falk-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ruled　by　iron　necessity　and　with　a　heart　of　ice

there　crept　into　view　one　by　one；　cautious；　slow；　ea…

ger；　glaring；　and　unclean；　a　band　of　hungry　and

livid　skeletons。　　Falk　faced　them；　the　possessor　of

the　only　fire…arm　on　board；　and　the　second　best　man

the　carpenterwas　lying　dead　between　him　and

them。



〃He　was　eaten；　of　course；〃　I　said。



He　bent　his　head　slowly；　shuddered　a　little；　draw…

ing　his　hands　over　his　face；　and　said；　〃I　had　never

any　quarrel　with　that　man。　　But　there　were　our

lives　between　him　and　me。〃



Why　continue　the　story　of　that　ship；　that　story

before　which；　with　its　fresh…water　pump　like　a

spring　of　death；　its　man　with　the　weapon；　the　sea

ruled　by　iron　necessity；　its　spectral　band　swayed　by

terror　and　hope；　its　mute　and　unhearing　heaven？

the　fable　of　the　Flying　Dutchman　with　its　conven…

tion　of　crime　and　its　sentimental　retribution　fades

like　a　graceful　wreath；　like　a　wisp　of　white　mist。

What　is　there　to　say　that　every　one　of　us　cannot

guess　for　himself？　　I　believe　Falk　began　by　going

through　the　ship；　revolver　in　hand；　to　annex　all　the

matches。　　Those　starving　wretches　had　plenty　of

matches！　　He　had　no　mind　to　have　the　ship　set　on

fire　under　his　feet；　either　from　hate　or　from　despair。

He　lived　in　the　open；　camping　on　the　bridge；　com…

manding　all　the　after　deck　and　the　only　approach

to　the　pump。　　He　lived！　　Some　of　the　others　lived

tooconcealed；　anxious；　coming　out　one　by　one

from　their　hiding…places　at　the　seductive　sound　of

a　shot。　　And　he　was　not　selfish。　　They　shared；　but

only　three　of　them　all　were　alive　when　a　whaler；　re…

turning　from　her　cruising　ground；　nearly　ran　over

the　water…logged　hull　of　the　Borgmester　Dahl；

which；　it　seems；　in　the　end　had　in　some　way　sprung

a　leak　in　both　her　holds；　but　being　loaded　with　deals

could　not　sink。



〃They　all　died；〃　Falk　said。　　〃These　three　too；

afterwards。　　But　I　would　not　die。　　All　died；　all！

under　this　terrible　misfortune。　　But　was　I　too　to

throw　away　my　life？　　Could　I？　　Tell　me；　captain？

I　was　alone　there；　quite　alone；　just　like　the　others。

Each　man　was　alone。　　Was　I　to　give　up　my　re…

volver？　　Who　to？　　Or　was　I　to　throw　it　into　the

sea？　　What　would　have　been　the　good？　　Only　the

best　man　would　survive。　　It　was　a　great；　terrible；

and　cruel　misfortune。〃



He　had　survived！　　I　saw　him　before　me　as

though　preserved　for　a　witness　to　the　mighty　truth

of　an　unerring　and　eternal　principle。　　Great　beads

of　perspiration　stood　on　his　forehead。　　And　sud…

denly　it　struck　the　table　with　a　heavy　blow；　as　he

fell　forward　throwing　his　hands　out。



〃And　this　is　worse；〃　he　cried。　　〃This　is　a　worse

pain！　　This　is　more　terrible。〃



He　made　my　heart　thump　with　the　profound　con…

viction　of　his　cries。　　And　after　he　had　left　me

alone　I　called　up　before　my　mental　eye　the　image

of　the　girl　weeping　silently；　abundantly；　patiently；

and　as　if　irresistibly。　　I　thought　of　her　tawny

hair。　　I　thought　how；　if　unplaited；　it　would　have

covered　her　all　round　as　low　as　the　hips；　like　the

hair　of　a　siren。　　And　she　had　bewitched　him。　　Fancy

a　man　who　would　guard　his　own　life　with　the　in…

flexibility　of　a　pitiless　and　immovable　fate；　being

brought　to　lament　that　once　a　crowbar　had　missed

his　skull！　　The　sirens　sing　and　lure　to　death；　but

this　one　had　been　weeping　silently　as　if　for　the　pity

of　his　life。　　She　was　the　tender　and　voiceless　siren

of　this　appalling　navigator。　　He　evidently　wanted

to　live　his　whole　conception　of　life。　　Nothing　else

would　do。　　And　she　too　was　a　servant　of　that　life

that；　in　the　midst　of　death；　cries　aloud　to　our　senses。

She　was　eminently　fitted　to　interpret　for　him　its

feminine　side。　　And　in　her　own　way；　and　with　her

own　profusion　of　sensuous　charms；　she　also　seemed

to　illustrate　the　eternal　truth　of　an　unerring　prin…

ciple。　　I　don't　know　though　what　sort　of　principle

Hermann　illustrated　when　he　turned　up　early　on

board　my　ship　with　a　most　perplexed　air。　　It

struck　me；　however；　that　he　too　would　do　his　best

to　survive。　　He　seemed　greatly　calmed　on　the　sub…

ject　of　Falk；　but　still　very　full　of　it。



〃What　is　it　you　said　I　was　last　night？　　You

know；〃　he　asked　after　some　preliminary　talk。

〃TootooI　don't　know。　　A　very　funny　word。〃



〃Squeamish？〃　I　suggested。



〃Yes。　　What　does　it　mean？〃



〃That　you　exaggerate　thingsto　yourself。

Without　inquiry；　and　so　on。〃



He　seemed　to　turn　it　over　in　his　mind。　　We　went

on　talking。　　This　Falk　was　the　plague　of　his　life。

Upsetting　everybody　like　this！　　Mrs。　Hermann

was　unwell　rather　this　morning。　　His　niece　was

crying　still。　　There　was　nobody　to　look　after　the

children。　　He　struck　his　umbrella　on　the　deck。　　She

would　be　like　that　for　months。　　Fancy　carrying　all

the　way　home；　second　class；　a　perfectly　useless　girl

who　is　crying　all　the　time。　　It　was　bad　for　Lena

too；　he　observed；　but　on　what　grounds　I　could　not

guess。　　Perhaps　of　the　bad　example。　　That　child

was　already　sorrowing　and　crying　enough　over　the

rag　doll。　　Nicholas　was　really　the　least　sentimental

person　of　the　family。



〃Why　does　she　weep？〃　I　asked。



〃From　pity；〃　cried　Hermann。



It　was　impossible　to　make　out　women。　　Mrs。　Her…

mann　was　the　only　one　he　pretended　to　understand。

She　was　very；　very　upset　and　doubtful。



〃Doubtful　about　what？〃　I　asked。



He　averted　his　eyes　and　did　not　answer　this。　　It

was　impossible　to　make　them　out。　　For　instance；

his　niece　was　weeping　for　Falk。　　Now　he　（Her…

mann）　would　like　to　wring　his　neckbut　then　。　。　。

He　supposed　he　had　too　tender　a　heart。　　〃Frank…

ly；〃　he　asked　at　last；　〃what　do　you　think　of　what

we　heard　last　night；　captain？〃



〃In　all　these　tales；〃　I　observed；　〃there　is　always

a　good　deal　of　exaggeration。〃



And　not　letting　him　recover　from　his　surprise　I

assured　him　that　I　knew　all　the　details。　　He　begged

me　not　to　repeat　them。　　His　heart　was　too　tender。

They　made　him　feel　unwell。　　Then；　looking　at　his

feet　and　speaking　very　slowly；　he　supposed　that　he

need　not　see　much　of　them　after　they　were　married。

For；　indeed；　he　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　Falk。

On　the　other　hand　it　was　ridiculous　to　take　home　a

girl　with　her　head　turned。　　A　girl　that　weeps　all

the　time　and　is　of　no　help　to　her　aunt。



〃Now　you　will　be　able　to　do　with　one　cabin　only

on　your　passage　home；〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　I　had　thought　of　that；〃　he　said　brightly；

almost。　　〃Yes！　　Himself；　his　wife；　four　children

one　cabin　might　do。　　Whereas　if　his　niece

went　。　。　。〃



〃And　what　does　Mrs。　Hermann　say　to　it？〃　I

inquired。



Mrs。　Hermann　did　not　know　whether　a　man　of

that　sort　could　make　a　girl　happyshe　had　been

greatly　deceived　in　Captain　Falk。　　She　had　been

very　upset　last　night。



Those　good　people　did　not　seem　to　be　able　to　re…

tain　an　impression　for　a　whole　twelve　hours。　　I

assured　him　on　my　own　personal　knowledge　that

Falk　possessed　in　himself　all　the　qualities　to　make

his　niece's　future　prosperous。　　He　said　he　was　glad

to　hear　this；　and　that　he　would　tell　his　wife。　　Then

the　object　of　the　visit　came　out。　　He　wished　me　to

help　him　to　resume　relations　with　Falk。　　His　niece；

he　said；　had　expressed　the　hope　I　would　do　so　in　my

kindness。　　He　was　evidently　anxious　that　I　should；

for　though　he　seemed　to　have　forgotten　nine…tenths

of　his　last　night's　opinions　and　the　whole　of　his　in…

dignation；　yet　he　evidently　feared　to　be　sent　to　the

right…about。　　〃You　told　me　he　was　very　much　in

love；〃　he　concluded　slyly；　and　leered　in　a　sort　of　bu…

colic　way。



〃As　soon　as　he　had　left　my　ship　I　called　Falk　on

board　by　signalthe　tug　still　lying　at　the　anchor…

age。　　He　took　the　news　with　calm　gravity；　as

though　he　had　all　along　expected　the　stars　to　fight

for　him　in　their　courses。



I　saw　them　once　more　together；　and　only　once

on　the　quarter…deck　of　the　Diana。　　Hermann　sat

smoking　with　a　shirt…sleeved　elbow　hooked　over　the

back　of　his　chair。　　Mrs。　Hermann　was　sewing

alone。