falk-第17章

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maybe　women　liked　it。　　Seen　in　that　light　he　was

well　worth　taming；　and　I　suppose　every　woman　at

the　bottom　of　her　heart　considers　herself　as　a　tamer

of　strange　beasts。　　But　Hermann　arose　with　pre…

cipitation　to　carry　the　news　to　his　wife。　　I　had

barely　the　time；　as　he　made　for　the　cabin　door；　to

grab　him　by　the　seat　of　his　inexpressibles。　　I

begged　him　to　wait　till　Falk　in　person　had　spoken

with　him。　　There　remained　some　small　matter　to

talk　over；　as　I　understood。



He　sat　down　again　at　once；　full　of　suspicion。



〃What　matter？〃　he　said　surlily。　　〃I　have　had

enough　of　his　nonsense。　　There's　no　matter　at　all；

as　he　knows　very　well；　the　girl　has　nothing　in　the

world。　　She　came　to　us　in　one　thin　dress　when　my

brother　died；　and　I　have　a　growing　family。〃



〃It　can't　be　anything　of　that　kind；〃　I　opined。

〃He's　desperately　enamoured　of　your　niece。　　I

don't　know　why　he　did　not　say　so　before。　　Upon

my　word；　I　believe　it　is　because　he　was　afraid　to

lose；　perhaps；　the　felicity　of　sitting　near　her　on

your　quarter　deck。〃



I　intimated　my　conviction　that　his　love　was　so

great　as　to　be　in　a　sense　cowardly。　　The　effects　of

a　great　passion　are　unaccountable。　　It　has　been

known　to　make　a　man　timid。　　But　Hermann　looked

at　me　as　if　I　had　foolishly　raved；　and　the　twilight

was　dying　out　rapidly。



〃You　don't　believe　in　passion；　do　you；　Her…

mann？〃　I　said　cheerily。　　〃The　passion　of　fear　will

make　a　cornered　rat　courageous。　　Falk's　in　a　cor…

ner。　　He　will　take　her　off　your　hands　in　one　thin

frock　just　as　she　came　to　you。　　And　after　ten　years'

service　it　isn't　a　bad　bargain；〃　I　added。



Far　from　taking　offence；　he　resumed　his　air　of

civic　virtue。　　The　sudden　night　came　upon　him

while　he　stared　placidly　along　the　deck；　bringing

in　contact　with　his　thick　lips；　and　taking　away

again　after　a　jet　of　smoke；　the　curved　mouthpiece

fitted　to　the　stem　of　his　pipe。　　The　night　came

upon　him　and　buried　in　haste　his　whiskers；　his　glob…

ular　eyes；　his　puffy　pale　face；　his　fat　knees　and　the

vast　flat　slippers　on　his　fatherly　feet。　　Only　his

short　arms　in　respectable　white　shirt…sleeves　re…

mained　very　visible；　propped　up　like　the　flippers　of

a　seal　reposing　on　the　strand。



〃Falk　wouldn't　settle　anything　about　repairs。

Told　me　to　find　out　first　how　much　wood　I　should

require　and　he　would　see；〃　he　remarked；　and　after

he　had　spat　peacefully　in　the　dusk　we　heard　over

the　water　the　beat　of　the　tug's　floats。　　There　is；　on

a　calm　night；　nothing　more　suggestive　of　fierce　and

headlong　haste　than　the　rapid　sound　made　by　the

paddle…wheels　of　a　boat　threshing　her　way　through

a　quiet　sea；　and　the　approach　of　Falk　towards　his

fate　seemed　to　be　urged　by　an　impatient　and　pas…

sionate　desire。　　The　engines　must　have　been　driven

to　the　very　utmost　of　their　revolutions。　　We　heard

them　slow　down　at　last；　and；　vaguely；　the　white

hull　of　the　tug　appeared　moving　against　the　black

islets；　whilst　a　slow　and　rhythmical　clapping　as　of

thousands　of　hands　rose　on　all　sides。　　It　ceased　all

at　once；　just　before　Falk　brought　her　up。　　A　sin…

gle　brusque　splash　was　followed　by　the　long　drawn

rumbling　of　iron　links　running　through　the　hawse

pipe。　　Then　a　solemn　silence　fell　upon　the　Road…

stead。



〃He　will　soon　be　here；〃　I　murmured；　and　after

that　we　waited　for　him　without　a　word。　　Meantime；

raising　my　eyes；　I　beheld　the　glitter　of　a　lofty　sky

above　the　Diana's　mastheads。　　The　multitude　of

stars　gathered　into　clusters；　in　rows；　in　lines；　in

masses；　in　groups；　shone　all　together；　unanimously

and　the　few　isolated　ones；　blazing　by　themselves

in　the　midst　of　dark　patches；　seemed　to　be　of　a　su…

perior　kind　and　of　an　inextinguishable　nature。　　But

long　striding　footsteps　were　heard　hastening　along

the　deck；　the　high　bulwarks　of　the　Diana　made　a

deeper　darkness。　　We　rose　from　our　chairs　quickly；

and　Falk；　appearing　before　us；　all　in　white；　stood

still。



Nobody　spoke　at　first；　as　though　we　had　been

covered　with　confusion。　　His　arrival　was　fiery；　but

his　white　bulk；　of　indefinite　shape　and　without　fea…

tures；　made　him　loom　up　like　a　man　of　snow。



〃The　captain　here　has　been　telling　me　。　。　。〃

Hermann　began　in　a　homely　and　amicable　voice；

and　Falk　had　a　low；　nervous　laugh。　　His　cool；　neg…

ligent　undertone　had　no　inflexions；　but　the　strength

of　a　powerful　emotion　made　him　ramble　in　his

speech。　　He　had　always　desired　a　home。　　It　was

difficult　to　live　alone；　though　he　was　not　answera…

ble。　　He　was　domestic；　there　had　been　difficulties；

but　since　he　had　seen　Hermann's　niece　he　found

that　it　had　become　at　last　impossible　to　live　by　him…

self。　　〃I　meanimpossible；〃　he　repeated　with　no

sort　of　emphasis　and　only　with　the　slightest　of

pauses；　but　the　word　fell　into　my　mind　with　the

force　of　a　new　idea。



〃I　have　not　said　anything　to　her　yet；〃　Hermann

observed　quietly。　　And　Falk　dismissed　this　by　a

〃That's　all　right。　　Certainly。　　Very　proper。〃

There　was　a　necessity　for　perfect　franknessin

marrying；　especially。　　Hermann　seemed　attentive；

but　he　seized　the　first　opportunity　to　ask　us　into　the

cabin。　　〃And　by…the…by；　Falk；〃　he　said　innocent…

ly；　as　we　passed　in；　〃the　timber　came　to　no　less

than　forty…seven　dollars　and　fifty　cents。〃



Falk；　uncovering　his　head；　lingered　in　the　pas…

sage。　　〃Some　other　time；〃　he　said；　and　Hermann

nudged　me　angrilyI　don't　know　why。　　The　girl

alone　in　the　cabin　sat　sewing　at　some　distance　from

the　table。　　Falk　stopped　short　in　the　doorway。

Without　a　word；　without　a　sign；　without　the　slight…

est　inclination　of　his　bony　head；　by　the　silent　in…

tensity　of　his　look　alone；　he　seemed　to　lay　his　her…

culean　frame　at　her　feet。　　Her　hands　sank　slowly

on　her　lap；　and　raising　her　clear　eyes；　she　let　her

soft；　beaming　glance　enfold　him　from　head　to　foot

like　a　slow　and　pale　caress。　　He　was　very　hot　when

he　sat　down；　she；　with　bowed　head；　went　on　with

her　sewing；　her　neck　was　very　white　under　the　light

of　the　lamp；　but　Falk；　hiding　his　face　in　the　palms

of　his　hands；　shuddered　faintly。　　He　drew　them

down；　even　to　his　beard；　and　his　uncovered　eyes　as…

tonished　me　by　their　tense　and　irrational　expres…

sionas　though　he　had　just　swallowed　a　heavy

gulp　of　alcohol。　　It　passed　away　while　he　was

binding　us　to　secrecy。　　Not　that　he　cared；　but　he

did　not　like　to　be　spoken　about；　and　I　looked　at　the

girl's　marvellous；　at　her　wonderful；　at　her　regal

hair；　plaited　tight　into　that　one　astonishing　and

maidenly　tress。　　Whenever　she　moved　her　well…

shaped　head　it　would　stir　stiffly　to　and　fro　on　her

back。　　The　thin　cotton　sleeve　fitted　the　irreproach…

able　roundness　of　her　arm　like　a　skin；　and　her　very

dress；　stretched　on　her　bust；　seemed　to　palpitate

like　a　living　tissue　with　the　strength　of　vitality　ani…

mating　her　body。　　How　good　her　complexion　was；

the　outline　of　her　soft　cheek　and　the　small　convo…

luted　conch　of　her　rosy　ear！　　To　pull　her　needle　she

kept　the　little　finger　apart　from　the　others；　it

seemed　a　waste　of　power　to　see　her　sewingeter…

nally　sewingwith　that　industrious　and　precise

movement　of　her　arm；　going　on　eternally　upon　all

the　oceans；　under　all　the　skies；　in　innumerable　har…

bours。　　And　suddenly　I　heard　Falk's　voice　declare

that　he　could　not　marry　a　woman　unless　she　knew

of　something　in　his　life　that　had　happened　ten

years　ago。　　It　was　an　accident。　　An　unfortunate　ac…

cident。　　It　would　affect　the　domestic　arrangements

of　their　home；　but；　once　told；　it　need　not　be　alluded

to　again　for　the　rest　of　their　lives。　　〃I　should　want

my　wife　to　feel　for　me；〃　he　said。　　〃It　has　made　me

unhappy。〃　　And　how　could　he　keep　the　knowledge

of　it　to　himselfhe　asked　usperhaps　through

years　and　years　of　companionship？　　What　sort　of

companionship　would　that　be？　　He　had　thought　it

over。　　A　wife　must　know。　　Then　why　not　at　once？

He　counted　on　Hermann's　kindness　for　presenting

the　affair　in　the　best　possible　light。　　And　Her…

mann's　countenance；