falk-第6章

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of　your　cargo；　which　was　sent　out　of　the　river　with

the　greatest　irregularity。　　And　it　was　open　to　you

to　console　yourself　with　the　thought　that；　after　all；

this　stage　of　bother　meant　that　your　departure　from

these　shores　was　indeed　approaching　at　last。



We　both　had　to　go　through　that　stage；　Hermann

and　I；　and　there　was　a　sort　of　tacit　emulation　be…

tween　the　ships　as　to　which　should　be　ready　first。

We　kept　on　neck　and　neck　almost　to　the　finish；　when

I　won　the　race　by　going　personally　to　give　notice　in

the　forenoon；　whereas　Hermann；　who　was　very　slow

in　making　up　his　mind　to　go　ashore；　did　not　get　to

the　agents'　office　till　late　in　the　day。　　They　told　him

there　that　my　ship　was　first　on　turn　for　next　morn…

ing；　and　I　believe　he　told　them　he　was　in　no　hurry。

It　suited　him　better　to　go　the　day　after。



That　evening；　on　board　the　Diana；　he　sat　with

his　plump　knees　well　apart；　staring　and　puffing　at

the　curved　mouthpiece　of　his　pipe。　　Presently　he

spoke　with　some　impatience　to　his　niece　about　put…

ting　the　children　to　bed。　　Mrs。　Hermann；　who　was

talking　to　Falk；　stopped　short　and　looked　at　her

husband　uneasily；　but　the　girl　got　up　at　once　and

drove　the　children　before　her　into　the　cabin。　　In　a

little　while　Mrs。　Hermann　had　to　leave　us　to　quell

what；　from　the　sounds　inside；　must　have　been　a　dan…

gerous　mutiny。　　At　this　Hermann　grumbled　to　him…

self。　　For　half　an　hour　longer　Falk　left　alone　with

us　fidgeted　on　his　chair；　sighed　lightly；　then　at　last；

after　drawing　his　hands　down　his　face；　got　up；　and

as　if　renouncing　the　hope　of　making　himself　under…

stood　（he　hadn't　opened　his　mouth　once）　he　said　in

English：　〃Well。　。　。　。　　Good　night；　Captain　Her…

mann。〃　　He　stopped　for　a　moment　before　my　chair

and　looked　down　fixedly；　I　may　even　say　he　glared：

and　he　went　so　far　as　to　make　a　deep　noise　in　his

throat。　　There　was　in　all　this　something　so　marked

that　for　the　first　time　in　our　limited　intercourse　of

nods　and　grunts　he　excited　in　me　something　like

interest。　　But　next　moment　he　disappointed　me

for　he　strode　away　hastily　without　a　nod　even。



His　manner　was　usually　odd　it　is　true；　and　I　cer…

tainly　did　not　pay　much　attention　to　it；　but　that

sort　of　obscure　intention；　which　seemed　to　lurk　in

his　nonchalance　like　a　wary　old　carp　in　a　pond；　had

never　before　come　so　near　the　surface。　　He　had　dis…

tinctly　aroused　my　expectations。　　I　would　have　been

unable　to　say　what　it　was　I　expected；　but　at　all

events　I　did　not　expect　the　absurd　developments　he

sprung　upon　me　no　later　than　the　break　of　the　very

next　day。



I　remember　only　that　there　was；　on　that　evening；

enough　point　in　his　behaviour　to　make　me；　after　he

had　fled；　wonder　audibly　what　he　might　mean。　　To

this　Hermann；　crossing　his　legs　with　a　swing　and

settling　himself　viciously　away　from　me　in　his　chair；

said：　〃That　fellow　don't　know　himself　what　he

means。〃



There　might　have　been　some　insight　in　such　a

remark。　　I　said　nothing；　and；　still　averted；　he

added：　〃When　I　was　here　last　year　he　was　just

the　same。〃　　An　eruption　of　tobacco　smoke　envel…

oped　his　head　as　if　his　temper　had　exploded　like

gunpowder。



I　had　half　a　mind　to　ask　him　point　blank　whether

he；　at　least；　didn't　know　why　Falk；　a　notoriously

unsociable　man；　had　taken　to　visiting　his　ship　with

such　assiduity。　　After　all；　I　reflected　suddenly；　it

was　a　most　remarkable　thing。　　I　wonder　now　what

Hermann　would　have　said。　　As　it　turned　out　he

didn't　let　me　ask。　　Forgetting　all　about　Falk　ap…

parently；　he　started　a　monologue　on　his　plans　for

the　future：　the　selling　of　the　ship；　the　going　home；

and　falling　into　a　reflective　and　calculating　mood

he　mumbled　between　regular　jets　of　smoke　about

the　expense。　　The　necessity　of　disbursing　passage

money　for　all　his　tribe　seemed　to　disturb　him　in　a

manner　that　was　the　more　striking　because　other…

wise　he　gave　no　signs　of　a　miserly　disposition。　　And

yet　he　fussed　over　the　prospect　of　that　voyage　home

in　a　mail　boat　like　a　sedentary　grocer　who　has　made

up　his　mind　to　see　the　world。　　He　was　racially　thrifty

I　suppose；　and　for　him　there　must　have　been　a　great

novelty　in　finding　himself　obliged　to　pay　for　travel…

lingfor　sea　travelling　which　was　the　normal　state

of　life　for　the　familyfrom　the　very　cradle　for

most　of　them。　　I　could　see　he　grudged　prospectively

every　single　shilling　which　must　be　spent　so　absurd…

ly。　　It　was　rather　funny。　　He　would　become　doleful

over　it；　and　then　again；　with　a　fretful　sigh；　he　would

suppose　there　was　nothing　for　it　now　but　to　take

three　second…class　ticketsand　there　were　the　four

children　to　pay　for　besides。　　A　lot　of　money　that

to　spend　at　once。　　A　big　lot　of　money。



I　sat　with　him　listening　（not　for　the　first　time）

to　these　heart…searchings　till　I　grew　thoroughly

sleepy；　and　then　I　left　him　and　turned　in　on　board

my　ship。　　At　daylight　I　was　awakened　by　a　yelping

of　shrill　voices；　accompanied　by　a　great　commotion

in　the　water；　and　the　short；　bullying　blasts　of　a

steam…whistle。　　Falk　with　his　tug　had　come　for　me。



I　began　to　dress。　　It　was　remarkable　that　the

answering　noise　on　board　my　ship　together　with　the

patter　of　feet　above　my　head　ceased　suddenly。　　But

I　heard　more　remote　guttural　cries　which　seemed　to

express　surprise　and　annoyance。　　Then　the　voice　of

my　mate　reached　me　howling　expostulations　to

somebody　at　a　distance。　　Other　voices　joined；　ap…

parently　indignant；　a　chorus　of　something　that

sounded　like　abuse　replied。　　Now　and　then　the

steam…whistle　screeched。



Altogether　that　unnecessary　uproar　was　distract…

ing；　but　down　there　in　my　cabin　I　took　it　calmly。

In　another　moment；　I　thought；　I　should　be　going

down　that　wretched　river；　and　in　another　week　at

the　most　I　should　be　totally　quit　of　the　odious　place

and　all　the　odious　people　in　it。



Greatly　cheered　by　the　idea；　I　seized　the　hair…

brushes　and　looking　at　myself　in　the　glass　began　to

use　them。　　Suddenly　a　hush　fell　upon　the　noise　out…

side；　and　I　heard　（the　ports　of　my　cabin　were　thrown

open）I　heard　a　deep　calm　voice；　not　on　board　my

ship；　however；　hailing　resolutely　in　English；　but

with　a　strong　foreign　twang；　〃Go　ahead！〃



There　may　be　tides　in　the　affairs　of　men　which

taken　at　the　flood　。　。　。　and　so　on。　　Personally　I

am　still　on　the　look　out　for　that　important　turn。

I　am；　however；　afraid　that　most　of　us　are　fated　to

flounder　for　ever　in　the　dead　water　of　a　pool　whose

shores　are　arid　indeed。　　But　I　know　that　there　are

often　in　men's　affairs　unexpectedlyeven　irration…

allyilluminating　moments　when　an　otherwise　in…

significant　sound；　perhaps　only　some　perfectly　com…

monplace　gesture；　suffices　to　reveal　to　us　all　the

unreason；　all　the　fatuous　unreason；　of　our　compla…

cency。　　〃Go　ahead〃　are　not　particularly　striking

words　even　when　pronounced　with　a　foreign　accent；

yet　they　petrified　me　in　the　very　act　of　smiling　at

myself　in　the　glass。　　And　then；　refusing　to　believe

my　ears；　but　already　boiling　with　indignation；　I

ran　out　of　the　cabin　and　up　on　deck。



It　was　incredibly　true。　　It　was　perfectly　true。　　I

had　no　eyes　for　anything　but　the　Diana。　　It　was　she；

then；　was　being　taken　away。　　She　was　already　out

of　her　berth　and　shooting　athwart　the　river。　　〃The

way　this　loonatic　plucked　that　ship　out　is　a　cau…

tion；〃　said　the　awed　voice　of　my　mate　close　to　my

ear。　　〃Hey！　　Hallo！　　Falk！　　Hermann！　　What's　this

infernal　trick？〃　I　yelled　in　a　fury。



Nobody　heard　me。　　Falk　certainly　could　not　hear

me。　　His　tug　was　turning　at　full　speed　away　under

the　other　bank。　　The　wire　hawser　between　her　and

the　Diana；　stretched　as　taut　as　a　harpstring；

vibrated　alarmingly。



The　high　black　craft　careened　over　to　the　awful

strain。　　A　loud　crack　came　out　of　her；　followed　by

the　tearing　and　splintering　of　wood。　　〃There！〃

said　the　awed　voice　in　my　ear。　　〃He's　carried　away

their　towing　chock。〃　　And　then；　with　enthusiasm；

〃Oh！　　Look！　　Look！　sir；　Loo