falk-第5章
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remark: 〃I won't talk about the fellow。 I don't
think he has six drinks from year's end to year's end
in my place。 But my advice is; gentlemen; don't
you have anything to do with him; if you can help
it。〃
This advice; apart from unavoidable business re…
lations; was easy to follow because Falk intruded
upon no one。 It seems absurd to compare a tug…
boat skipper to a centaur: but he reminded me some…
how of an engraving in a little book I had as a boy;
which represented centaurs at a stream; and there
was one; especially in the foreground; prancing bow
and arrows in hand; with regular severe features
and an immense curled wavy beard; flowing down
his breast。 Falk's face reminded me of that cen…
taur。 Besides; he was a composite creature。 Not
a man…horse; it is true; but a man…boat。 He lived
on board his tug; which was always dashing up and
down the river from early morn till dewy eve。
In the last rays of the setting sun; you could pick
out far away down the reach his beard borne high
up on the white structure; foaming up stream to
anchor for the night。 There was the white…clad
man's body; and the rich brown patch of the hair;
and nothing below the waist but the 'thwart…ship
white lines of the bridge…screens; that lead the eye
to the sharp white lines of the bows cleaving the
muddy water of the river。
Separated from his boat to me at least he seemed
incomplete。 The tug herself without his head and
torso on the bridge looked mutilated as it were。
But he left her very seldom。 All the time I re…
mained in harbour I saw him only twice on shore。
On the first occasion it was at my charterers; where
he came in misanthropically to get paid for towing
out a French barque the day before。 The second
time I could hardly believe my eyes; for I beheld
him reclining under his beard in a cane…bottomed
chair in the billiard…room of Schomberg's hotel。
It was very funny to see Schomberg ignoring
him pointedly。 The artificiality of it contrasted
strongly with Falk's natural unconcern。 The big
Alsatian talked loudly with his other customers; go…
ing from one little table to the other; and passing
Falk's place of repose with his eyes fixed straight
ahead。 Falk sat there with an untouched glass at
his elbow。 He must have known by sight and name
every white man in the room; but he never addressed
a word to anybody。 He acknowledged my presence
by a drop of his eyelids; and that was all。 Sprawl…
ing there in the chair; he would; now and again;
draw the palms of both his hands down his face;
giving at the same time a slight; almost impercepti…
ble; shudder。
It was a habit he had; and of course I was per…
fectly familiar with it; since you could not remain
an hour in his company without being made to won…
der at such a movement breaking some long period
of stillness。 it was a passionate and inexplicable
gesture。 He used to make it at all sorts of times;
as likely as not after he had been listening to little
Lena's chatter about the suffering doll; for instance。
The Hermann children always besieged him about
his legs closely; though; in a gentle way; he shrank
from them a little。 He seemed; however; to feel a
great affection for the whole family。 For Hermann
himself especially。 He sought his company。 In
this case; for instance; he must have been waiting
for him; because as soon as he appeared Falk rose
hastily; and they went out together。 Then Schom…
berg expounded in my hearing to three or four
people his theory that Falk was after Captain Her…
mann's niece; and asserted confidently that nothing
would come of it。 It was the same last year when
Captain Hermann was loading here; he said。
Naturally; I did not believe Schomberg; but I
own that for a time I observed closely what went
on。 All I discovered was some impatience on Her…
mann's part。 At the sight of Falk; stepping over
the gangway; the excellent man would begin to
mumble and chew between his teeth something that
sounded like German swear…words。 However; as
I've said; I'm not familiar with the language; and
Hermann's soft; round…eyed countenance remained
unchanged。 Staring stolidly ahead he greeted
him with; 〃Wie gehts;〃 or in English; 〃How are
you?〃 with a throaty enunciation。 The girl would
look up for an instant and move her lips slightly:
Mrs。 Hermann let her hands rest on her lap to talk
volubly to him for a minute or so in her pleasant
voice before she went on with her sewing again。
Falk would throw himself into a chair; stretch his
big legs; as like as not draw his hands down his face
passionately。 As to myself; he was not pointedly
impertinent: it was rather as though he could not
be bothered with such trifles as my existence; and
the truth is that being a monopolist he was under
no necessity to be amiable。 He was sure to get his
own extortionate terms out of me for towage
whether he frowned or smiled。 As a matter of fact;
he did neither: but before many days elapsed he
managed to astonish me not a little and to set
Schomberg's tongue clacking more than ever。
It came about in this way。 There was a shallow
bar at the mouth of the river which ought to have
been kept down; but the authorities of the State
were piously busy gilding afresh the great Buddhist
Pagoda just then; and I suppose had no money to
spare for dredging operations。 I don't know how
it may be now; but at the time I speak of that sand…
bank was a great nuisance to the shipping。 One of
its consequences was that vessels of a certain
draught of water; like Hermann's or mine; could not
complete their loading in the river。 After taking
in as much as possible of their cargo; they had to
go outside to fill up。 The whole procedure was an
unmitigated bore。 When you thought you had as
much on board as your ship could carry safely over
the bar; you went and gave notice to your agents。
They; in their turn; notified Falk that so…and…so
was ready to go out。 Then Falk (ostensibly when it
fitted in with his other work; but; if the truth were
known; simply when his arbitrary spirit moved
him); after ascertaining carefully in the office that
there was enough money to meet his bill; would
come along unsympathetically; glaring at you with
his yellow eyes from the bridge; and would drag you
out dishevelled as to rigging; lumbered as to the
decks; with unfeeling haste; as if to execution。 And
he would force you too to take the end of his own
wire hawser; for the use of which there was of course
an extra charge。 To your shouted remonstrances
against that extortion this towering trunk with one
hand on the engine…room telegraph only shook its
bearded head above the splash; the racket; and the
clouds of smoke in which the tug; backing and fill…
ing in the smother of churning paddle…wheels be…
haved like a ferocious and impatient creature。 He
had her manned by the cheekiest gang of lascars I
ever did see; whom he allowed to bawl at you inso…
lently; and; once fast; he plucked you out of your
berth as if he did not care what he smashed。 Eigh…
teen miles down the river you had to go behind him;
and then three more along the coast to where a
group of uninhabited rocky islets enclosed a shel…
tered anchorage。 There you would have to lie at
single anchor with your naked spars showing to
seaward over these barren fragments of land scat…
tered upon a very intensely blue sea。 There was
nothing to look at besides but a bare coast; the mud…
dy edge of the brown plain with the sinuosities of
the river you had left; traced in dull green; and the
Great Pagoda uprising lonely and massive with
shining curves and pinnacles like the gorgeous and
stony efflorescence of tropical rocks。 You had
nothing to do but to wait fretfully for the balance
of your cargo; which was sent out of the river with
the greatest irregularity。 And it was open to you