

seemed　to　successively　flicker　crimson　at　me　and　to

go　out。　　I　saw　the　extraordinary　breadth　of　the

high　cheek…bones；　the　perpendicular　style　of　the

features；　the　massive　forehead；　steep　like　a　cliff；

denuded　at　the　top；　largely　uncovered　at　the　tem…

ples。　　The　fact　is　I　had　never　before　seen　him　with…

out　his　hat；　but　now；　as　if　my　fervour　had　made

him　hot；　he　had　taken　it　off　and　laid　it　gently　on

the　floor。　　Something　peculiar　in　the　shape　and

setting　of　his　yellow　eyes　gave　them　the　provoking

silent　intensity　which　characterised　his　glance。

But　the　face　was　thin；　furrowed；　worn；　I　discov…

ered　that　through　the　bush　of　his　hair；　as　you　may

detect　the　gnarled　shape　of　a　tree　trunk　lost　in　a

dense　undergrowth。　　These　overgrown　cheeks　were

sunken。　　It　was　an　anchorite's　bony　head　fitted　with

a　Capuchin's　beard　and　adjusted　to　a　herculean

body。　　I　don't　mean　athletic。　　Hercules；　I　take　it；

was　not　an　athlete。　　He　was　a　strong　man；　suscep…

tible　to　female　charms；　and　not　afraid　of　dirt。

And　thus　with　Falk；　who　was　a　strong　man。　　He

was　extremely　strong；　just　as　the　girl　（since　I

must　think　of　them　together）　was　magnificently　at…

tractive　by　the　masterful　power　of　flesh　and　blood；

expressed　in　shape；　in　size；　in　attitudethat　is　by

a　straight　appeal　to　the　senses。　　His　mind　mean…

time；　preoccupied　with　respectability；　quailed　be…

fore　Schomberg's　tongue　and　seemed　absolutely

impervious　to　my　protestations；　and　I　went　so　far

as　to　protest　that　I　would　just　as　soon　think　of

marrying　my　mother's　（dear　old　lady！）　faithful

female　cook　as　Hermann's　niece。　　Sooner；　I　pro…

tested；　in　my　desperation；　much　sooner；　but　it　did

not　appear　that　he　saw　anything　outrageous　in　the

proposition；　and　in　his　sceptical　immobility　he

seemed　to　nurse　the　argument　that　at　all　events　the

cook　was　very；　very　far　away。　　It　must　be　said　that；

just　before；　I　had　gone　wrong　by　appealing　to　the

evidence　of　my　manner　whenever　I　called　on　board

the　Diana。　　I　had　never　attempted　to　approach　the

girl；　or　to　speak　to　her；　or　even　to　look　at　her　in　any

marked　way。　　Nothing　could　be　clearer。　　But；　as

his　own　idea　oflet　us　saycourting；　seemed　to

consist　precisely　in　sitting　silently　for　hours　in　the

vicinity　of　the　beloved　object；　that　line　of　argu…

ment　inspired　him　with　distrust。　　Staring　down　his

extended　legs　he　let　out　a　gruntas　much　as　to

say；　〃That's　all　very　fine；　but　you　can't　throw　dust

in　MY　eyes。〃



At　last　I　was　exasperated　into　saying；　〃Why

don't　you　put　the　matter　at　rest　by　talking　to　Her…

mann？〃　and　I　added　sneeringly：　〃You　don't　ex…

pect　me　perhaps　to　speak　for　you？〃



To　this　he　said；　very　loud　for　him；　〃Would

you？〃



And　for　the　first　time　he　lifted　his　head　to　look

at　me　with　wonder　and　incredulity。　　He　lifted　his

head　so　sharply　that　there　could　be　no　mistake。　　I

had　touched　a　spring。　　I　saw　the　whole　extent　of

my　opportunity；　and　could　hardly　believe　in　it。



〃Why。　　Speak　to　。　。　。　　Well；　of　course；〃　I

proceeded　very　slowly；　watching　him　with　great　at…

tention；　for；　on　my　word；　I　feared　a　joke。　　〃Not；

perhaps；　to　the　young　lady　herself。　　I　can't　speak

German；　you　know。　　But　。　。　。〃



He　interrupted　me　with　the　earnest　assurance

that　Hermann　had　the　highest　opinion　of　me；　and

at　once　I　felt　the　need　for　the　greatest　possible

diplomacy　at　this　juncture。　　So　I　demurred　just

enough　to　draw　him　on。　　Falk　sat　up；　but　except

for　a　very　noticeable　enlargement　of　the　pupils；

till　the　irises　of　his　eyes　were　reduced　to　two　narrow

yellow　rings；　his　face；　I　should　judge；　was　incapa…

ble　of　expressing　excitement。　　〃Oh；　yes！　　Hermann

did　have　the　greatest　。　。　。〃



〃Take　up　your　cards。　　Here's　Schomberg　peep…

ing　at　us　through　the　blind！〃　I　said。



We　went　through　the　motions　of　what　might

have　been　a　game　of　e'carte'。　　Presently　the　intoler…

able　scandalmonger　withdrew；　probably　to　inform

the　people　in　the　billiard…room　that　we　two　were

gambling　on　the　verandah　like　mad。



We　were　not　gambling；　but　it　was　a　game；　a

game　in　which　I　felt　I　held　the　winning　cards。　　The

stake；　roughly　speaking；　was　the　success　of　the　voy…

agefor　me；　and　he；　I　apprehended；　had　nothing

to　lose。　　Our　intimacy　matured　rapidly；　and　before

many　words　had　been　exchanged　I　perceived　that

the　excellent　Hermann　had　been　making　use　of　me。

That　simple　and　astute　Teuton　had　been；　it　seems；

holding　me　up　to　Falk　in　the　light　of　a　rival。　　I

was　young　enough　to　be　shocked　at　so　much　duplic…

ity。　　〃Did　he　tell　you　that　in　so　many　words？〃　I

asked　with　indignation。



Hermann　had　not。　　He　had　given　hints　only；

and　of　course　it　had　not　taken　very　much　to　alarm

Falk；　but；　instead　of　declaring　himself；　he　had

taken　steps　to　remove　the　family　from　under　my　in…

fluence。　　He　was　perfectly　straightforward　about

itas　straightforward　as　a　tile　falling　on　your

head。　　There　was　no　duplicity　in　that　man；　and

when　I　congratulated　him　on　the　perfection　of　his

arrangementseven　to　the　bribing　of　the　wretched

Johnson　against　mehe　had　a　genuine　movement

of　protest。　　Never　bribed。　　He　knew　the　man

wouldn't　work　as　long　as　he　had　a　few　cents　in　his

pocket　to　get　drunk　on；　and；　naturally　（he　said

〃NATURALLY〃）　he　let　him　have　a　dollar　or　two。　　He

was　himself　a　sailor；　he　said；　and　anticipated　the

view　another　sailor；　like　myself；　was　bound　to　take。

On　the　other　hand；　he　was　sure　that　I　should　have

to　come　to　grief。　　He　hadn't　been　knocking　about

for　the　last　seven　years　up　and　down　that　river　for

nothing。　　It　would　have　been　no　disgrace　to　me

but　he　asserted　confidently　I　would　have　had　my

ship　very　awkwardly　ashore　at　a　spot　two　miles

below　the　Great　Pagoda。　。　。　。



And　with　all　that　he　had　no　ill…will。　　That　was

evident。　　This　was　a　crisis　in　which　his　only　object

had　been　to　gain　timeI　fancy。　　And　presently

he　mentioned　that　he　had　written　for　some　jewel…

lery；　real　good　jewelleryhad　written　to　Hong…

Kong　for　it。　　It　would　arrive　in　a　day　or　two。



〃Well；　then；〃　I　said　cheerily；　〃everything　is　all

right。　　All　you've　got　to　do　is　to　present　it　to　the

lady　together　with　your　heart；　and　live　happy　ever

after。〃



Upon　the　whole　he　seemed　to　accept　that　view　as

far　as　the　girl　was　concerned；　but　his　eyelids

drooped。　　There　was　still　something　in　the　way。

For　one　thing　Hermann　disliked　him　so　much。　　As

to　me；　on　the　contrary；　it　seemed　as　though　he　could

not　praise　me　enough。　　Mrs。　Hermann　too。　　He

didn't　know　why　they　disliked　him　so。　　It　made

everything　most　difficult。



I　listened　impassive；　feeling　more　and　more　dip…

lomatic。　　His　speech　was　not　transparently　clear。

He　was　one　of　those　men　who　seem　to　live；　feel；

suffer　in　a　sort　of　mental　twilight。　　But　as　to　being

fascinated　by　the　girl　and　possessed　by　the　desire

of　home　life　with　herit　was　as　clear　as　daylight。

So　much　being　at　stake；　he　was　afraid　of　putting

it　to　the　hazard　of　declaration。　　Besides；　there

was　something　else。　　And　with　Hermann　being　so

set　a