falk-第3章

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time　on　board　my　own　ship。　　I　had　been　appointed

ex…officio　by　the　British　Consul　to　take　charge　of

her　after　a　man　who　had　died　suddenly；　leaving　for

the　guidance　of　his　successor　some　suspiciously　un…

receipted　bills；　a　few　dry…dock　estimates　hinting　at

bribery；　and　a　quantity　of　vouchers　for　three　years'

extravagant　expenditure；　all　these　mixed　up　to…

gether　in　a　dusty　old　violin…case　lined　with　ruby

velvet。　　I　found　besides　a　large　account…book；

which；　when　opened；　hopefully　turned　out　to　my

infinite　consternation　to　be　filled　with　versespage

after　page　of　rhymed　doggerel　of　a　jovial　and　im…

proper　character；　written　in　the　neatest　minute　hand

I　ever　did　see。　　In　the　same　fiddle…case　a　photograph

of　my　predecessor；　taken　lately　in　Saigon；　repre…

sented　in　front　of　a　garden　view；　and　in　company

of　a　female　in　strange　draperies；　an　elderly；　squat；

rugged　man　of　stern　aspect　in　a　clumsy　suit　of　black

broadcloth；　and　with　the　hair　brushed　forward　above

the　temples　in　a　manner　reminding　one　of　a　boar's

tusks。　　Of　a　fiddle；　however；　the　only　trace　on　board

was　the　case；　its　empty　husk　as　it　were；　but　of　the

two　last　freights　the　ship　had　indubitably　earned

of　late；　there　were　not　even　the　husks　left。　　It　was

impossible　to　say　where　all　that　money　had　gone　to。

It　wasn't　on　board。　　It　had　not　been　remitted　home；

for　a　letter　from　the　owners；　preserved　in　a　desk

evidently　by　the　merest　accident；　complained　mildly

enough　that　they　had　not　been　favoured　by　a

scratch　of　the　pen　for　the　last　eighteen　months。

There　were　next　to　no　stores　on　board；　not　an　inch

of　spare　rope　or　a　yard　of　canvas。　　The　ship　had

been　run　bare；　and　I　foresaw　no　end　of　difficulties

before　I　could　get　her　ready　for　sea。



As　I　was　young　thennot　thirty　yetI　took

myself　and　my　troubles　very　seriously。　　The　old

mate；　who　had　acted　as　chief　mourner　at　the　cap…

tain's　funeral；　was　not　particularly　pleased　at　my

coming。　　But　the　fact　is　the　fellow　was　not　legally

qualified　for　command；　and　the　Consul　was　bound；

if　at　all　possible；　to　put　a　properly　certificated　man

on　board。　　As　to　the　second　mate；　all　I　can　say　his

name　was　Tottersen；　or　something　like　that。　　His

practice　was　to　wear　on　his　head；　in　that　tropical

climate；　a　mangy　fur　cap。　　He　was；　without　excep…

tion；　the　stupidest　man　I　had　ever　seen　on　board

ship。　　And　he　looked　it　too。　　He　looked　so　con…

foundedly　stupid　that　it　was　a　matter　of　surprise

for　me　when　he　answered　to　his　name。



I　drew　no　great　comfort　from　their　company；　to

say　the　least　of　it；　while　the　prospect　of　making　a

long　sea　passage　with　those　two　fellows　was　depress…

ing。　　And　my　other　thoughts　in　solitude　could　not

be　of　a　gay　complexion。　　The　crew　was　sickly；　the

cargo　was　coming　very　slow；　I　foresaw　I　would

have　lots　of　trouble　with　the　charterers；　and　doubted

whether　they　would　advance　me　enough　money　for

the　ship's　expenses。　　Their　attitude　towards　me　was

unfriendly。　　Altogether　I　was　not　getting　on。　　I

would　discover　at　odd　times　（generally　about　mid…

night）　that　I　was　totally　inexperienced；　greatly　ig…

norant　of　business；　and　hopelessly　unfit　for　any

sort　of　command；　and　when　the　steward　had　to　be

taken　to　the　hospital　ill　with　choleraic　symptoms　I

felt　bereaved　of　the　only　decent　person　at　the　after

end　of　the　ship。　　He　was　fully　expected　to　recover；

but　in　the　meantime　had　to　be　replaced　by　some　sort

of　servant。　　And　on　the　recommendation　of　a　cer…

tain　Schomberg；　the　proprietor　of　the　smaller　of

the　two　hotels　in　the　place；　I　engaged　a　Chinaman。

Schomberg；　a　brawny；　hairy　Alsatian；　and　an　awful

gossip；　assured　me　that　it　was　all　right。　　〃First…

class　boy　that。　　Came　in　the　suite　of　his　Excellency

Tseng　the　Commissioneryou　know。　　His　Excel…

lency　Tseng　lodged　with　me　here　for　three　weeks。〃



He　mouthed　the　Chinese　Excellency　at　me　with

great　unction；　though　the　specimen　of　the　〃suite〃

did　not　seem　very　promising。　　At　the　time；　however；

I　did　not　know　what　an　untrustworthy　humbug

Schomberg　was。　　The　〃boy〃　might　have　been　forty

or　a　hundred　and　forty　for　all　you　could　tell

one　of　those　Chinamen　of　the　death's…head　type　of

face　and　completely　inscrutable。　　Before　the　end　of

the　third　day　he　had　revealed　himself　as　a　confirmed

opium…smoker；　a　gambler；　a　most　audacious　thief；

and　a　first…class　sprinter。　　When　he　departed　at　the

top　of　his　speed　with　thirty…two　golden　sovereigns

of　my　own　hard…earned　savings　it　was　the　last　straw。

I　had　reserved　that　money　in　case　my　difficulties

came　to　the　worst。　　Now　it　was　gone　I　felt　as　poor

and　naked　as　a　fakir。　　I　clung　to　my　ship；　for　all

the　bother　she　caused　me；　but　what　I　could　not　bear

were　the　long　lonely　evenings　in　her　cuddy；　where

the　atmosphere；　made　smelly　by　a　leaky　lamp；　was

agitated　by　the　snoring　of　the　mate。　　That　fellow

shut　himself　up　in　his　stuffy　cabin　punctually　at

eight；　and　made　gross　and　revolting　noises　like　a

water…logged　trump。　　It　was　odious　not　to　be　able

to　worry　oneself　in　comfort　on　board　one's　own

ship。　　Everything　in　this　world；　I　reflected；　even

the　command　of　a　nice　little　barque；　may　be　made

a　delusion　and　a　snare　for　the　unwary　spirit　of

pride　in　man。



From　such　reflections　I　was　glad　to　make　any　es…

cape　on　board　that　Bremen　Diana。　　There　appar…

ently　no　whisper　of　the　world's　iniquities　had　ever

penetrated。　　And　yet　she　lived　upon　the　wide　sea：

and　the　sea　tragic　and　comic；　the　sea　with　its　horrors

and　its　peculiar　scandals；　the　sea　peopled　by　men

and　ruled　by　iron　necessity　is　indubitably　a　part　of

the　world。　　But　that　patriarchal　old　tub；　like　some

saintly　retreat；　echoed　nothing　of　it。　　She　was　world

proof。　　Her　venerable　innocence　apparently　had

put　a　restraint　on　the　roaring　lusts　of　the　sea。　　And

yet　I　have　known　the　sea　too　long　to　believe　in　its

respect　for　decency。　　An　elemental　force　is　ruthlessly

frank。　　It　may；　of　course；　have　been　Hermann's

skilful　seamanship；　but　to　me　it　looked　as　if　the　al…

lied　oceans　had　refrained　from　smashing　these　high

bulwarks；　unshipping　the　lumpy　rudder；　frighten…

ing　the　children；　and　generally　opening　this　fam…

ily's　eyes　out　of　sheer　reticence。　　It　looked　like　reti…

cence。　　The　ruthless　disclosure　was　in　the　end　left

for　a　man　to　make；　a　man　strong　and　elemental

enough　and　driven　to　unveil　some　secrets　of　the　sea

by　the　power　of　a　simple　and　elemental　desire。



This；　however；　occurred　much　later；　and　mean…

time　I　took　sanctuary　in　that　serene　old　ship　early

every　evening。　　The　only　person　on　board　that

seemed　to　be　in　trouble　was　little　Lena；　and　in　due

course　I　perceived　that　the　health　of　the　rag…doll

was　more　than　delicate。　　This　object　led　a　sort　of

〃in　extremis〃　existence　in　a　wooden　box　placed

against　the　starboard　mooring…bitts；　tended　and

nursed　with　the　greatest　sympathy　and　care　by　all

the　children；　who　greatly　enjoyed　pulling　long　faces

and　moving　with　hushed　footsteps。　　Only　the　baby

Nicholaslooked　on　with　a　cold；　ruffianly　leer；

as　if　he　had　belonged　to　another　tribe　altogether。

Lena　perpetually　sorrowed　over　the　box；　and　all　of

them　were　in　deadly　earnest。　　It　was　wonderful　the

way　these　children　would　work　up　their　compassion

for　that　bedraggled　thing　I　wouldn't　have　touched

with　a　pair　of　tongs。　　I　suppose　they　were　exercis…

ing　and　developing　their　racial　sentimentalism　by

the　means　of　that　dummy。　　I　was　only　surprised

that　Mrs。　Hermann　let　Lena　cherish　and　hug　that

bundle　of　rags　to　that　extent；　it　was　so　disreputably

and　completely　unclean。　　But　Mrs。　Hermann　would

raise　her　fine　womanly　eyes　from　her　needlework　to

look　on　with　amused　sympathy；　and　did　not　seen　to

see　it；　somehow；　that　this　object　of　affection　was　a

disgrace　to　the　ship's　purity。　　Purity；　not　cleanli…

ness；　is　the　word。　　It　was　pushed　so　far　that　I　seemed

to　detect　in　this　too　a　sentimental　excess；　as　if　dirt

had　been　removed　in　very　love。　　It　is　impossible　to

give