按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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
imbibingby means of suction out of a sau