falk-第2章
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It was her arm and her sleek head that I had
glimpsed one morning； through the stern…windows
of the cabin； hovering over the pots of fuchsias and
mignonette； but the first time I beheld her full
length I surrendered to her proportions。 They fix
her in my mind； as great beauty； great intelligence；
quickness of wit or kindness of heart might have
made some her other woman equally memorable。
With her it was form and size。 It was her physi…
cal personality that had this imposing charm。 She
might have been witty； intelligent； and kind to an
exceptional degree。 I don't know； and this is not to
the point。 All I know is that she was built on a
magnificent scale。 Built is the only word。 She was
constructed； she was erected； as it were； with a regal
lavishness。 It staggered you to see this reckless ex…
penditure of material upon a chit of a girl。 She
was youthful and also perfectly mature； as though
she had been some fortunate immortal。 She was
heavy too； perhaps； but that's nothing。 It only
added to that notion of permanence。 She was bare…
ly nineteen。 But such shoulders！ Such round
arms！ Such a shadowing forth of mighty limbs
when with three long strides she pounced across the
deck upon the overturned Nicholasit's perfectly
indescribable！ She seemed a good； quiet girl； vigi…
lant as to Lena's needs； Gustav's tumbles； the state
of Carl's dear little noseconscientious； hardwork…
ing； and all that。 But what magnificent hair she
had！ Abundant； long； thick； of a tawny colour。
It had the sheen of precious metals。 She wore it
plaited tightly into one single tress hanging girl…
ishly down her back and its end reached down to
her waist。 The massiveness of it surprised you。
On my word it reminded one of a club。 Her face
was big； comely； of an unruffled expression。 She
had a good complexion； and her blue eyes were so
pale that she appeared to look at the world with
the empty white candour of a statue。 You could
not call her good…looking。 It was something much
more impressive。 The simplicity of her apparel；
the opulence of her form； her imposing stature；
and the extraordinary sense of vigorous life that
seemed to emanate from her like a perfume exhaled
by a flower； made her beautiful with a beauty of a
rustic and olympian order。 To watch her reaching
up to the clothes…line with both arms raised high
above her head； caused you to fall a musing in a
strain of pagan piety。 Excellent Mrs。 Hermann's
baggy cotton gowns had some sort of rudimentary
frills at neck and bottom； but this girl's print frocks
hadn't even a wrinkle； nothing but a few straight
folds in the skirt falling to her feet； and these； when
she stood still； had a severe and statuesque quality。
She was inclined naturally to be still whether sit…
ting or standing。 However； I don't mean to say
she was statuesque。 She was too generously alive；
but she could have stood for an allegoric statue of
the Earth。 I don't mean the worn…out earth of our
possession； but a young Earth； a virginal planet
undisturbed by the vision of a future teeming with
the monstrous forms of life and death； clamorous
with the cruel battles of hunger and thought。
The worthy Hermann himself was not very en…
tertaining； though his English was fairly compre…
hensible。 Mrs。 Hermann； who always let off one
speech at least at me in an hospitable； cordial tone
（and in Platt…Deutsch I suppose） I could not un…
derstand。 As to their niece； however satisfactory
to look upon （and she inspired you somehow with
a hopeful view as to the prospects of mankind）
she was a modest and silent presence； mostly en…
gaged in sewing； only now and then； as I observed；
falling over that work into a state of maidenly
meditation。 Her aunt sat opposite her； sewing also；
with her feet propped on a wooden footstool。 On
the other side of the deck Hermann and I would
get a couple of chairs out of the cabin and settle
down to a smoking match； accompanied at long in…
tervals by the pacific exchange of a few words。 I
came nearly every evening。 Hermann I would find
in his shirt sleeves。 As soon as he returned from
the shore on board his ship he commenced operations
by taking off his coat； then he put on his head an
embroidered round cap with a tassel； and changed
his boots for a pair of cloth slippers。 Afterwards
he smoked at the cabin…door； looking at his children
with an air of civic virtue； till they got caught one
after another and put to bed in various staterooms。
Lastly； we would drink some beer in the cabin； which
was furnished with a wooden table on cross legs； and
with black straight…backed chairsmore like a farm
kitchen than a ship's cuddy。 The sea and all nauti…
cal affairs seemed very far removed from the hos…
pitality of this exemplary family。
And I liked this because I had a rather worrying
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 ocean
