falk-第7章

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voices；　at　the　sharp　tapping　of　a　coin　on　a　table

Mrs。　Schomberg　half　rose　irresolutely。　　〃Sit　still；〃

he　hissed　at　her；　and　then；　in　an　hospitable；　jovial

tone；　contrasting　amazingly　with　the　angry　glance

that　had　made　his　wife　sink　in　her　chair；　he　cried

very　loud：　〃Tiffin　still　going　on　in　here；　gentle…

men。〃



There　was　no　answer；　but　the　voices　dropped　sud…

denly。　　The　head　Chinaman　went　out。　　We　heard

the　clink　of　ice　in　the　glasses；　pouring　sounds；　the

shuffling　of　feet；　the　scraping　of　chairs。　　Schom…

berg；　after　wondering　in　a　low　mutter　who　the　devil

could　be　there　at　this　time　of　the　day；　got　up　napkin

in　hand　to　peep　through　the　doorway　cautiously。

He　retreated　rapidly　on　tip…toe；　and　whispering　be…

hind　his　hand　informed　me　that　it　was　Falk；　Falk

himself　who　was　in　there；　and；　what's　more；　he　had

Captain　Hermann　with　him。



The　return　of　the　tug　from　the　outer　Roads　was

unexpected　but　possible；　for　Falk　had　taken　away

the　Diana　at　half…past　five；　and　it　was　now　two

o'clock。　　Schomberg　wished　me　to　observe　that

neither　of　these　men　would　spend　a　dollar　on　a　tiffin；

which　they　must　have　wanted。　　But　by　the　time　I

was　ready　to　leave　the　dining…room　Falk　had　gone。

I　heard　the　last　of　his　big　boots　on　the　planks　of

the　verandah。　　Hermann　was　sitting　quite　alone　in

the　large；　wooden　room　with　the　two　lifeless　billiard

tables　shrouded　in　striped　covers；　mopping　his　face

diligently。　　He　wore　his　best　go…ashore　clothes；　a

stiff　collar；　black　coat；　large　white　waistcoat；　grey

trousers。　　A　white　cotton　sunshade　with　a　cane　han…

dle　reposed　between　his　legs；　his　side　whiskers　were

neatly　brushed；　his　chin　had　been　freshly　shaved；

and　he　only　distantly　resembled　the　dishevelled　and

terrified　man　in　a　snuffy　night　shirt　and　ignoble　old

trousers　I　had　seen　in　the　morning　hanging　on　to

the　wheel　of　the　Diana。



He　gave　a　start　at　my　entrance；　and　addressed

me　at　once　in　some　confusion；　but　with　genuine　ea…

gerness。　　He　was　anxious　to　make　it　clear　he　had

nothing　to　do　with　what　he　called　the　〃tam　piz…

ness〃　of　the　morning。　　It　was　most　inconvenient。

He　had　reckoned　upon　another　day　up　in　town　to

settle　his　bills　and　sign　certain　papers。　　There　were

also　some　few　stores　to　come；　and　sundry　pieces　of

〃my　ironwork；〃　as　he　called　it　quaintly；　landed　for

repairs；　had　been　left　behind。　　Now　he　would　have

to　hire　a　native　boat　to　take　all　this　out　to　the　ship。

It　would　cost　five　or　six　dollars　perhaps。　　He　had

had　no　warning　from　Falk。　　Nothing。　。　。　。　　He

hit　the　table　with　his　dumpy　fist。　。　。　。　　Der　ver…

fluchte　Kerl　came　in　the　morning　like　a　〃tam'

ropper；〃　making　a　great　noise；　and　took　him　away。

His　mate　was　not　prepared；　his　ship　was　moored

fasthe　protested　it　was　shameful　to　come　upon

a　man　in　that　way。　　Shameful！　　Yet　such　was　the

power　Falk　had　on　the　river　that　when　I　suggested

in　a　chilling　tone　that　he　might　have　simply　refused

to　have　his　ship　moved；　Hermann　was　quite　startled

at　the　idea。　　I　never　realised　so　well　before　that　this

is　an　age　of　steam。　　The　exclusive　possession　of　a

marine　boiler　had　given　Falk　the　whiphand　of　us

all。　　Hermann；　recovering；　put　it　to　me　appealingly

that　I　knew　very　well　how　unsafe　it　was　to　contra…

dict　that　fellow。　　At　this　I　only　smiled　distantly。



〃Der　Kerl！〃　he　cried。　　He　was　sorry　he　had　not

refused。　　He　was　indeed。　　The　damage！　　The　dam…

age！　　What　for　all　that　damage！　　There　was　no

occasion　for　damage。　　Did　I　know　how　much　dam…

age　he　had　done？　　It　gave　me　a　certain　satisfaction

to　tell　him　that　I　had　heard　his　old　waggon　of　a

ship　crack　fore　and　aft　as　she　went　by。　　〃You

passed　close　enough　to　me；〃　I　added　significantly。



He　threw　both　his　hands　up　to　heaven　at　the　rec…

ollection。　　One　of　them　grasped　by　the　middle　the

white　parasol；　and　he　resembled　curiously　a　carica…

ture　of　a　shopkeeping　citizen　in　one　of　his　own　Ger…

man　comic　papers。　　〃Ach！　　That　was　dangerous；〃

he　cried。　　I　was　amused。　　But　directly　he　added

with　an　appearance　of　simplicity；　〃The　side　of

your　iron　ship　would　have　been　crushed　in　like

like　this　matchbox。〃



〃Would　it？〃　I　growled；　much　less　amused　now；

but　by　the　time　I　had　decided　that　this　remark　was

not　meant　for　a　dig　at　me　he　had　worked　himself

into　a　high　state　of　resentfulness　against　Falk。

The　inconvenience；　the　damage；　the　expense！　　Gott…

ferdam！　　Devil　take　the　fellow。　　Behind　the　bar

Schomberg　with　a　cigar　in　his　teeth；　pretended　to

be　writing　with　a　pencil　on　a　large　sheet　of　paper；

and　as　Hermann's　excitement　increased　it　made　me

comfortingly　aware　of　my　own　calmness　and　supe…

riority。　　But　it　occurred　to　me　while　I　listened　to

his　revilings；　that　after　all　the　good　man　had　come

up　in　the　tug。　　There　perhapssince　he　must　come

to　townhe　had　no　option。　　But　evidently　he　had

had　a　drink　with　Falk；　either　accepted　or　offered。

How　was　that？　　So　I　checked　him　by　saying　loftily

that　I　hoped　he　would　make　Falk　pay　for　every

penny　of　the　damage。



〃That's　it！　　That's　it！　　Go　for　him；〃　called　out

Schomberg　from　the　bar；　flinging　his　pencil　down

and　rubbing　his　hands。



We　ignored　his　noise。　　But　Hermann's　excite…

ment　suddenly　went　off　the　boil　as　when　you　remove

a　saucepan　from　the　fire。　　I　urged　on　his　considera…

tion　that　he　had　done　now　with　Falk　and　Falk's　con…

founded　tug。　　He；　Hermann；　would　not；　perhaps；

turn　up　again　in　this　part　of　the　world　for　years　to

come；　since　he　was　going　to　sell　the　Diana　at　the　end

of　this　very　trip　（〃Go　home　passenger　in　a　mail

boat；〃　he　murmured　mechanically）。　　He　was　there…

fore　safe　from　Falk's　malice。　　All　he　had　to　do　was

to　race　off　to　his　consignees　and　stop　payment　of

the　towage　bill　before　Falk　had　the　time　to　get　in

and　lift　the　money。



Nothing　could　have　been　less　in　the　spirit　of　my

advice　than　the　thoughtful　way　in　which　he　set

about　to　make　his　parasol　stay　propped　against　the

edge　of　the　table。



While　I　watched　his　concentrated　efforts　with　as…

tonishment　he　threw　at　me　one　or　two　perplexed；

half…shy　glances。　　Then　he　sat　down。　　〃That's　all

very　well；〃　he　said　reflectively。



It　cannot　be　doubted　that　the　man　had　been

thrown　off　his　balance　by　being　hauled　out　of　the

harbour　against　his　wish。　　His　stolidity　had　been

profoundly　stirred；　else　he　would　never　have　made

up　his　mind　to　ask　me　unexpectedly　whether　I　had

not　remarked　that　Falk　had　been　casting　eyes　upon

his　niece。　　〃No　more　than　myself；〃　I　answered　with

literal　truth。　　The　girl　was　of　the　sort　one　necessa…

rily　casts　eyes　at　in　a　sense。　　She　made　no　noise；

but　she　filled　most　satisfactorily　a　good　bit　of　space。



〃But　you；　captain；　are　not　the　same　kind　of

man；〃　observed　Hermann。



I　was　not；　I　am　happy　to　say；　in　a　position　to

deny　this。　　〃What　about　the　lady？〃　I　could　not

help　asking。　　At　this　he　gazed　for　a　time　into　my

face；　earnestly；　and　made　as　if　to　change　the　sub…

ject。　　I　heard　him　beginning　to　mutter　something

unexpected；　about　his　children　growing　old　enough

to　require　schooling。　　He　would　have　to　leave　them

ashore　with　their　grandmother　when　he　took　up　that

new　command　he　expected　to　get　in　Germany。



This　constant　harping　on　his　domestic　arrange…

ments　was　funny。　　I　suppose　it　must　have　been　like

the　prospect　of　a　complete　alteration　in　his　life。　　An

epoch。　　He　was　going；　too；　to　part　with　the　Diana！

He　had　served　in　her　for　years。　　He　had　inherited

her。　　From　an　uncle；　if　I　remember　rightly。　　And

the　future　loomed　big　before　him；　occupying　his

thought　exclusively　with　all　its　aspects　as　on　the

eve　of　a　venturesome　enterprise。　　He　sat　there

frowning　and　biting　his　lip；　and　suddenly　he　began

to　fume　and　fret。



I　discovered　to　my　momentary　amusement　that

he　seemed　to　imagine　I　could；　should　or　ought；

have　caused　Falk　in　some　way　to　pronounce　him…

self。　　Such　a　hope　was　incomprehensible；　but　funny。

Then　the　contact　with　all　this　foolishness　irritated

me。　　I　said　crossly　that　I　had　seen　no　symptoms；

but　if　there　were　anysince　he；　Hermann；　was　so

surethen　it　was　still　worse。　　What　pleasure　Falk

found　in　humbugging　people　in　just　that　way　I

couldn't　say。　　It　was；　however；　my　solemn　duty　to

warn　him。　　It　had　lately；　I　said；　come　to　my　knowl…

edge　that　there　was　a　man　（not　a　very　long　time

ago　either）　who　had　been　taken　in　just　like　this。



All　this　passed　in　undertones；　and　at　this　point

Schomberg；　exasperated　at　our　secrecy；　went　out

of　the　room　slamming　the　door　with　a　crash　that

positively　lifted　us　in　our　chairs。　　This；　or　else　what

I　had　said；　huffed　my　Hermann；　He　supposed；　with

a　contemptuous　toss　of　his　head　towards　the　door

which　trembled　yet；　that　I　had　got　hold　of　some　of

that　man's　silly　tales。　　It　looked；　indeed；　as　though

his　mind　had　been　thoroughly　poisoned　against

Schomberg。　　〃His　tales　werethey　were；〃　he　re…

peated；　seeking　for　the　word〃trash。〃　　They

were　trash；　he　reiterated；　and　moreover　I　was　young

yet　。　。　。



This　horrid　aspersion　（I　regret　I　am　no　longer

exposed　to　that　sort　of　insult）　made　me　huffy　too。

I　felt　ready　in　my　own　mind　to　back　up　every　asser…

tion　of　Schomberg's　and　on　any　subject。　　In　a　mo…

ment；　devil　only　knows　why；　Hermann　and　I　were

looking　at　each　other　most　inimically。　　He　caught

up　his　hat　without　more　ado　and　I　gave　myself　the

pleasure　of　calling　after　him：



〃Take　my　advice　and　make　Falk　pay　for　break…

ing　up　your　ship。　　You　aren't　likely　to　get　any…

thing　else　out　of　him。〃



When　I　got　on　board　my　ship　later　on；　the　old

mate；　who　was　very　full　of　the　events　of　the　morn…

ing；　remarked：



〃I　saw　the　tug　coming　back　from　the　outer　Roads

just　before　two　P。M。〃　　（He　never　by　any　chance　used

the　words　morning　or　afternoon。　　Always　P。M。　or

A。M。；　log…book　style。）　　〃Smart　work　that。　　Man's

always　in　a　state　of　hurry。　　He's　a　regular

chucker…out；　ain't　he；　sir？　　There's　a　few　pubs　I

know　of　in　the　East…end　of　London　that　would　be

all　the　better　for　one　of　his　sort　around　the　bar。〃

He　chuckled　at　his　joke。　　〃A　regular　chucker…out。

Now　he　has　fired　out　that　Dutchman　head　over　heels；

I　suppose　our　turn's　coming　to…morrow　morning。〃



We　were　all　on　deck　at　break　of　day　（even　the

sickpoor　devilshad　crawled　out）　ready　to　cast

off　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye。　　Nothing　came。

Falk　did　not　come。　　At　last；　when　I　began　to　think

that　probably　something　had　gone　wrong　in　his

engine…room；　we　perceived　the　tug　going　by；　full

pelt；　down　the　river；　as　if　we　hadn't　existed。　　For　a

moment　I　entertained　the　wild　notion　that　he　was

going　to　turn　round　in　the　next　reach。　　Afterwards

I　watched　his　smoke　appear　above　the　plain；　now

here；　now　there；　according　to　the　windings　of　the

river。　　It　disappeared。　　Then　without　a　word　I

went　down　to　breakfast。　　I　just　simply　went　down

to　breakfast。



Not　one　of　us　uttered　a　sound　till　the　mate；　after

imbibing