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。