第1章

AREMINISCENCE

Severalofus，allmoreorlessconnectedwiththesea，weredininginasmallriver—hostelrynotmorethanthirtymilesfromLondon，andlessthantwentyfromthatshallowanddangerouspuddletowhichourcoastingmengivethegrandiosenameof\"Ger—

manOcean。\"AndthroughthewidewindowswehadaviewoftheThames；anenfiladingviewdowntheLowerHopeReach。Butthedinnerwasexe—

crable，andallthefeastwasfortheeyes。

Thatflavourofsalt—waterwhichforsomanyofushadbeentheverywateroflifepermeatedourtalk。HewhohathknownthebitternessoftheOceanshallhaveitstasteforeverinhismouth。Butoneortwoofus，pamperedbythelifeoftheland，complainedofhunger。Itwasimpossibletoswal—

lowanyofthatstuff。Andindeedtherewasastrangemustinessineverything。Thewoodendin—

ing—roomstuckoutoverthemudoftheshorelikealacustrinedwelling；theplanksofthefloorseemedrotten；adecrepitoldwaitertotteredpatheticallytoandfrobeforeanantediluvianandworm—eatensideboard；thechippedplatesmighthavebeendis—

interredfromsomekitchenmiddennearaninhab—

itedlake；andthechopsrecalledtimesmoreancientstill。Theybroughtforciblytoone’smindthenightofageswhentheprimevalman，evolvingthefirstrudimentsofcookeryfromhisdimconscious—

ness，scorchedlumpsoffleshatafireofsticksinthecompanyofothergoodfellows；then，gorgedandhappy，sathimbackamongthegnawedbonestotellhisartlesstalesofexperience——thetalesofhun—

gerandhunt——andofwomen，perhaps!

Butluckilythewinehappenedtobeasoldasthewaiter。So，comparativelyempty，butuponthewholefairlyhappy，wesatbackandtoldourartlesstales。Wetalkedoftheseaandallitsworks。Theseaneverchanges，anditsworksforallthetalkofmenarewrappedinmystery。Butweagreedthatthetimeswerechanged。Andwetalkedofoldships，ofsea—accidents，ofbreak—downs，dismast—

ings；andofamanwhobroughthisshipsafetoLiverpoolallthewayfromtheRiverPlatteunderajuryrudder。Wetalkedofwrecks，ofshortra—

tionsandofheroism——oratleastofwhatthenews—

paperswouldhavecalledheroismatsea——amani—

festationofvirtuesquitedifferentfromtheheroismofprimitivetimes。Andnowandthenfallingsilentalltogetherwegazedatthesightsoftheriver。

AP。&O。boatpassedbounddown。\"Onegetsjollygooddinnersonboardtheseships，\"remarkedoneofourband。Amanwithsharpeyesreadoutthenameonherbows：Arcadia。\"Whatabeauti—

fulmodelofaship!\"murmuredsomeofus。Shewasfollowedbyasmallcargosteamer，andtheflagtheyhauleddownaboardwhilewewerelookingshowedhertobeaNorwegian。Shemadeanawfullotofsmoke；andbeforeithadquiteblownaway，ahigh—sided，short，woodenbarque，inballastandtowedbyapaddle—tug，appearedinfrontofthewindows。Allherhandswereforwardbusysettinguptheheadgear；andaftawomaninaredhood，quitealonewiththemanatthewheel，pacedthelengthofthepoopbackandforth，withthegreywoolofsomeknittingworkinherhands。

\"GermanIshouldthink，\"mutteredone。\"Theskipperhashiswifeonboard，\"remarkedanother；

andthelightofthecrimsonsunsetallablazebehindtheLondonsmoke，throwingaglowofBengallightuponthebarque’sspars，fadedawayfromtheHopeReach。

Thenoneofus，whohadnotspokenbefore，amanofoverfifty，thathadcommandedshipsforaquarterofacentury，lookingafterthebarquenowglidingfaraway，allblackonthelustreoftheriver，said：

Thisremindsmeofanabsurdepisodeinmylife，nowmanyyearsago，whenIgotfirstthecommandofanironbarque，loadingtheninacertainEasternseaport。ItwasalsothecapitalofanEasternking—

dom，lyingupariverasmightbeLondonliesupthisoldThamesofours。Nomoreneedbesaidoftheplace；forthissortofthingmighthavehap—

penedanywherewherethereareships，skippers，tugboats，andorphanniecesofindescribablesplen—

dour。Andtheabsurdityoftheepisodeconcernsonlyme，myenemyFalk，andmyfriendHermann。

Thereseemedtobesomethinglikepeculiarem—

phasisonthewords\"MyfriendHermann，\"whichcausedoneofus（forwehadjustbeenspeakingofheroismatsea）tosayidlyandnonchalantly：

\"AndwasthisHermannahero？\"

Notatall，saidourgrizzledfriend。Noheroatall。HewasaSchiff—fuhrer：Ship—conductor。

That’showtheycallaMasterMarinerinGermany。

Ipreferourway。Thealliterationisgood，andthereissomethinginthenomenclaturethatgivestousasabodythesenseofcorporateexistence：

Apprentice，Mate，Master，intheancientandhon—

ourablecraftofthesea。AstomyfriendHermann，hemighthavebeenaconsummatemasterofthehonourablecraft，buthewascalledofficiallySchiff—

fuhrer，andhadthesimple，heavyappearanceofawell—to—dofarmer，combinedwiththegood—naturedshrewdnessofasmallshopkeeper。Withhisshavenchin，roundlimbs，andheavyeyelidshedidnotlooklikeatoiler，andevenlesslikeanadventurerofthesea。Still，hetoiledupontheseas，inhisownway，muchasashopkeeperworksbehindhiscounter。

Andhisshipwasthemeansbywhichhemaintainedhisgrowingfamily。

Shewasaheavy，strong，blunt—bowedaffair，awakeningtheideasofprimitivesolidity，likethewoodenploughofourforefathers。Andtherewere，abouther，othersuggestionsofarusticandhomelynature。TheextraordinarytimberprojectionswhichIhaveseeninnoothervesselmadehersquaresternresemblethetailendofamiller’swaggon。

Butthefoursternportsofhercabin，glazedwithsixlittlegreenishpaneseach，andframedinwoodensashespaintedbrown，mighthavebeenthewindowsofacottageinthecountry。Thetinywhitecur—

tainsandthegreeneryofflowerpotsbehindtheglasscompletedtheresemblance。OnoneortwooccasionswhenpassingundersternIhadde—

tectedfrommyboataroundarmintheactoftilt—

ingawateringpot，andthebowedsleekheadofamaidenwhomIshallalwayscallHermann’sniece，becauseasamatteroffactI’veneverheardhername，forallmyintimacywiththefamily。

This，however，spranguplateron。MeantimeincommonwiththerestoftheshippinginthatEast—

ernport，IwasleftinnodoubtastoHermann’sno—

tionsofhygienicclothing。Evidentlyhebelievedinwearinggoodstoutflannelnexthisskin。Onmostdayslittlefrocksandpinaforescouldbeseendryinginthemizzenriggingofhisship，oratinyrowofsocksflutteringonthesignalhalyards；butonceafortnightthefamilywashingwasexhibitedinforce。Itcoveredthepoopentirely。Theafter—

noonbreezewouldincitetoaweirdandflabbyactiv—

ityallthatcrowdedmassofclothing，withitsvaguesuggestionsofdrowned，mutilatedandflattenedhu—

manity。Trunkswithoutheadswavedatyouarmswithouthands；legswithoutfeetkickedfantasti—

callywithcollapsibleflourishes；andtherewerelongwhitegarmentsthat，takingthewindfairlythroughtheirneckopeningsedgedwithlace，be—

cameforamomentviolentlydistendedasbythepassageofobeseandinvisiblebodies。Onthesedaysyoucouldmakeoutthatshipatagreatdistancebythemulti—colouredgrotesqueriotgoingonabafthermizzenmast。

Shehadherberthjustaheadofme，andhernamewasDiana，——DiananotofEphesusbutofBremen。Thiswasproclaimedinwhitelettersafootlongspacedwidelyacrossthestern（somewhatliketheletteringofashop—sign）underthecottagewindows。Thisridiculouslyunsuitablenamestruckoneasanimpertinencetowardsthememoryofthemostcharmingofgoddesses；for，apartfromthefactthattheoldcraftwasphysicallyincapableofengaginginanysortofchase，therewasagangoffourchildrenbelongingtoher。Theypeepedovertherailatpassingboatsandoccasionallydroppedvariousobjectsintothem。Thus，sometimebeforeIknewHermanntospeakto，Ireceivedonmyhatahorridrag—dollbelongingtoHermann’seldestdaughter。However，theseyoungsterswereuponthewholewellbehaved。Theyhadfairheads，roundeyes，roundlittleknobbynoses，andtheyresembledtheirfatheragooddeal。

ThisDianaofBremenwasamostinnocentoldship，andseemedtoknownothingofthewickedsea，asthereareonshorehouseholdsthatknownothingofthecorruptworld。Andthesentimentsshesug—

gestedwereunexceptionableandmainlyofado—

mesticorder。Shewasahome。Allthesedearchil—

drenhadlearnedtowalkonherroomyquarter—deck。

Insuchthoughtsthereissomethingpretty，eventouching。Theirteeth，Ishouldjudge，theyhadcutontheendsofherrunninggear。IhavemanytimesobservedthebabyHermann（Nicholas）en—

gagedingnawingthewhippingofthefore—royalbrace。Nicholas’favouriteplaceofresidencewasunderthemainfife—rail。Directlyhewasletloosehewouldcrawloffthere，andthefirstseamanwhocamealongwouldbringhim，carefullyheldaloftintarryhands，backtothecabindoor。Ifancytheremusthavebeenastandingordertothateffect。

Inthecourseofthesetransportationsthebaby，whowastheonlypepperypersonintheship，triedtosmitethesestalwartyoungGermansailorsontheface。

Mrs。Hermann，anengaging，stouthousewife，woreonboardbaggybluedresseswithwhitedots。

When，ashappenedonceortwiceIcaughtheratanelegantlittlewash—tubrubbinghardonwhitecol—

lars，baby’ssocks，andHermann’ssummerneck—

ties，shewouldblushingirlishconfusion，andrais—

ingherwethandsgreetmefromafarwithmanyfriendlynods。Hersleeveswouldberolleduptotheelbows，andthegoldhoopofherweddingringglitteredamongthesoapsuds。Hervoicewaspleasant，shehadaserenebrow，smoothbandsofveryfairhair，andagood—humouredexpressionoftheeyes。Shewasmotherlyandmoderatelytalka—

tive。Whenthissimplematronsmiled，youthfuldimplesbrokeoutonherfreshbroadcheeks。Her—

mann’snieceontheotherhand，anorphanandverysilent，Ineversawattemptasmile。This，however，wasnotgloomonherpartbuttherestraintofyouthfulgravity。

Theyhadcarriedheraboutwiththemforthelastthreeyears，tohelpwiththechildrenandbecompanyforMrs。Hermann，asHermannmen—

tionedoncetome。Ithadbeenverynecessarywhiletheywerealllittle，hehadaddedinavexedmanner。

ItwasherarmandhersleekheadthatIhadglimpsedonemorning，throughthestern—windowsofthecabin，hoveringoverthepotsoffuchsiasandmignonette；butthefirsttimeIbeheldherfulllengthIsurrenderedtoherproportions。Theyfixherinmymind，asgreatbeauty，greatintelligence，quicknessofwitorkindnessofheartmighthavemadesomeherotherwomanequallymemorable。

Withheritwasformandsize。Itwasherphysi—

calpersonalitythathadthisimposingcharm。Shemighthavebeenwitty，intelligent，andkindtoanexceptionaldegree。Idon’tknow，andthisisnottothepoint。AllIknowisthatshewasbuiltonamagnificentscale。Builtistheonlyword。Shewasconstructed，shewaserected，asitwere，witharegallavishness。Itstaggeredyoutoseethisrecklessex—

penditureofmaterialuponachitofagirl。Shewasyouthfulandalsoperfectlymature，asthoughshehadbeensomefortunateimmortal。Shewasheavytoo，perhaps，butthat’snothing。Itonlyaddedtothatnotionofpermanence。Shewasbare—

lynineteen。Butsuchshoulders!Suchroundarms!SuchashadowingforthofmightylimbswhenwiththreelongstridesshepouncedacrossthedeckupontheoverturnedNicholas——it’sperfectlyindescribable!Sheseemedagood，quietgirl，vigi—

lantastoLena’sneeds，Gustav’stumbles，thestateofCarl’sdearlittlenose——conscientious，hardwork—

ing，andallthat。Butwhatmagnificenthairshehad!Abundant，long，thick，ofatawnycolour。

Ithadthesheenofpreciousmetals。Sheworeitplaitedtightlyintoonesingletresshanginggirl—

ishlydownherbackanditsendreacheddowntoherwaist。Themassivenessofitsurprisedyou。

Onmyworditremindedoneofaclub。Herfacewasbig，comely，ofanunruffledexpression。Shehadagoodcomplexion，andherblueeyesweresopalethatsheappearedtolookattheworldwiththeemptywhitecandourofastatue。Youcouldnotcallhergood—looking。Itwassomethingmuchmoreimpressive。Thesimplicityofherapparel，theopulenceofherform，herimposingstature，andtheextraordinarysenseofvigorouslifethatseemedtoemanatefromherlikeaperfumeexhaledbyaflower，madeherbeautifulwithabeautyofarusticandolympianorder。Towatchherreachinguptotheclothes—linewithbotharmsraisedhighaboveherhead，causedyoutofallamusinginastrainofpaganpiety。ExcellentMrs。Hermann’sbaggycottongownshadsomesortofrudimentaryfrillsatneckandbottom，butthisgirl’sprintfrockshadn’tevenawrinkle；nothingbutafewstraightfoldsintheskirtfallingtoherfeet，andthese，whenshestoodstill，hadasevereandstatuesquequality。

Shewasinclinednaturallytobestillwhethersit—

tingorstanding。However，Idon’tmeantosayshewasstatuesque。Shewastoogenerouslyalive；

butshecouldhavestoodforanallegoricstatueoftheEarth。Idon’tmeantheworn—outearthofourpossession，butayoungEarth，avirginalplanetundisturbedbythevisionofafutureteemingwiththemonstrousformsoflifeanddeath，clamorouswiththecruelbattlesofhungerandthought。

TheworthyHermannhimselfwasnotveryen—

tertaining，thoughhisEnglishwasfairlycompre—

hensible。Mrs。Hermann，whoalwaysletoffonespeechatleastatmeinanhospitable，cordialtone（andinPlatt—DeutschIsuppose）Icouldnotun—

derstand。Astotheirniece，howeversatisfactorytolookupon（andsheinspiredyousomehowwithahopefulviewastotheprospectsofmankind）

shewasamodestandsilentpresence，mostlyen—

gagedinsewing，onlynowandthen，asIobserved，fallingoverthatworkintoastateofmaidenlymeditation。Herauntsatoppositeher，sewingalso，withherfeetproppedonawoodenfootstool。OntheothersideofthedeckHermannandIwouldgetacoupleofchairsoutofthecabinandsettledowntoasmokingmatch，accompaniedatlongin—

tervalsbythepacificexchangeofafewwords。I

camenearlyeveryevening。HermannIwouldfindinhisshirtsleeves。Assoonashereturnedfromtheshoreonboardhisshiphecommencedoperationsbytakingoffhiscoat；thenheputonhisheadanembroideredroundcapwithatassel，andchangedhisbootsforapairofclothslippers。Afterwardshesmokedatthecabin—door，lookingathischildrenwithanairofcivicvirtue，tilltheygotcaughtoneafteranotherandputtobedinvariousstaterooms。

Lastly，wewoulddrinksomebeerinthecabin，whichwasfurnishedwithawoodentableoncrosslegs，andwithblackstraight—backedchairs——morelikeafarmkitchenthanaship’scuddy。Theseaandallnauti—

calaffairsseemedveryfarremovedfromthehos—

pitalityofthisexemplaryfamily。

AndIlikedthisbecauseIhadaratherworryingtimeonboardmyownship。Ihadbeenappointedex—officiobytheBritishConsultotakechargeofherafteramanwhohaddiedsuddenly，leavingfortheguidanceofhissuccessorsomesuspiciouslyun—

receiptedbills，afewdry—dockestimateshintingatbribery，andaquantityofvouchersforthreeyears’

extravagantexpenditure；allthesemixedupto—

getherinadustyoldviolin—caselinedwithrubyvelvet。Ifoundbesidesalargeaccount—book，which，whenopened，hopefullyturnedouttomyinfiniteconsternationtobefilledwithverses——pageafterpageofrhymeddoggerelofajovialandim—

propercharacter，writtenintheneatestminutehandIeverdidsee。Inthesamefiddle—caseaphotographofmypredecessor，takenlatelyinSaigon，repre—

sentedinfrontofagardenview，andincompanyofafemaleinstrangedraperies，anelderly，squat，ruggedmanofsternaspectinaclumsysuitofblackbroadcloth，andwiththehairbrushedforwardabovethetemplesinamannerremindingoneofaboar’stusks。Ofafiddle，however，theonlytraceonboardwasthecase，itsemptyhuskasitwere；butofthetwolastfreightstheshiphadindubitablyearnedoflate，therewerenoteventhehusksleft。Itwasimpossibletosaywhereallthatmoneyhadgoneto。

Itwasn’tonboard。Ithadnotbeenremittedhome；

foraletterfromtheowners，preservedinadeskevidentlybythemerestaccident，complainedmildlyenoughthattheyhadnotbeenfavouredbyascratchofthepenforthelasteighteenmonths。

Therewerenexttonostoresonboard，notaninchofspareropeorayardofcanvas。Theshiphadbeenrunbare，andIforesawnoendofdifficultiesbeforeIcouldgetherreadyforsea。

AsIwasyoungthen——notthirtyyet——Itookmyselfandmytroublesveryseriously。Theoldmate，whohadactedaschiefmourneratthecap—

tain’sfuneral，wasnotparticularlypleasedatmycoming。Butthefactisthefellowwasnotlegallyqualifiedforcommand，andtheConsulwasbound，ifatallpossible，toputaproperlycertificatedmanonboard。Astothesecondmate，allIcansayhisnamewasTottersen，orsomethinglikethat。Hispracticewastowearonhishead，inthattropicalclimate，amangyfurcap。Hewas，withoutexcep—

tion，thestupidestmanIhadeverseenonboardship。Andhelookedittoo。Helookedsocon—

foundedlystupidthatitwasamatterofsurpriseformewhenheansweredtohisname。

Idrewnogreatcomfortfromtheircompany，tosaytheleastofit；whiletheprospectofmakingalongseapassagewiththosetwofellowswasdepress—

ing。Andmyotherthoughtsinsolitudecouldnotbeofagaycomplexion。Thecrewwassickly，thecargowascomingveryslow；IforesawIwouldhavelotsoftroublewiththecharterers，anddoubtedwhethertheywouldadvancemeenoughmoneyfortheship’sexpenses。Theirattitudetowardsmewasunfriendly。AltogetherIwasnotgettingon。I

woulddiscoveratoddtimes（generallyaboutmid—

night）thatIwastotallyinexperienced，greatlyig—

norantofbusiness，andhopelesslyunfitforanysortofcommand；andwhenthestewardhadtobetakentothehospitalillwithcholeraicsymptomsI

feltbereavedoftheonlydecentpersonattheafterendoftheship。Hewasfullyexpectedtorecover，butinthemeantimehadtobereplacedbysomesortofservant。Andontherecommendationofacer—

tainSchomberg，theproprietorofthesmallerofthetwohotelsintheplace，IengagedaChinaman。

Schomberg，abrawny，hairyAlsatian，andanawfulgossip，assuredmethatitwasallright。\"First—

classboythat。CameinthesuiteofhisExcellencyTsengtheCommissioner——youknow。HisExcel—

lencyTsenglodgedwithmehereforthreeweeks。\"

HemouthedtheChineseExcellencyatmewithgreatunction，thoughthespecimenofthe\"suite\"

didnotseemverypromising。Atthetime，however，IdidnotknowwhatanuntrustworthyhumbugSchombergwas。The\"boy\"mighthavebeenfortyorahundredandfortyforallyoucouldtell——

oneofthoseChinamenofthedeath’s—headtypeoffaceandcompletelyinscrutable。Beforetheendofthethirddayhehadrevealedhimselfasaconfirmedopium—smoker，agambler，amostaudaciousthief，andafirst—classsprinter。Whenhedepartedatthetopofhisspeedwiththirty—twogoldensovereignsofmyownhard—earnedsavingsitwasthelaststraw。

Ihadreservedthatmoneyincasemydifficultiescametotheworst。NowitwasgoneIfeltaspoorandnakedasafakir。Iclungtomyship，forallthebothershecausedme，butwhatIcouldnotbearwerethelonglonelyeveningsinhercuddy，wheretheatmosphere，madesmellybyaleakylamp，wasagitatedbythesnoringofthemate。Thatfellowshuthimselfupinhisstuffycabinpunctuallyateight，andmadegrossandrevoltingnoiseslikeawater—loggedtrump。Itwasodiousnottobeabletoworryoneselfincomfortonboardone’sownship。Everythinginthisworld，Ireflected，eventhecommandofanicelittlebarque，maybemadeadelusionandasnarefortheunwaryspiritofprideinman。

FromsuchreflectionsIwasgladtomakeanyes—

capeonboardthatBremenDiana。Thereappar—

entlynowhisperoftheworld’siniquitieshadeverpenetrated。Andyetsheliveduponthewidesea：

andtheseatragicandcomic，theseawithitshorrorsanditspeculiarscandals，theseapeopledbymenandruledbyironnecessityisindubitablyapartoftheworld。Butthatpatriarchaloldtub，likesomesaintlyretreat，echoednothingofit。Shewasworldproof。Hervenerableinnocenceapparentlyhadputarestraintontheroaringlustsofthesea。AndyetIhaveknowntheseatoolongtobelieveinitsrespectfordecency。Anelementalforceisruthlesslyfrank。Itmay，ofcourse，havebeenHermann’sskilfulseamanship，buttomeitlookedasiftheal—

liedoceanshadrefrainedfromsmashingthesehighbulwarks，unshippingthelumpyrudder，frighten—

ingthechildren，andgenerallyopeningthisfam—

ily’seyesoutofsheerreticence。Itlookedlikereti—

cence。Theruthlessdisclosurewasintheendleftforamantomake；amanstrongandelementalenoughanddriventounveilsomesecretsoftheseabythepowerofasimpleandelementaldesire。

This，however，occurredmuchlater，andmean—

timeItooksanctuaryinthatsereneoldshipearlyeveryevening。TheonlypersononboardthatseemedtobeintroublewaslittleLena，andinduecourseIperceivedthatthehealthoftherag—dollwasmorethandelicate。Thisobjectledasortof\"inextremis\"existenceinawoodenboxplacedagainstthestarboardmooring—bitts，tendedandnursedwiththegreatestsympathyandcarebyallthechildren，whogreatlyenjoyedpullinglongfacesandmovingwithhushedfootsteps。Onlythebaby——Nicholas——lookedonwithacold，ruffianlyleer，asifhehadbelongedtoanothertribealtogether。

Lenaperpetuallysorrowedoverthebox，andallofthemwereindeadlyearnest。ItwaswonderfulthewaythesechildrenwouldworkuptheircompassionforthatbedraggledthingIwouldn’thavetouchedwithapairoftongs。Isupposetheywereexercis—

inganddevelopingtheirracialsentimentalismbythemeansofthatdummy。IwasonlysurprisedthatMrs。HermannletLenacherishandhugthatbundleofragstothatextent，itwassodisreputablyandcompletelyunclean。ButMrs。Hermannwouldraiseherfinewomanlyeyesfromherneedleworktolookonwithamusedsympathy，anddidnotseentoseeit，somehow，thatthisobjectofaffectionwasadisgracetotheship’spurity。Purity，notcleanli—

ness，istheword。ItwaspushedsofarthatIseemedtodetectinthistooasentimentalexcess，asifdirthadbeenremovedinverylove。Itisimpossibletogiveyouanideaofsuchameticulousneatness。Itwasasifeverymorningthatshiphadbeenardu—

ouslyexploredwith——withtoothbrushes。Herverybowspritthreetimesaweekhaditstoilettemadewithacakeofsoapandapieceofsoftflannel。Ar—

rayed——IMUSTsayarrayed——arrayedartlesslyindazzlingwhitepaintastowoodanddarkgreenastoironworkthesimple—mindeddistributionofthesecoloursevokedtheimagesofsimple—mindedpeace，ofarcadianfelicity；andthechildishcomedyofdiseaseandsorrowstruckmesometimesasanabom—

inablyrealblotuponthatidealstate。

Ienjoyeditgreatly，andonmypartIbroughtalittlemildexcitementintoit。Ourintimacyarosefromthepursuitofthatthief。Itwasintheeven—

ing，andHermann，who，contrarytohishabits，hadstayedonshorelatethatday，wasextricatinghim—

selfbackwardsoutofalittlegharryontheriverbank，oppositehisship，whenthehuntpassed。

Realisingthesituationasthoughhehadeyesinhisshoulder—blades，hejoineduswithaleapandtookthelead。TheChinamanfledsilentlikearapidshadowonthedustofanextremelyorientalroad。

Ifollowed。Alongwayintherearmymatewhoopedlikeasavage。Ayoungmoonthrewabashfullightonaplainlikeamonstrouswasteground：thearchitecturalmassofaBuddhisttem—

plefarawayprojecteditselfindeadblackonthesky。Welostthethiefofcourse；butinmydisap—

pointmentIhadtoadmireHermann’spresenceofmind。Thevelocitythatstodgymandevelopedintheinterestsofacompletestrangerearnedmywarmgratitude——therewassomethingtrulycordialinhisexertions。

Heseemedasvexedasmyselfatourfailure，andwouldhardlylistentomythanks。Hesaiditwas\"nothings，\"andinvitedmeonthespottocomeonboardhisshipanddrinkaglassofbeerwithhim。

Wepokedscepticallyforawhileamongstthebushes，peeredwithoutconvictionintoaditchortwo。Therewasnotasound：patchesofslimeglim—

meredfeeblyamongstthereeds。Slowlywetrudgedback，droopingunderthethinsickleofthemoon，andIheardhimmuttertohimself，\"Himmel!ZweiunddreissigPfund!\"Hewasimpressedbythefigureofmyloss。Foralongtimewehadceasedtohearthemate’swhoopsandyells。

Thenhesaidtome，\"Everybodyhashistroub—

les，\"andaswewentonremarkedthathewouldneverhaveknownanythingofminehadn’thebyanextraordinarychancebeendetainedonshorebyCaptainFalk。Hedidn’tliketostaylateashore——

headdedwithasigh。ThesomethingdolefulinhistoneIputtohissympathywithmymisfortune，ofcourse。

OnboardtheDianaMrs。Hermann’sfineeyesexpressedmuchinterestandcommiseration。Wehadfoundthetwowomensewingfacetofaceundertheopenskylightinthestrongglareofthelamp。

Hermannwalkedinfirst，startingintheverydoor—

waytopulloffhiscoat，andencouragingmewithloud，hospitableejaculations：\"Comein!Thisway!Comein，captain!\"Atonce，coatinhand，hebegantotellhiswifeallaboutit。Mrs。Hermannputthepalmsofherplumphandstogether；I

smiledandbowedwithaheavyheart：theniecegotupfromhersewingtobringHermann’sslippersandhisembroideredcalotte，whichheassumedpon—

tifically，talking（aboutme）allthetime。Billowsofwhitestufflaybetweenthechairsonthecabinfloor；Icaughtthewords\"ZweiunddreissigPfund\"repeatedseveraltimes，andpresentlycamethebeer，whichseemeddelicioustomythroat，parchedwithrunningandtheemotionsofthechase。

Ididn’tgetawaytillwellpastmidnight，longafterthewomenhadretired。HermannhadbeentradingintheEastforthreeyearsormore，carry—

ingfreightsofriceandtimbermostly。HisshipwaswellknowninalltheportsfromVladivostoktoSingapore。Shewashisownproperty。Theprofitshadbeenmoderate，butthetradeansweredwellenoughwhilethechildrenweresmallyet。Inan—

otheryearorsohehopedhewouldbeabletoselltheoldDianatoafirminJapanforafairprice。Heintendedtoreturnhome，toBremen，bymailboat，secondclass，withMrs。Hermannandthechildren。

Hetoldmeallthisstolidly，withslowpuffsathispipe。Iwassorrywhenknockingtheashesouthebegantorubhiseyes。Iwouldhavesatwithhimtillmorning。WhathadItohurryonboardmyownshipfor？Tofacethebrokenrifleddrawerinmystate—room。Ugh!Theverythoughtmademefeelunwell。

Ibecametheirdailyguest，asyouknow。IthinkthatMrs。Hermannfromthefirstlookeduponmeasaromanticperson。Ididnot，ofcourse，tearmyhaircorampopuloovermyloss，andshetookitforlordlyindifference。Afterwards，Idaresay，Ididtellthemsomeofmyadventures——suchastheywere——andtheymarvelledgreatlyattheextentofmyexperience。Hermannwouldtranslatewhathethoughtthemoststrikingpassages。Gettinguponhislegs，andasifdeliveringalectureonaphenom—

enon，headdressedhimself，withgestures，tothetwowomen，whowouldlettheirsewingsinkslowlyontheirlaps。MeantimeIsatbeforeaglassofHermann’sbeer，tryingtolookmodest。Mrs。Her—

mannwouldglanceatmequickly，emitslight\"Ach’s!\"Thegirlnevermadeasound。Never。

Butshetoowouldsometimesraiseherpaleeyestolookatmeinherunseeinggentleway。Herglancewasbynomeansstupid；itbeamedoutsoftanddif—

fuseasthemoonbeamsuponalandscape——quitedifferentlyfromthescrutinisinginspectionofthestars。Youweredrownedinit，andimaginedyour—

selftoappearblurred。AndyetthissameglancewhenturneduponChristianFalkmusthavebeenasefficientasthesearchlightofabattle—ship。

Falkwastheotherassiduousvisitoronboard，butfromhisbehaviourhemighthavebeencomingtoseethequarter—deckcapstan。Hecertainlyusedtostareatitagooddealwhenkeepinguscompanyoutsidethecabindoor，withonemusculararmthrownoverthebackofthechair，andhisbigshapelylegs，inverytightwhitetrousers，extendedfaroutandendinginapairofblackshoesasroomyaspunts。OnarrivalhewouldshakeHer—

mann’shandwithamutter，bowtothewomen，andtakeuphiscarelessandmisanthropicattitudebyourside。Hedepartedabruptly，withajump，go—

ingthroughtheperformanceofgrunts，hand—

shakes，bow，asifinapanic。Sometimes，withasortofdiscreetandconvulsiveeffort，heapproachedthewomenandexchangedafewlowwordswiththem，halfadozenatmost。OntheseoccasionsHer—

mann’susualstarebecamepositivelyglassyandMrs。Hermann’skindcountenancewouldcolourup。

Thegirlherselfneverturnedahair。

FalkwasaDaneorperhapsaNorwegian，I

can’ttellnow。AtalleventshewasaScandinavianofsomesort，andabloatedmonopolisttoboot。Itispossiblehewasunacquaintedwiththeword，buthehadaclearperceptionofthethingitself。HistariffofchargesfortowingshipsinandoutwasthemostbrutallyinconsideratedocumentofthesortIhadeverseen。Hewasthecommanderandowneroftheonlytug—boatontheriver，averytrimwhitecraftof150tonsormore，aselegantlyneatasayacht，witharoundwheel—houserisinglikeaglazedturrethighabovehersharpbows，andwithoneslen—

dervarnishedpolemastforward。IdaresaythereareyetafewshipmastersafloatwhorememberFalkandhistugverywell。Heextractedhispoundandahalfoffleshfromeachofusmerchant—skipperswithaninflexiblesortofindifferencewhichmadehimdetestedandevenfeared。Schombergusedtoremark：\"Iwon’ttalkaboutthefellow。Idon’tthinkhehassixdrinksfromyear’sendtoyear’sendinmyplace。Butmyadviceis，gentlemen，don’tyouhaveanythingtodowithhim，ifyoucanhelpit。\"

Thisadvice，apartfromunavoidablebusinessre—

lations，waseasytofollowbecauseFalkintrudeduponnoone。Itseemsabsurdtocompareatug—

boatskippertoacentaur：butheremindedmesome—

howofanengravinginalittlebookIhadasaboy，whichrepresentedcentaursatastream，andtherewasone，especiallyintheforeground，prancingbowandarrowsinhand，withregularseverefeaturesandanimmensecurledwavybeard，flowingdownhisbreast。Falk’sfaceremindedmeofthatcen—

taur。Besides，hewasacompositecreature。Notaman—horse，itistrue，butaman—boat。Helivedonboardhistug，whichwasalwaysdashingupanddowntheriverfromearlymorntilldewyeve。

Inthelastraysofthesettingsun，youcouldpickoutfarawaydownthereachhisbeardbornehighuponthewhitestructure，foamingupstreamtoanchorforthenight。Therewasthewhite—cladman’sbody，andtherichbrownpatchofthehair，andnothingbelowthewaistbutthe’thwart—shipwhitelinesofthebridge—screens，thatleadtheeyetothesharpwhitelinesofthebowscleavingthemuddywateroftheriver。

Separatedfromhisboattomeatleastheseemedincomplete。Thetugherselfwithouthisheadandtorsoonthebridgelookedmutilatedasitwere。

Butheleftherveryseldom。AllthetimeIre—

mainedinharbourIsawhimonlytwiceonshore。

Onthefirstoccasionitwasatmycharterers，wherehecameinmisanthropicallytogetpaidfortowingoutaFrenchbarquethedaybefore。ThesecondtimeIcouldhardlybelievemyeyes，forIbeheldhimrecliningunderhisbeardinacane—bottomedchairinthebilliard—roomofSchomberg’shotel。

ItwasveryfunnytoseeSchombergignoringhimpointedly。TheartificialityofitcontrastedstronglywithFalk’snaturalunconcern。ThebigAlsatiantalkedloudlywithhisothercustomers，go—

ingfromonelittletabletotheother，andpassingFalk’splaceofreposewithhiseyesfixedstraightahead。Falksattherewithanuntouchedglassathiselbow。Hemusthaveknownbysightandnameeverywhitemanintheroom，butheneveraddressedawordtoanybody。Heacknowledgedmypresencebyadropofhiseyelids，andthatwasall。Sprawl—

ingthereinthechair，hewould，nowandagain，drawthepalmsofbothhishandsdownhisface，givingatthesametimeaslight，almostimpercepti—

ble，shudder。

Itwasahabithehad，andofcourseIwasper—

fectlyfamiliarwithit，sinceyoucouldnotremainanhourinhiscompanywithoutbeingmadetowon—

deratsuchamovementbreakingsomelongperiodofstillness。itwasapassionateandinexplicablegesture。Heusedtomakeitatallsortsoftimes；

aslikelyasnotafterhehadbeenlisteningtolittleLena’schatteraboutthesufferingdoll，forinstance。

TheHermannchildrenalwaysbesiegedhimabouthislegsclosely，though，inagentleway，heshrankfromthemalittle。Heseemed，however，tofeelagreataffectionforthewholefamily。ForHermannhimselfespecially。Hesoughthiscompany。Inthiscase，forinstance，hemusthavebeenwaitingforhim，becauseassoonasheappearedFalkrosehastily，andtheywentouttogether。ThenSchom—

bergexpoundedinmyhearingtothreeorfourpeoplehistheorythatFalkwasafterCaptainHer—

mann’sniece，andassertedconfidentlythatnothingwouldcomeofit。ItwasthesamelastyearwhenCaptainHermannwasloadinghere，hesaid。

Naturally，IdidnotbelieveSchomberg，butI

ownthatforatimeIobservedcloselywhatwenton。AllIdiscoveredwassomeimpatienceonHer—

mann’spart。AtthesightofFalk，steppingoverthegangway，theexcellentmanwouldbegintomumbleandchewbetweenhisteethsomethingthatsoundedlikeGermanswear—words。However，asI’vesaid，I’mnotfamiliarwiththelanguage，andHermann’ssoft，round—eyedcountenanceremainedunchanged。Staringstolidlyaheadhegreetedhimwith，\"Wiegehts，\"orinEnglish，\"Howareyou？\"withathroatyenunciation。Thegirlwouldlookupforaninstantandmoveherlipsslightly：

Mrs。Hermannletherhandsrestonherlaptotalkvolublytohimforaminuteorsoinherpleasantvoicebeforeshewentonwithhersewingagain。

Falkwouldthrowhimselfintoachair，stretchhisbiglegs，aslikeasnotdrawhishandsdownhisfacepassionately。Astomyself，hewasnotpointedlyimpertinent：itwasratherasthoughhecouldnotbebotheredwithsuchtriflesasmyexistence；andthetruthisthatbeingamonopolisthewasundernonecessitytobeamiable。Hewassuretogethisownextortionatetermsoutofmefortowagewhetherhefrownedorsmiled。Asamatteroffact，hedidneither：butbeforemanydayselapsedhemanagedtoastonishmenotalittleandtosetSchomberg’stongueclackingmorethanever。

Itcameaboutinthisway。Therewasashallowbaratthemouthoftheriverwhichoughttohavebeenkeptdown，buttheauthoritiesoftheStatewerepiouslybusygildingafreshthegreatBuddhistPagodajustthen，andIsupposehadnomoneytosparefordredgingoperations。Idon’tknowhowitmaybenow，butatthetimeIspeakofthatsand—

bankwasagreatnuisancetotheshipping。Oneofitsconsequenceswasthatvesselsofacertaindraughtofwater，likeHermann’sormine，couldnotcompletetheirloadingintheriver。Aftertakinginasmuchaspossibleoftheircargo，theyhadtogooutsidetofillup。Thewholeprocedurewasanunmitigatedbore。Whenyouthoughtyouhadasmuchonboardasyourshipcouldcarrysafelyoverthebar，youwentandgavenoticetoyouragents。

They，intheirturn，notifiedFalkthatso—and—sowasreadytogoout。ThenFalk（ostensiblywhenitfittedinwithhisotherwork，but，ifthetruthwereknown，simplywhenhisarbitraryspiritmovedhim），afterascertainingcarefullyintheofficethattherewasenoughmoneytomeethisbill，wouldcomealongunsympathetically，glaringatyouwithhisyelloweyesfromthebridge，andwoulddragyououtdishevelledastorigging，lumberedastothedecks，withunfeelinghaste，asiftoexecution。Andhewouldforceyoutoototaketheendofhisownwirehawser，fortheuseofwhichtherewasofcourseanextracharge。Toyourshoutedremonstrancesagainstthatextortionthistoweringtrunkwithonehandontheengine—roomtelegraphonlyshookitsbeardedheadabovethesplash，theracket，andthecloudsofsmokeinwhichthetug，backingandfill—

inginthesmotherofchurningpaddle—wheelsbe—

havedlikeaferociousandimpatientcreature。HehadhermannedbythecheekiestgangoflascarsI

everdidsee，whomheallowedtobawlatyouinso—

lently，and，oncefast，hepluckedyououtofyourberthasifhedidnotcarewhathesmashed。Eigh—

teenmilesdowntheriveryouhadtogobehindhim，andthenthreemorealongthecoasttowhereagroupofuninhabitedrockyisletsenclosedashel—

teredanchorage。Thereyouwouldhavetolieatsingleanchorwithyournakedsparsshowingtoseawardoverthesebarrenfragmentsoflandscat—

tereduponaveryintenselybluesea。Therewasnothingtolookatbesidesbutabarecoast，themud—

dyedgeofthebrownplainwiththesinuositiesoftheriveryouhadleft，tracedindullgreen，andtheGreatPagodauprisinglonelyandmassivewithshiningcurvesandpinnacleslikethegorgeousandstonyefflorescenceoftropicalrocks。Youhadnothingtodobuttowaitfretfullyforthebalanceofyourcargo，whichwassentoutoftheriverwiththegreatestirregularity。Anditwasopentoyoutoconsoleyourselfwiththethoughtthat，afterall，thisstageofbothermeantthatyourdeparturefromtheseshoreswasindeedapproachingatlast。

Webothhadtogothroughthatstage，HermannandI，andtherewasasortoftacitemulationbe—

tweentheshipsastowhichshouldbereadyfirst。

Wekeptonneckandneckalmosttothefinish，whenIwontheracebygoingpersonallytogivenoticeintheforenoon；whereasHermann，whowasveryslowinmakinguphismindtogoashore，didnotgettotheagents’officetilllateintheday。Theytoldhimtherethatmyshipwasfirstonturnfornextmorn—

ing，andIbelievehetoldthemhewasinnohurry。

Itsuitedhimbettertogothedayafter。

Thatevening，onboardtheDiana，hesatwithhisplumpkneeswellapart，staringandpuffingatthecurvedmouthpieceofhispipe。Presentlyhespokewithsomeimpatiencetohisnieceaboutput—

tingthechildrentobed。Mrs。Hermann，whowastalkingtoFalk，stoppedshortandlookedatherhusbanduneasily，butthegirlgotupatonceanddrovethechildrenbeforeherintothecabin。InalittlewhileMrs。Hermannhadtoleaveustoquellwhat，fromthesoundsinside，musthavebeenadan—

gerousmutiny。AtthisHermanngrumbledtohim—

self。ForhalfanhourlongerFalkleftalonewithusfidgetedonhischair，sighedlightly，thenatlast，afterdrawinghishandsdownhisface，gotup，andasifrenouncingthehopeofmakinghimselfunder—

stood（hehadn’topenedhismouthonce）hesaidinEnglish：\"Well……Goodnight，CaptainHer—

mann。\"Hestoppedforamomentbeforemychairandlookeddownfixedly；Imayevensayheglared：

andhewentsofarastomakeadeepnoiseinhisthroat。Therewasinallthissomethingsomarkedthatforthefirsttimeinourlimitedintercourseofnodsandgruntsheexcitedinmesomethinglikeinterest。Butnextmomenthedisappointedme——

forhestrodeawayhastilywithoutanodeven。

Hismannerwasusuallyodditistrue，andIcer—

tainlydidnotpaymuchattentiontoit；butthatsortofobscureintention，whichseemedtolurkinhisnonchalancelikeawaryoldcarpinapond，hadneverbeforecomesonearthesurface。Hehaddis—

tinctlyarousedmyexpectations。IwouldhavebeenunabletosaywhatitwasIexpected，butatalleventsIdidnotexpecttheabsurddevelopmentshesprunguponmenolaterthanthebreakoftheverynextday。

Irememberonlythattherewas，onthatevening，enoughpointinhisbehaviourtomakeme，afterhehadfled，wonderaudiblywhathemightmean。TothisHermann，crossinghislegswithaswingandsettlinghimselfviciouslyawayfrommeinhischair，said：\"Thatfellowdon’tknowhimselfwhathemeans。\"

Theremighthavebeensomeinsightinsucharemark。Isaidnothing，and，stillaverted，headded：\"WhenIwasherelastyearhewasjustthesame。\"Aneruptionoftobaccosmokeenvel—

opedhisheadasifhistemperhadexplodedlikegunpowder。

Ihadhalfamindtoaskhimpointblankwhetherhe，atleast，didn’tknowwhyFalk，anotoriouslyunsociableman，hadtakentovisitinghisshipwithsuchassiduity。Afterall，Ireflectedsuddenly，itwasamostremarkablething。IwondernowwhatHermannwouldhavesaid。Asitturnedouthedidn’tletmeask。ForgettingallaboutFalkap—

parently，hestartedamonologueonhisplansforthefuture：thesellingoftheship，thegoinghome；

andfallingintoareflectiveandcalculatingmoodhemumbledbetweenregularjetsofsmokeabouttheexpense。Thenecessityofdisbursingpassagemoneyforallhistribeseemedtodisturbhiminamannerthatwasthemorestrikingbecauseother—

wisehegavenosignsofamiserlydisposition。Andyethefussedovertheprospectofthatvoyagehomeinamailboatlikeasedentarygrocerwhohasmadeuphismindtoseetheworld。HewasraciallythriftyIsuppose，andforhimtheremusthavebeenagreatnoveltyinfindinghimselfobligedtopayfortravel—

ling——forseatravellingwhichwasthenormalstateoflifeforthefamily——fromtheverycradleformostofthem。Icouldseehegrudgedprospectivelyeverysingleshillingwhichmustbespentsoabsurd—

ly。Itwasratherfunny。Hewouldbecomedolefuloverit，andthenagain，withafretfulsigh，hewouldsupposetherewasnothingforitnowbuttotakethreesecond—classtickets——andtherewerethefourchildrentopayforbesides。Alotofmoneythattospendatonce。Abiglotofmoney。

Isatwithhimlistening（notforthefirsttime）

totheseheart—searchingstillIgrewthoroughlysleepy，andthenIlefthimandturnedinonboardmyship。AtdaylightIwasawakenedbyayelpingofshrillvoices，accompaniedbyagreatcommotioninthewater，andtheshort，bullyingblastsofasteam—whistle。Falkwithhistughadcomeforme。

Ibegantodress。Itwasremarkablethattheansweringnoiseonboardmyshiptogetherwiththepatteroffeetabovemyheadceasedsuddenly。ButIheardmoreremotegutturalcrieswhichseemedtoexpresssurpriseandannoyance。Thenthevoiceofmymatereachedmehowlingexpostulationstosomebodyatadistance。Othervoicesjoined，ap—

parentlyindignant；achorusofsomethingthatsoundedlikeabusereplied。Nowandthenthesteam—whistlescreeched。

Altogetherthatunnecessaryuproarwasdistract—

ing，butdownthereinmycabinItookitcalmly。

Inanothermoment，Ithought，Ishouldbegoingdownthatwretchedriver，andinanotherweekatthemostIshouldbetotallyquitoftheodiousplaceandalltheodiouspeopleinit。

Greatlycheeredbytheidea，Iseizedthehair—

brushesandlookingatmyselfintheglassbegantousethem。Suddenlyahushfelluponthenoiseout—

side，andIheard（theportsofmycabinwerethrownopen）——Iheardadeepcalmvoice，notonboardmyship，however，hailingresolutelyinEnglish，butwithastrongforeigntwang，\"Goahead!\"

Theremaybetidesintheaffairsofmenwhichtakenattheflood……andsoon。PersonallyI

amstillonthelookoutforthatimportantturn。

Iam，however，afraidthatmostofusarefatedtoflounderforeverinthedeadwaterofapoolwhoseshoresarearidindeed。ButIknowthatthereareofteninmen’saffairsunexpectedly——evenirration—

ally——illuminatingmomentswhenanotherwisein—

significantsound，perhapsonlysomeperfectlycom—

monplacegesture，sufficestorevealtousalltheunreason，allthefatuousunreason，ofourcompla—

cency。\"Goahead\"arenotparticularlystrikingwordsevenwhenpronouncedwithaforeignaccent；

yettheypetrifiedmeintheveryactofsmilingatmyselfintheglass。Andthen，refusingtobelievemyears，butalreadyboilingwithindignation，I

ranoutofthecabinandupondeck。

Itwasincrediblytrue。Itwasperfectlytrue。I

hadnoeyesforanythingbuttheDiana。Itwasshe，then，wasbeingtakenaway。Shewasalreadyoutofherberthandshootingathwarttheriver。\"Thewaythisloonaticpluckedthatshipoutisacau—

tion，\"saidtheawedvoiceofmymateclosetomyear。\"Hey!Hallo!Falk!Hermann!What’sthisinfernaltrick？\"Iyelledinafury。

Nobodyheardme。Falkcertainlycouldnothearme。Histugwasturningatfullspeedawayundertheotherbank。ThewirehawserbetweenherandtheDiana，stretchedastautasaharpstring，vibratedalarmingly。

Thehighblackcraftcareenedovertotheawfulstrain。Aloudcrackcameoutofher，followedbythetearingandsplinteringofwood。\"There!\"

saidtheawedvoiceinmyear。\"He’scarriedawaytheirtowingchock。\"Andthen，withenthusiasm，\"Oh!Look!Look!sir，Look!atthemDutchmenskippingoutofthewayontheforecastle。Ihopetogoodnesshe’llbreakafewoftheirshinsbeforehe’sdonewith’em。\"

Iyelledmyvainprotests。Theraysoftherisingsuncoursinglevelalongtheplainwarmedmyback，butIwashotenoughwithrage。Icouldnothavebelievedthatasimpletowingoperationcouldsug—

gestsoplainlytheideaofabduction，ofrape。FalkwassimplyrunningoffwiththeDiana。

Thewhitetugcareeredoutintothemiddleoftheriver。Theredfloatsofherpaddle—wheelsrevolv—

ingwithmadrapiditytoreupthewholereachintofoam。TheDianainmid—streamwaltzedroundwithasmuchgraceasanoldbarn，andflewafterherravisher。ThroughtheraggedfogofsmokedrivingheadlonguponthewaterIhadaglimpseofFalk’ssquaremotionlessshouldersunderawhitehatasbigasacart—wheel，ofhisredface，hisyel—

lowstaringeyes，hisgreatbeard。Insteadofkeep—

ingalookoutahead，hewasdeliberatelyturninghisbackontherivertoglareathistow。Thetallheavycraft，neversousedbeforeinherlife，seemedtohavelosthersenses；shetookawildsheeragainstherhelm，andforamomentcamestraightatus，menacingandclumsy，likearunawaymountain。

Shepiledupastreaming，hissing，boilingwavehalf—wayupherbluntstem，mycrewletoutonegreathowl，——andthenweheldourbreaths。Itwasanearthing。ButFalkhadher!Hehadherinhisclutch。IfanciedIcouldhearthesteelhawserpingasitsurgedacrosstheDiana’sforecastle，withthehandsonboardofherboltingawayfromitinalldirections。Itwasanearthing。Hermann，withhishairrumpled，inasnuffyflannelshirtandapairofmustard—colouredtrousers，hadrushedtohelpwiththewheel。Isawhisterrifiedroundface；I

sawhisveryteethuncoveredbyasortofghastlyfixedgrin；andinagreatleapingtumultofwaterbetweenthetwoshipstheDianawhiskedpastsoclosethatIcouldhaveflungahair—brushathishead，for，itseems，Ihadkepttheminmyhandsallthetime。MeanwhileMrs。Hermannsatplacidlyontheskylight，withawoollenshawlonhershoul—

ders。Theexcellentwomaninresponsetomyin—

dignantgesticulationsflutteredahandkerchief，noddingandsmilinginthekindestwayimagina—

ble。Theboys，onlyhalf—dressed，werejumpingaboutthepoopingreatglee，displayingtheirgaudybraces；andLenainashortscarletpetticoat，withpeakedelbowsandthinbarearms，nursedtherag—dollwithdevotion。Thewholefamilypassedbeforemysightasifdraggedacrossasceneofun—

paralleledviolence。ThelastIsawwasHermann’sniecewiththebabyHermanninherarmsstandingapartfromtheothers。Magnificentinherclose—

fittingprintfrockshedisplayedsomethingsocom—

mandinginthemanifestperfectionofherfigurethatthesunseemedtoberisingforheralone。Thefloodoflightbroughtouttheopulenceofherformandthevigourofheryouthinaglorifyingway。

Shewentbyperfectlymotionlessandasiflostinmeditation；onlythehemofherskirtstirredinthedraught；thesunraysbrokeonhersleektawnyhair；thatbald—headedruffian，Nicholas，waswhack—

ingherontheshoulder。Isawhistinyfatarmriseandfallinaworkmanlikemanner。AndthenthefourcottagewindowsoftheDianacameintoviewretreatingswiftlydowntheriver。Thesasheswereup，andoneofthewhitecalicocurtainswasflutteredstraightoutlikeastreamerabovetheagi—

tatedwaterofthewake。

Tobethustrickedoutofone’sturnwasanun—

heardofoccurrence。Inmyagent’soffice，whereI

wenttocomplainatonce，theyprotestedwithapol—

ogiestheycouldn’tunderstandhowthemistakearose：butSchombergwhenIdroppedinlatertogetsometiffin，thoughsurprisedtoseeme，wasperfect—

lyreadywithanexplanation。Ifoundhimseatedattheendofalongnarrowtable，facinghiswife——ascraggylittlewoman，withlongringletsandabluetooth，whosmiledabroadstupidlyandlookedfrightenedwhenyouspoketoher。Betweenthemawagglingpunkahfannedtwentycane—bottomedchairsandtworowsofshinyplates。ThreeChina—

meninwhitejacketsloafedwithnapkinsintheirhandsaroundthatdesolation。Schomberg’spettabled’hotewasnotmuchofasuccessthatday。

Hewasfeedinghimselfferociouslyandseemedtooverflowwithbitterness。

Hebeganbyorderinginabrutalvoicethechopstobebroughtbackforme，andturninginhischair：

\"Mistaketheytoldyou？Notabitofit!Don’tyoubelieveitforamoment，captain!Falkisn’tamantomakemistakesunlessonpurpose。\"HisfirmconvictionwasthatFalkhadbeentryingallalongtocurryfavouronthecheapwithHermann。

\"Onthecheap——mindyou!Itdoesn’tcosthimacenttoputthatinsultuponyou，andCaptainHer—

manngetsinadayaheadofyourship。Time’smoney!Eh？YouareveryfriendlywithCaptainHermannIbelieve，butamanisboundtobepleasedatanylittleadvantagehemayget。CaptainHer—

mannisagoodbusinessman，andthere’snosuchthingasafriendinbusiness。Isthere？\"Heleanedforwardandbegantocaststealthyglancesasusual。\"ButFalkis，andalwayswas，amisera—

blefellow。Iwoulddespisehim。\"

Imuttered，grumpily，thatIhadnoparticularrespectforFalk。

\"Iwoulddespisehim，\"heinsisted，withanap—

pearanceofanxietywhichwouldhaveamusedmeifIhadnotbeenfathomsdeepindiscontent。Toayoungmanfairlyconscientiousandaswell—mean—

ingasonlytheyoungmancanbe，thecurrentill—

usageoflifecomeswithapeculiarcruelty。Youththatisfreshenoughtobelieveinguilt，ininnocence，andinitself，willalwaysdoubtwhetherithavenotperchancedeserveditsfate。Sombreofmindandwithoutappetite，IstruggledwiththechopwhileMrs。SchombergsatwithhereverlastingstupidgrinandSchomberg’stalkgatheredwaylikeaslideofrubbish。

\"Letmetellyou。It’sallaboutthatgirl。I

don’tknowwhatCaptainHermannexpects，butifheaskedmeIcouldtellhimsomethingaboutFalk。

He’samiserablefellow。Thatmanisaperfectslave。That’swhatIcallhim。Aslave。LastyearIstartedthistabled’hote，andsentcardsout——youknow。Youthinkhehadonemealinthehouse？Givethethingatrial？Notonce。HehasgotholdnowofaMadrascook——ablamedfraudthatIhuntedoutofmycookhousewitharattan。

Hewasnotfittocookforwhitemen。No，notforthewhitemen’sdogseither；but，see，anydamnednativethatcanboilapotofriceisgoodenoughforMr。Falk。Riceandalittlefishhebuysforafewcentsfromthefishingboatsoutsideiswhatheliveson。Youwouldhardlycreditit——eh？Awhiteman，too……\"

Hewipedhislips，usingthenapkinwithindig—

nation，andlookingatme。Itflashedthroughmymindinthemidstofmydepressionthatifallthemeatinthetownwaslikethesetabled’hotechops，Falkwasn’tsofarwrong。Iwasonthepointofsayingthis，butSchomberg’sstarewasintimidat—

ing。\"He’savegetarian，perhaps，\"Imurmuredinstead。

\"He’samiser。Amiserablemiser，\"affirmedthehotel—keeperwithgreatforce。\"Themeathereisnotsogoodasathome——ofcourse。Anddeartoo。

Butlookatme。Ionlychargeadollarforthetif—

fin，andonedollarandfiftycentsforthedinner。

Showmeanythingcheaper。WhyamIdoingit？

There’slittleprofitinthisgame。Falkwouldn’tlookatit。Idoitforthesakeofalotofyoungwhitefellowsherethathadn’taplacewheretheycouldgetadecentmealandeatitdecentlyingoodcompany。There’sfirst—ratecompanyalwaysatmytable。\"

TheconvincedwayhesurveyedtheemptychairsmademefeelasifIhadintrudeduponatiffinofghostlyPresences。

\"Awhitemanshouldeatlikeawhiteman，dashitall，\"heburstoutimpetuously。\"Oughttoeatmeat，musteatmeat。Imanagetogetmeatformypatronsalltheyearround。Don’tI？Iamnotca—

teringforadam’lotofcoolies：Haveanotherchopcaptain……No？You，boy——takeaway!\"

Hethrewhimselfbackandwaitedgrimlyforthecurry。Thehalf—closedjalousiesdarkenedtheroompervadedbythesmelloffreshwhitewash：aswarmoffliesbuzzedandsettledinturns，andpoorMrs。

Schomberg’ssmileseemedtoexpressthequintes—

senceofalltheimbecilitythathadeverspoken，hadeverbreathed，hadeverbeenfedoninfamousbuffalomeatwithinthesebarewalls。Schombergdidnotopenhislipstillhewasreadytothrustthereinaspoonfulofgreasyrice。Herolledhiseyesridicu—

louslybeforeheswallowedthehotstuff，andonlythenbrokeoutafresh。

\"Itisthemostdegradingthing。Theytakethedishuptothewheelhouseforhimwithacoveronit，andheshutsboththedoorsbeforehebeginstoeat。

Fact!Mustbeashamedofhimself。Asktheengi—

neer。Hecan’tdowithoutanengineer——don’tyousee——andasnorespectablemancanbeexpectedtoputupwithsuchatable，heallowsthemfifteendol—

larsamonthextramessmoney。Iassureyouitisso!YoujustaskMr。FerdinanddaCosta。That’stheengineerhehasnow。Youmayhaveseenhimaboutmyplace，adelicatedarkyoungman，withveryfineeyesandalittlemoustache。HearrivedhereayearagofromCalcutta。Betweenyouandme，Iguessthemoney—lenderstheremusthavebeenafterhim。Herusheshereforamealeverychancehecanget，forjustpleasetellmewhatsatisfactionisthatforawell—educatedyoungfellowtofeedallaloneinhiscabin——likeawildbeast？That’swhatFalkexpectshisengineerstoputupwithforfifteendollarsextra。Andtherowsonboardeverytimealittlesmellofcookinggetsaboutthedeck!Youwouldn’tbelieve!TheotherdaydaCostagotthecooktofryasteakforhim——aturtlesteakitwastoo，notbeefatall——andthefatcaughtorsome—

thing。YoungdaCostahimselfwastellingmeofithereinthisroom。’Mr。Schomberg’——sayshe——

’ifIhadletacylindercoverblowoffthroughtheskylightbymynegligenceCaptainFalkcouldn’thavebeenmoresavage。Hefrightenedthecooksothathewon’tputanythingonthefireformenow。’

PoordaCostahadtearsinhiseyes。Onlytrytoputyourselfinhisplace，captain：asensitive，gen—

tlemanlyyoungfellow。Isheexpectedtoeathisfoodraw？Butthat’syourFalkallover。Askanyoneyoulike。Isupposethefifteendollarsextrahehastogivekeeponrankling——inthere。\"

AndSchombergtappedhismanlybreast。Isathalfstunnedbyhisirrelevantbabble。Suddenlyhegrippedmyforearminanimpressiveandcau—

tiousmanner，asiftoleadmeintoaverycavernofconfidence。

\"It’snothingbutenviousness，\"hesaidinalow—

eredtone，whichhadastimulatingeffectuponmyweariedhearing。\"Idon’tsupposethereisonepersoninthistownthatheisn’tenviousof。Itellyouhe’sdangerous。EvenImyselfamnotsafefromhim。Iknowforcertainhetriedtopoi—

son……\"

\"Oh，comenow，\"Icried，revolted。

\"ButIknowforcertain。Thepeoplethemselvescameandtoldmeofit。HewentaboutsayingeverywhereIwasaworsepesttothistownthanthecholera。HehadbeentalkingagainstmeeversinceIopenedthishotel。AndhepoisonedCaptainHer—

mann’smindtoo。LasttimetheDianawasloadinghereCaptainHermannusedtocomeineverydayforadrinkoracigar。Thistimehehasn’tbeenheretwiceinaweek。Howdoyouaccountforthat？\"

Hesqueezedmyarmtillheextortedfrommesomesortofmumble。

\"HemakestentimesthemoneyIdo。I’veanotherhoteltofightagainst，andthereisnoothertugontheriver。Iamnotinhisway，amI？Hewouldn’tbefittorunanhotelifhetried。Butthat’sjusthisnature。Hecan’tbeartothinkIammak—

ingaliving。Ionlyhopeitmakeshimproperlywretched。He’slikethatineverything。Hewouldliketokeepadecenttablewellenough。

Butno——forthesakeofafewcents。Can’tdoit。

It’stoomuchforhim。That’swhatIcallbeingaslavetoit。Buthe’smeanenoughtokickuparowwhenhisnosegetstickledabit。Seethat？Thatjustpaintshim。Miserlyandenvious。Youcan’taccountforitanyotherway。Canyou？Ihavebeenstudyinghimthesethreeyears。\"

HewasanxiousIshouldassenttohistheory。