falk-第13章
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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； mystified before； became very
sour。 He stole an inquisitive glance at me。 I
shook my head blankly。 Some people thought；
Falk went on； that such an experience changed a
man for the rest of his life。 He couldn't say。 It
was hard； awful； and not to be forgotten； but he
did not think himself a worse man than before。
Only he talked in his sleep now； he believed。 。 。 。
At last I began to think he had accidentally killed
some one； perhaps a friendhis own father may…
be； when he went on to say that probably we were
aware he never touched meat。 Throughout he
spoke English； of course of my account。
He swayed forward heavily。
The girl； with her hands raised before her pale
eyes； was threading her needle。 He glanced at her；
and his mighty trunk overshadowed the table；
bringing nearer to us the breadth of his shoulders；
the thickness of his neck； and that incongruous； an…
chorite head； burnt in the desert； hollowed and lean
as if by excesses of vigils and fasting。 His beard
flowed imposingly downwards； out of sight； be…
tween the two brown hands gripping the edge of
the table； and his persistent glance made sombre by
the wide dilations of the pupils； fascinated。
〃Imagine to yourselves；〃 he said in his ordinary
voice； 〃that I have eaten man。〃
I could only ejaculate a faint 〃Ah！〃 of com…
plete enlightenment。 But Hermann； dazed by the
excessive shock； actually murmured； 〃Himmel！
What for？〃
〃It was my terrible misfortune to do so；〃 said
Falk in a measured undertone。 The girl； uncon…
scious； sewed on。 Mrs。 Hermann was absent in
one of the state…rooms； sitting up with Lena； who
was feverish； but Hermann suddenly put both his
hands up with a jerk。 The embroidered calotte
fell； and； in the twinkling of an eye； he had rum…
pled his hair all ends up in a most extravagant
manner。 In this state he strove to speak； with
every effort his eyes seemed to start further out of
their sockets； his head looked like a mop。 He
choked； gasped； swallowed； and managed to shriek
out the one word； 〃Beast！〃
From that moment till Falk went out of the cab…
in the girl； with her hands folded on the work lying
in her lap； never took her eyes off him。 His own；
in the blindness of his heart； darted all over the
cabin； only seeking to avoid the sight of Hermann's
raving。 It was ridiculous； and was made almost
terrible by the stillness of every other person pres…
ent。 It was contemptible； and was made appalling
by the man's overmastering horror of this awful
sincerity； coming to him suddenly； with the confes…
sion of such a fact。 He walked with great strides；
he gasped。 He wanted to know from Falk how
dared he to come and tell him this？ Did he think
himself a proper person to be sitting in this cabin
where his wife and children lived？ Tell his niece！
Expected him to tell his niece！ His own brother's
daughter！ Shameless！ Did I ever hear tell of such
impudence？he appealed to me。 〃This man here
ought to have gone and hidden himself out of sight
instead of 。 。 。〃
〃But it's a great misfortune for me。 But it's a
great misfortune for me；〃 Falk would ejaculate
from time to time。
However； Hermann kept on running frequently
against the corners of the table。 At last he lost a
slipper； and crossing his arms on his breast； walked
up with one stocking foot very close to Falk； in or…
der to ask him whether he did think there was any…
where on earth a woman abandoned enough to mate
with such a monster。 〃Did he？ Did he？ Did
he？〃 I tried to restrain him。 He tore himself out
of my hands； he found his slipper； and； endeavour…
ing to put it on； stormed standing on one leg
and Falk； with a face unmoved and averted
eyes； grasped all his mighty beard in one vast
palm。
〃Was it right then for me to die myself？〃 he
asked thoughtfully。 I laid my hand on his shoul…
der。
〃Go away；〃 I whispered imperiously； without
any clear reason for this advice； except that I
wished to put an end to Hermann's odious noise。
〃Go away。〃
He looked searchingly for a moment at Hermann
before he made a move。 I left the cabin too to see
him out of the ship。 But he hung about the quar…
ter…deck。
〃It is my misfortune；〃 he said in a steady
voice。
〃You were stupid to blurt it out in such a man…
ner。 After all； we don't hear such confidences
every day。〃
〃What does the man mean？〃 he mused in deep
undertones。 〃Somebody had to diebut why
me？〃
He remained still for a time in the darksilent；
almost invisible。 All at once he pinned my elbows
to my sides。 I felt utterly powerless in his grip；
and his voice； whispering in my ear； vibrated。
〃It's worse than hunger。 Captain； do you know
what that means？ And I could kill thenor be
killed。 I wish the crowbar had smashed my skull
ten years ago。 And I've got to live now。 Without
her。 Do you understand？ Perhaps many years。
But how？ What can be done？ If I had allowed
myself to look at her once I would have carried her
off before that man in my handslike this。〃
I felt myself snatched off the deck； then suddenly
droppedand I staggered backwards； feeling
bewildered and bruised。 What a man！ All was
still； he was gone。 I heard Hermann's voice de…
claiming in the cabin； and I went in。
I could not at first make out a single word； but
Mrs。 Hermann； who； attracted by the noise； had
come in some time before； with an expression of
surprise and mild disapproval； depicted broadly on
her face； was giving now all the signs of profound；
helpless agitation。 Her husband shot a string of
guttural words at her； and instantly putting out
one hand to the bulkhead as if to save herself from
falling； she clutched the loose bosom of her dress
with the other。 He harangued the two women ex…
traordinarily； with much of his shirt hanging out of
his waistbelt； stamping his foot； turning from one
to the other； sometimes throwing both his arms to…
gether； straight up above his rumpled hair； and
keeping them in that position while he uttered a
passage of loud denunciation； at others folding
them tight across his breastand then he hissed
with indignation； elevating his shoulders and pro…
truding his head。 The girl was crying。
She had not changed her attitude。 From her
steady eyes that； following Falk in his retreat； had
remained fixed wistfully on the cabin door； the
tears fell rapid； thick； on her hands； on the work in
her lap； warm and gentle like a shower in spring。
She wept without grimacing； without noisevery
touching； very quiet； with something more of pity
than of pain in her face； as one weeps in compassion
rather than in griefand Hermann； before her；
declaimed。 I caught several times the word
〃Mensch；〃 man； and also 〃Fressen；〃 which last I
looked up afterwards i
