Coulditbesomethingofthatnature？Apart，however，fromtheutterimprobabilitythathewouldoffertotalkofiteventohisfutureuncle—
in—law，IhadastrangefeelingthatFalk’sphysiqueunfittedhimforthatsortofdelinquency。AsthepersonofHermann’snieceexhaledtheprofoundphysicalcharmoffeminineform，soherador—
er’sbigframeembodiedtomysensesthehard，straightmasculinitythatwouldconceivablykillbutwouldnotcondescendtocheat。Thethingwasobvious。Imightjustaswellhavesuspectedthegirlofacurvatureofthespine。AndIper—
ceivedthatthesunwasabouttoset。
ThesmokeofFalk’stughoveinsight，farawayatthemouthoftheriver。Itwastimeformetoassumethecharacterofanambassador，andthenegotiationwouldnotbedifficultexceptinthematterofkeepingmycountenance。Itwasalltooextravagantlynonsensical，andIconceivedthatitwouldbebesttocomposeformyselfagravede—
meanour。IpractisedthisinmyboatasIwentalong，butthebashfulnessthatcamesecretlyuponmethemomentIsteppedonthedeckoftheDianaisinexplicable。AssoonaswehadexchangedgreetingsHermannaskedmeeagerlyifIknewwhetherFalkhadfoundhiswhiteparasol。
"He’sgoingtobringittoyouhimselfdirectly，"
Isaidwithgreatsolemnity。"MeantimeIamchargedwithanimportantmessageforwhichhebegsyourfavourableconsideration。Heisinlovewithyourniece……"
"AchSo!"hehissedwithananimositythatmademyassumedgravitychangeintothemostgenuineconcern。Whatmeantthistone？AndI
hurriedon。
"Hewishes，withyourconsentofcourse，toaskhertomarryhimatonce——beforeyouleavehere，thatis。HewouldspeaktotheConsul。"
Hermannsatdownandsmokedviolently。Fiveminutespassedinthatfuriousmeditation，andthen，takingthelongpipeoutofhismouth，heburstintoahotdiatribeagainstFalk——againsthiscupidity，hisstupidity（afellowthatcanhardlybegottosay"yes"or"no"tothesimplestques—
tion）——againsthisoutrageoustreatmentoftheshippinginport（becausehesawtheywereathismercy）——andagainsthismannerofwalking，whichtohis（Hermann’s）mindshowedaconceitpositivelyunbearable。ThedamagetotheoldDianawasnotforgotten，ofcourse，andtherewasnothingofanynaturesaidordonebyFalk（eventothelastofferofrefreshmentinthehotel）thatdidnotseemtohavebeenacauseofoffence。
"Hadthecheek"todraghim（Hermann）intothatcoffee—room；asthoughadrinkfromhimcouldmakeupforforty—sevendollarsandfiftycentsofdamageinthecostofwoodalone——notcountingtwodays’workforthecarpenter。Ofcoursehewouldnotstandinthegirl’sway。HewasgoinghometoGermany。TherewereplentyofpoorgirlswalkingaboutinGermany。
"He’sverymuchinlove，"wasallIfoundtosay。
"Yes，"hecried。"Anditistimetooaftermak—
inghimselfandmetalkedaboutashorethelastvoyageIwashere，andthennowagain；comingonboardeveryeveningunsettlingthegirl’smind，andsayingnothing。Whatsortofconductisthat？"
Theseventhousanddollarsthefellowwasalwaystalkingaboutdidnot，inhisopinion，justifysuchbehaviour。Moreover，nobodyhadseenthem。He（Hermann）seriouslydoubtediftherewereseventhousandcents，andthetug，nodoubt，wasmort—
gageduptothetopofthefunneltothefirmofSiegers。Butletthatpass。Hewouldn’tstandinthegirl’sway。Herheadwassoturnedthatshehadbecomenogoodtothemoflate。Quiteunableeventoputthechildrentobedwithoutheraunt。
Itwasbadforthechildren；theygotunruly；andyesterdayheactuallyhadtogiveGustavathrash—
ing。
Forthat，too，Falkwasmaderesponsibleap—
parently。AndlookingatmyHermann’sheavy，puffy，good—naturedface，Iknewhewouldnotex—
erthimselftillgreatlyexasperated，and，therefore，wouldthrashveryhard，andbeingfatwouldresentthenecessity。HowFalkhadmanagedtoturnthegirl’sheadwasmoredifficulttounderstand。Isup—
posedHermannwouldknow。Andthenhadn’ttherebeenMissVanlo？Itcouldnotbehissilverytongue，orthesubtleseductionofhismanner；hehadnomoreofwhatiscalled"manner"thanananimal——which，however，ontheotherhand，isnever，andcanneverbecalledvulgar。Thereforeitmusthavebeenhisbodilyappearance，exhibitingavirilityofnatureasexaggeratedashisbeard，andresemblingasortofconstantruthlessness。Itwasseenintheverymannerhelolledinthechair。Hemeantnooffence，buthisintercoursewascharac—
terisedbythatsortoffrankdisregardofsuscepti—
bilitiesamanofsevenfootsix，livinginaworldofdwarfs，wouldnaturallyassume，withoutintheleastwishingtobeunkind。Butamongstmenofhisownstature，ornearly，thisfrankuseofhisad—
vantages，insuchmattersastheawfultowagebillsforinstance，causedmuchimpotentgnashingofteeth。Whenattentivelyconsidereditseemedap—
pallingattimes。Hewasastrangebeast。Butmaybewomenlikedit。Seeninthatlighthewaswellworthtaming，andIsupposeeverywomanatthebottomofherheartconsidersherselfasatamerofstrangebeasts。ButHermannarosewithpre—
cipitationtocarrythenewstohiswife。Ihadbarelythetime，ashemadeforthecabindoor，tograbhimbytheseatofhisinexpressibles。I
beggedhimtowaittillFalkinpersonhadspokenwithhim。Thereremainedsomesmallmattertotalkover，asIunderstood。
Hesatdownagainatonce，fullofsuspicion。
"Whatmatter？"hesaidsurlily。"Ihavehadenoughofhisnonsense。There’snomatteratall，asheknowsverywell；thegirlhasnothingintheworld。Shecametousinonethindresswhenmybrotherdied，andIhaveagrowingfamily。"
"Itcan’tbeanythingofthatkind，"Iopined。
"He’sdesperatelyenamouredofyourniece。I
don’tknowwhyhedidnotsaysobefore。Uponmyword，Ibelieveitisbecausehewasafraidtolose，perhaps，thefelicityofsittingnearheronyourquarterdeck。"
Iintimatedmyconvictionthathislovewassogreatastobeinasensecowardly。Theeffectsofagreatpassionareunaccountable。Ithasbeenknowntomakeamantimid。ButHermannlookedatmeasifIhadfoolishlyraved；andthetwilightwasdyingoutrapidly。
"Youdon’tbelieveinpassion，doyou，Her—
mann？"Isaidcheerily。"Thepassionoffearwillmakeacorneredratcourageous。Falk’sinacor—
ner。Hewilltakeheroffyourhandsinonethinfrockjustasshecametoyou。Andaftertenyears’
serviceitisn’tabadbargain，"Iadded。
Farfromtakingoffence，heresumedhisairofcivicvirtue。Thesuddennightcameuponhimwhilehestaredplacidlyalongthedeck，bringingincontactwithhisthicklips，andtakingawayagainafterajetofsmoke，thecurvedmouthpiecefittedtothestemofhispipe。Thenightcameuponhimandburiedinhastehiswhiskers，hisglob—
ulareyes，hispuffypaleface，hisfatkneesandthevastflatslippersonhisfatherlyfeet。Onlyhisshortarmsinrespectablewhiteshirt—sleevesre—
mainedveryvisible，proppedupliketheflippersofasealreposingonthestrand。
"Falkwouldn’tsettleanythingaboutrepairs。
ToldmetofindoutfirsthowmuchwoodIshouldrequireandhewouldsee，"heremarked；andafterhehadspatpeacefullyintheduskweheardoverthewaterthebeatofthetug’sfloats。Thereis，onacalmnight，nothingmoresuggestiveoffierceandheadlonghastethantherapidsoundmadebythepaddle—wheelsofaboatthreshingherwaythroughaquietsea；andtheapproachofFalktowardshisfateseemedtobeurgedbyanimpatientandpas—
sionatedesire。Theenginesmusthavebeendriventotheveryutmostoftheirrevolutions。Weheardthemslowdownatlast，and，vaguely，thewhitehullofthetugappearedmovingagainsttheblackislets，whilstaslowandrhythmicalclappingasofthousandsofhandsroseonallsides。Itceasedallatonce，justbeforeFalkbroughtherup。Asin—
glebrusquesplashwasfollowedbythelongdrawnrumblingofironlinksrunningthroughthehawsepipe。ThenasolemnsilencefellupontheRoad—
stead。
"Hewillsoonbehere，"Imurmured，andafterthatwewaitedforhimwithoutaword。Meantime，raisingmyeyes，IbeheldtheglitterofaloftyskyabovetheDiana’smastheads。Themultitudeofstarsgatheredintoclusters，inrows，inlines，inmasses，ingroups，shonealltogether，unanimously——andthefewisolatedones，blazingbythemselvesinthemidstofdarkpatches，seemedtobeofasu—
periorkindandofaninextinguishablenature。Butlongstridingfootstepswereheardhasteningalongthedeck；thehighbulwarksoftheDianamadeadeeperdarkness。Werosefromourchairsquickly，andFalk，appearingbeforeus，allinwhite，stoodstill。
Nobodyspokeatfirst，asthoughwehadbeencoveredwithconfusion。Hisarrivalwasfiery，buthiswhitebulk，ofindefiniteshapeandwithoutfea—
tures，madehimloomuplikeamanofsnow。
"Thecaptainherehasbeentellingme……"
Hermannbeganinahomelyandamicablevoice；
andFalkhadalow，nervouslaugh。Hiscool，neg—
ligentundertonehadnoinflexions，butthestrengthofapowerfulemotionmadehimrambleinhisspeech。Hehadalwaysdesiredahome。Itwasdifficulttolivealone，thoughhewasnotanswera—
ble。Hewasdomestic；therehadbeendifficulties；
butsincehehadseenHermann’sniecehefoundthatithadbecomeatlastimpossibletolivebyhim—
self。"Imean——impossible，"herepeatedwithnosortofemphasisandonlywiththeslightestofpauses，butthewordfellintomymindwiththeforceofanewidea。
"Ihavenotsaidanythingtoheryet，"Hermannobservedquietly。AndFalkdismissedthisbya"That’sallright。Certainly。Veryproper。"
Therewasanecessityforperfectfrankness——inmarrying，especially。Hermannseemedattentive，butheseizedthefirstopportunitytoaskusintothecabin。"Andby—the—by，Falk，"hesaidinnocent—
ly，aswepassedin，"thetimbercametonolessthanforty—sevendollarsandfiftycents。"
Falk，uncoveringhishead，lingeredinthepas—
sage。"Someothertime，"hesaid；andHermannnudgedmeangrily——Idon’tknowwhy。Thegirlaloneinthecabinsatsewingatsomedistancefromthetable。Falkstoppedshortinthedoorway。
Withoutaword，withoutasign，withouttheslight—
estinclinationofhisbonyhead，bythesilentin—
tensityofhislookalone，heseemedtolayhisher—
culeanframeatherfeet。Herhandssankslowlyonherlap，andraisinghercleareyes，shelethersoft，beamingglanceenfoldhimfromheadtofootlikeaslowandpalecaress。Hewasveryhotwhenhesatdown；she，withbowedhead，wentonwithhersewing；herneckwasverywhiteunderthelightofthelamp；butFalk，hidinghisfaceinthepalmsofhishands，shudderedfaintly。Hedrewthemdown，eventohisbeard，andhisuncoveredeyesas—
tonishedmebytheirtenseandirrationalexpres—
sion——asthoughhehadjustswallowedaheavygulpofalcohol。Itpassedawaywhilehewasbindingustosecrecy。Notthathecared，buthedidnotliketobespokenabout；andIlookedatthegirl’smarvellous，atherwonderful，atherregalhair，plaitedtightintothatoneastonishingandmaidenlytress。Whenevershemovedherwell—
shapedheaditwouldstirstifflytoandfroonherback。Thethincottonsleevefittedtheirreproach—
ableroundnessofherarmlikeaskin；andherverydress，stretchedonherbust，seemedtopalpitatelikealivingtissuewiththestrengthofvitalityani—
matingherbody。Howgoodhercomplexionwas，theoutlineofhersoftcheekandthesmallconvo—
lutedconchofherrosyear!Topullherneedleshekeptthelittlefingerapartfromtheothers；itseemedawasteofpowertoseehersewing——eter—
nallysewing——withthatindustriousandprecisemovementofherarm，goingoneternallyuponalltheoceans，underalltheskies，ininnumerablehar—
bours。AndsuddenlyIheardFalk’svoicedeclarethathecouldnotmarryawomanunlesssheknewofsomethinginhislifethathadhappenedtenyearsago。Itwasanaccident。Anunfortunateac—
cident。Itwouldaffectthedomesticarrangementsoftheirhome，but，oncetold，itneednotbealludedtoagainfortherestoftheirlives。"Ishouldwantmywifetofeelforme，"hesaid。"Ithasmademeunhappy。"Andhowcouldhekeeptheknowledgeofittohimself——heaskedus——perhapsthroughyearsandyearsofcompanionship？Whatsortofcompanionshipwouldthatbe？Hehadthoughtitover。Awifemustknow。Thenwhynotatonce？
HecountedonHermann’skindnessforpresentingtheaffairinthebestpossiblelight。AndHer—
mann’scountenance，mystifiedbefore，becameverysour。Hestoleaninquisitiveglanceatme。I
shookmyheadblankly。Somepeoplethought，Falkwenton，thatsuchanexperiencechangedamanfortherestofhislife。Hecouldn’tsay。Itwashard，awful，andnottobeforgotten，buthedidnotthinkhimselfaworsemanthanbefore。
Onlyhetalkedinhissleepnow，hebelieved……
AtlastIbegantothinkhehadaccidentallykilledsomeone；perhapsafriend——hisownfathermay—
be；whenhewentontosaythatprobablywewereawarehenevertouchedmeat。ThroughouthespokeEnglish，ofcourseofmyaccount。
Heswayedforwardheavily。
Thegirl，withherhandsraisedbeforeherpaleeyes，wasthreadingherneedle。Heglancedather，andhismightytrunkovershadowedthetable，bringingnearertousthebreadthofhisshoulders，thethicknessofhisneck，andthatincongruous，an—
choritehead，burntinthedesert，hollowedandleanasifbyexcessesofvigilsandfasting。Hisbeardflowedimposinglydownwards，outofsight，be—
tweenthetwobrownhandsgrippingtheedgeofthetable，andhispersistentglancemadesombrebythewidedilationsofthepupils，fascinated。
"Imaginetoyourselves，"hesaidinhisordinaryvoice，"thatIhaveeatenman。"
Icouldonlyejaculateafaint"Ah!"ofcom—
pleteenlightenment。ButHermann，dazedbytheexcessiveshock，actuallymurmured，"Himmel!
Whatfor？"
"Itwasmyterriblemisfortunetodoso，"saidFalkinameasuredundertone。Thegirl，uncon—
scious，sewedon。Mrs。Hermannwasabsentinoneofthestate—rooms，sittingupwithLena，whowasfeverish；butHermannsuddenlyputbothhishandsupwithajerk。Theembroideredcalottefell，and，inthetwinklingofaneye，hehadrum—
pledhishairallendsupinamostextravagantmanner。Inthisstatehestrovetospeak；witheveryefforthiseyesseemedtostartfurtheroutoftheirsockets；hisheadlookedlikeamop。Hechoked，gasped，swallowed，andmanagedtoshriekouttheoneword，"Beast!"
FromthatmomenttillFalkwentoutofthecab—
inthegirl，withherhandsfoldedontheworklyinginherlap，nevertookhereyesoffhim。Hisown，intheblindnessofhisheart，dartedalloverthecabin，onlyseekingtoavoidthesightofHermann’sraving。Itwasridiculous，andwasmadealmostterriblebythestillnessofeveryotherpersonpres—
ent。Itwascontemptible，andwasmadeappallingbytheman’sovermasteringhorrorofthisawfulsincerity，comingtohimsuddenly，withtheconfes—
sionofsuchafact。Hewalkedwithgreatstrides；
hegasped。HewantedtoknowfromFalkhowdaredhetocomeandtellhimthis？Didhethinkhimselfaproperpersontobesittinginthiscabinwherehiswifeandchildrenlived？Tellhisniece!
Expectedhimtotellhisniece!Hisownbrother’sdaughter!Shameless!DidIeverheartellofsuchimpudence？——heappealedtome。"Thismanhereoughttohavegoneandhiddenhimselfoutofsightinsteadof……"
"Butit’sagreatmisfortuneforme。Butit’sagreatmisfortuneforme，"Falkwouldejaculatefromtimetotime。
However，Hermannkeptonrunningfrequentlyagainstthecornersofthetable。Atlasthelostaslipper，andcrossinghisarmsonhisbreast，walkedupwithonestockingfootveryclosetoFalk，inor—
dertoaskhimwhetherhedidthinktherewasany—
whereonearthawomanabandonedenoughtomatewithsuchamonster。"Didhe？Didhe？Didhe？"Itriedtorestrainhim。Hetorehimselfoutofmyhands；hefoundhisslipper，and，endeavour—
ingtoputiton，stormedstandingononeleg——
andFalk，withafaceunmovedandavertedeyes，graspedallhismightybeardinonevastpalm。
"Wasitrightthenformetodiemyself？"heaskedthoughtfully。Ilaidmyhandonhisshoul—
der。
"Goaway，"Iwhisperedimperiously，withoutanyclearreasonforthisadvice，exceptthatI
wishedtoputanendtoHermann’sodiousnoise。
"Goaway。"
HelookedsearchinglyforamomentatHermannbeforehemadeamove。Ileftthecabintootoseehimoutoftheship。Buthehungaboutthequar—
ter—deck。
"Itismymisfortune，"hesaidinasteadyvoice。
"Youwerestupidtoblurtitoutinsuchaman—
ner。Afterall，wedon’thearsuchconfidenceseveryday。"
"Whatdoesthemanmean？"hemusedindeepundertones。"Somebodyhadtodie——butwhyme？"
Heremainedstillforatimeinthedark——silent；
almostinvisible。Allatoncehepinnedmyelbowstomysides。Ifeltutterlypowerlessinhisgrip，andhisvoice，whisperinginmyear，vibrated。
"It’sworsethanhunger。Captain，doyouknowwhatthatmeans？AndIcouldkillthen——orbekilled。Iwishthecrowbarhadsmashedmyskulltenyearsago。AndI’vegottolivenow。Withouther。Doyouunderstand？Perhapsmanyyears。
Buthow？Whatcanbedone？IfIhadallowedmyselftolookatheronceIwouldhavecarriedheroffbeforethatmaninmyhands——likethis。"
Ifeltmyselfsnatchedoffthedeck，thensuddenlydropped——andIstaggeredbackwards，feelingbewilderedandbruised。Whataman!Allwasstill；hewasgone。IheardHermann’svoicede—
claiminginthecabin，andIwentin。
Icouldnotatfirstmakeoutasingleword，butMrs。Hermann，who，attractedbythenoise，hadcomeinsometimebefore，withanexpressionofsurpriseandmilddisapproval，depictedbroadlyonherface，wasgivingnowallthesignsofprofound，helplessagitation。Herhusbandshotastringofgutturalwordsather，andinstantlyputtingoutonehandtothebulkheadasiftosaveherselffromfalling，sheclutchedtheloosebosomofherdresswiththeother。Heharanguedthetwowomenex—
traordinarily，withmuchofhisshirthangingoutofhiswaistbelt，stampinghisfoot，turningfromonetotheother，sometimesthrowingbothhisarmsto—
gether，straightupabovehisrumpledhair，andkeepingtheminthatpositionwhileheutteredapassageoflouddenunciation；atothersfoldingthemtightacrosshisbreast——andthenhehissedwithindignation，elevatinghisshouldersandpro—
trudinghishead。Thegirlwascrying。
Shehadnotchangedherattitude。Fromhersteadyeyesthat，followingFalkinhisretreat，hadremainedfixedwistfullyonthecabindoor，thetearsfellrapid，thick，onherhands，ontheworkinherlap，warmandgentlelikeashowerinspring。
Sheweptwithoutgrimacing，withoutnoise——verytouching，veryquiet，withsomethingmoreofpitythanofpaininherface，asoneweepsincompassionratherthaningrief——andHermann，beforeher，declaimed。Icaughtseveraltimestheword"Mensch，"man；andalso"Fressen，"whichlastI
lookedupafterwardsinmydictionary。Itmeans"Devour。"Hermannseemedtoberequestingananswerofsomesortfromher；hiswholebodyswayed。Sheremainedmuteandperfectlystill；
atlasthisagitationgainedher；sheputthepalmsofherhandstogether，herfulllipsparted，nosoundcame。Hisvoicescoldedshrilly，hisarmswentlikeawindmill——suddenlyheshookathickfistather。Sheburstoutintoloudsobs。Heseemedstupefied。
Mrs。Hermannrushedforwardbabblingrap—
dly。Thetwowomenfelloneachother’snecks，and，withanarmroundherniece’swaist，sheledheraway。Herowneyesweresimplystreaming，herfacewasflooded。Sheshookherheadbackatmenegatively，Iwonderwhytothisday。Thegirl’sheaddroppedheavilyonhershoulder。Theydis—
appeared。
ThenHermannsatdownandstaredatthecabinfloor。
"Wedon’tknowallthecircumstances，"Iven—
turedtobreakthesilence。Heretortedtartlythathedidn’twanttoknowofany。Accordingtohisideasnocircumstancescouldexcuseacrime——andcertainlynotsuchacrime。Thiswastheopiniongenerallyreceived。Thedutyofahumanbeingwastostarve。Falkthereforewasabeast，anani—
mal；base，low，vile，despicable，shameless，andde—
ceitful。Hehadbeendeceivinghimsincelastyear。
Hewas，however，inclinedtothinkthatFalkmusthavegonemadquiterecently；fornosaneperson，withoutnecessity，uselessly，fornoearthlyreason，andregardlessofanother’sself—respectandpeaceofmind，wouldowntohavingdevouredhumanflesh。"Whytell？"hecried。"Whowasaskinghim？"ItshowedFalk’sbrutalitybecauseafterallhehadselfishlycausedhim（Hermann）muchpain。Hewouldhavepreferrednottoknowthatsuchanuncleancreaturehadbeeninthehabitofcaressinghischildren。HehopedIwouldsaynoth—
ingofallthisashore，though。Hewouldn’tlikeittogetaboutthathehadbeenintimatewithaneaterofmen——acommoncannibal。Astothescenehehadmade（whichIjudgedquiteunnecessary）
hewasnotgoingtoinconvenienceandrestrainhimselfforafellowthatwentaboutcourtingandupsettinggirls’heads，whileheknewallthetimethatnodecenthousewifelygirlcouldthinkofmar—
ryinghim。Atleasthe（Hermann）couldnotcon—
ceivehowanygirlcould。FancyLena!……No，itwasimpossible。Thethoughtsthatwouldcomeintotheirheadseverytimetheysatdowntoameal。
Horrible!Horrible!
"Youaretoosqueamish，Hermann，"Isaid。
HeseemedtothinkitwaseminentlypropertobesqueamishifthewordmeantdisgustatFalk’scon—
duct；andturninguphiseyessentimentallyhedrewmyattentiontothehorriblefateofthevictims——thevictimsofthatFalk。IsaidthatIknewnothingaboutthem。Heseemedsurprised。Couldnotanybodyimaginewithoutknowing？He——forinstance——felthewouldliketoavengethem。Butwhatif——saidI——therehadnotbeenany？Theymighthavediedasitwere，naturally——ofstarva—
tion。Heshuddered。Buttobeeaten——afterdeath!Tobedevoured!Hegaveanotherdeepshudder，andaskedsuddenly，"Doyouthinkitistrue？"
Hisindignationandhispersonalitytogetherwouldhavebeenenoughtospoiltherealityofthemostauthenticthing。WhenIlookedathimI
doubtedthestory——buttheremembranceofFalk’swords，looks，gestures，investeditnotonlywithanairofrealitybutwiththeabsolutetruthofprimitivepassion。
"Itistruejustasmuchasyouareabletomakeit；andexactlyinthewayyouliketomakeit。Formypart，whenIhearyouclamouringaboutit，I
don’tbelieveitistrueatall。"
AndIlefthimpondering。ThemeninmyboatlyingatthefootofDiana’ssideladdertoldmethatthecaptainofthetughadgoneawayinhisgigsometimeago。
Iletmyfellowspullaneasystroke；becauseoftheheavydewtheclearsparkleofthestarsseemedtofallonmecoldandwetting。Therewasasenseoflurkinggruesomehorrorsomewhereinmymind，anditwasmingledwithclearandgrotesqueimages。Schomberg’sgastronomictittle—tattlewasresponsibleforthese；andIhalfhopedI
shouldneverseeFalkagain。Butthefirstthingmyanchor—watchmantoldmewasthatthecaptainofthetugwasonboard。Hehadsenthisboatawayandwasnowwaitingformeinthecuddy。
Hewaslyingfulllengthonthesternsettee，hisfaceburiedinthecushions。Ihadexpectedtoseeitdiscomposed，contorted，despairing。Itwasnothingofthekind；itwasjustasIhadseenittwentytimes，steadyandglaringfromthebridgeofthetug。Itwasimmovablysetandhungry，dominatedlikethewholemanbythesinglenessofoneinstinct。
Hewantedtolive。Hehadalwayswantedtolive。Sowealldo——butinustheinstinctservesacomplexconception，andinhimthisinstinctexistedalone。Thereisinsuchsimpledevelopmentagi—
ganticforce，andlikethepathosofachild’snaivenduncontrolleddesire。Hewantedthatgirl，andtheutmostthatcanbesaidforhimwasthathewantedthatparticulargirlalone。IthinkIsawthentheobscurebeginning，theseedgerminatinginthesoilofanunconsciousneed，thefirstshootofthattreebearingnowforamaturemankindtheflowerandthefruit，theinfinitegradationinshadesandinflavourofourdiscriminatinglove。
Hewasachild。Hewasasfrankasachildtoo。
Hewashungryforthegirl，terriblyhungry，ashehadbeenterriblyhungryforfood。
Don’tbeshockedifIdeclarethatinmybeliefitwasthesameneed，thesamepain，thesametor—
ture。Weareinhiscaseallowedtocontemplatethefoundationofalltheemotions——thatonejoywhichistolive，andtheonesadnessattherootoftheinnumerabletorments。Itwasmadeplainbythewayhetalked。Hehadneversufferedso。Itwasgnawing，itwasfire；itwasthere，likethis!
Andafterpointingbelowhisbreastbone，hemadeahardwringingmotionwithhishands。AndIas—
sureyouthat，seenasIsawitwithmybodilyeyes，itwasanythingbutlaughable。Andagain，ashewaspresentlytotellme（alludingtoanearlyinci—
dentofthedisastrousvoyagewhensomedamagedmeathadbeenflungoverboard），hesaidthatatimesooncamewhenhisheartached（thatwastheexpressionheused），andhewasreadytotearhishairoutatthethoughtofallthatrottenbeefthrownaway。
Ihadheardallthis；Iwitnessedhisphysicalstruggles，seeingtheworkingoftherackandhear—
ingthetruevoiceofpain。Iwitnesseditallpa—
tiently，becausethemomentIcameintothecuddyhehadcalleduponmetostandbyhim——andthis，itseems，Ihaddiplomaticallypromised。
Hisagitationwasimpressiveandalarminginthelittlecabin，liketheflounderingofagreatwhaledrivenintoashallowcoveinacoast。Hestoodup；heflunghimselfdownheadlong；hetriedtotearthecushionwithhisteeth；andagainhug—
gingitfiercelytohisfacehelethimselffallonthecouch。Thewholeshipseemedtofeeltheshockofhisdespair；andIcontemplatedwithwondertheloftyforehead，thenobletouchoftimeontheun—
coveredtemples，theunchangedhungrycharacteroftheface——sostrangelyasceticandsoincapableofportrayingemotion。
Whatshouldhedo？Hehadlivedbybeingnearher。Hehadsat——intheevening——Iknew？——
allhislife!Shesewed。Herheadwasbent——so。
Herhead——likethis——andherarms。Ah!HadI
seen？Likethis。
Hedroppedonastool，bowedhispowerfulneckwhosenapewasred，andwithhishandsstitchedtheair，ludicrous，sublimelyimbecileandcompre—
hensible。
Andnowhecouldn’thaveher？No!Thatwastoomuch。Afterthinkingtoothat……Whathadhedone？Whatwasmyadvice？Takeherbyforce？No？Mustn’the？Whowastherethentokillhim？ForthefirsttimeIsawoneofhisfea—
turesmove；afightingteeth—baringcurlofthelip……"NotHermann，perhaps。"Helosthimselfinthoughtasthoughhehadfallenoutoftheworld。
Imaynotethattheideaofsuicideapparentlydidnotenterhisheadforasinglemoment。Itoc—
curredtometoask：
"Wherewasitthatthisshipwreckofyourstookplace？"
"Downsouth，"hesaidvaguelywithastart。
"Youarenotdownsouthnow，"Isaid。"Vio—
lencewon’tdo。Theywouldtakeherawayfromyouinnotime。Andwhatwasthenameoftheship？"
"BorgmesterDahl，"hesaid。"Itwasnoship—
wreck。"
Heseemedtobewakingupbydegreesfromthattrance，andwakingupcalmed。
"Notashipwreck？Whatwasit？"
"Breakdown，"heanswered，lookingmorelikehimselfeverymoment。BythisonlyIlearnedthatitwasasteamer。Ihadtillthensupposedtheyhadbeenstarvinginboatsoronaraft——orper—
hapsonabarrenrock。
"Shedidnotsinkthen？"Iaskedinsurprise。
Henodded。"Wesightedthesouthernice，"hepronounceddreamily。
"Andyoualonesurvived？"
Hesatdown。"Yes。Itwasaterriblemisfor—
tuneforme。Everythingwentwrong。Allthemenwentwrong。Isurvived。"
Rememberingthethingsonereadsofitwasdiffi—
culttorealisethetruemeaningofhisanswers。I
oughttohaveseenatonce——butIdidnot；sodiffi—
cultisitforourminds，rememberingsomuch，in—
structedsomuch，informedofsomuch，togetintouchwiththerealactualityatourelbow。Andwithmyheadfullofpreconceivednotionsastohowacaseof"cannibalismandsufferingatsea"
shouldbemanagedIsaid——"Youwerethensoluckyinthedrawingoflots？"
"Drawingoflots？"hesaid。"Whatlots？DoyouthinkIwouldhaveallowedmylifetogoforthedrawingoflots？"
Notifhecouldhelpif，Iperceived，nomatterwhatotherlifewent。
"Itwasagreatmisfortune。Terrible。Awful，"
hesaid。"Manyheadswentwrong，butthebestmenwouldlive。"
"Thetoughest，youmean，"Isaid。Heconsid—
eredtheword。Perhapsitwasstrangetohim，thoughhisEnglishwassogood。
"Yes，"heassertedatlast。"Thebest。Itwaseverybodyforhimselfatlastandtheshipopentoall。"
ThusfromquestiontoquestionIgotthewholestory。IfancyitwastheonlywayIcouldthatnighthavestoodbyhim。Outwardlyatleasthewashimselfagain；thefirstsignofitwasthere—
turnofthatincongruoustrickhehadofdrawingbothhishandsdownhisface——andithaditsmean—
ingnow，withthatslightshudderoftheframeandthepassionateanguishofthesehandsuncoveringahungryimmovableface，thewidepupilsoftheintent，silent，fascinatingeyes。
Itwasanironsteamerofamostrespectableori—
gin。TheburgomasterofFalk’snativetownhadbuilther。Shewasthefirststeamereverlaunchedthere。Theburgomaster’sdaughterhadchristenedher。Countrypeopledroveincartsfrommilesaroundtoseeher。Hetoldmeallthis。Hegottheberthaswhatweshouldcallachiefmate。Heseemedtothinkithadbeenafeatherinhiscap；
and，inhisowncorneroftheworld，thisloveroflifewasofgoodparentage。
Theburgomasterhadadvancedideasintheship—owningline。AtthattimenoteveryonewouldhaveknownenoughtothinkofdespatchingacargosteamertothePacific。Butheloadedherwithpitch—pinedealsandsentherofftohuntforherluck。Wellingtonwastobethefirstport，I
fancy。Itdoesn’tmatter，becauseinlatitude44dsouthandsomewherehalfwaybetweenGoodHopeandNewZealandthetailshaftbrokeandthepro—
pellerdroppedoff。
Theyweresteamingthenwithafreshgaleonthequarterandalltheircanvasset，tohelptheen—
gines。Butbyitselfthesailpowerwasnotenoughtokeepwayonher。Whenthepropellerwenttheshipbroached—toatonce，andthemastsgotwhippedoverboard。
Thedisadvantageofbeingdismastedconsistedinthis，thattheyhadnothingtohoistflagsontomakethemselvesvisibleatadistance。Inthecourseofthefirstfewdaysseveralshipsfailedtosightthem；andthegalewasdriftingthemoutoftheusualtrack。Thevoyagehadbeen，fromthefirst，neitherverysuccessfulnorveryharmonious。
Therehadbeenquarrelsonboard。Thecaptainwasaclever，melancholicman，whohadnounusualgriponhiscrew。Theshiphadbeenamplypro—
visionedforthepassage，but，somehoworother，severalbarrelsofmeatwerefoundspoiledonopen—
ing，andhadbeenthrownoverboardsoonafterleavinghome，asasanitarymeasure。AfterwardsthecrewoftheBorgmesterDahlthoughtofthatrottencarrionwithtearsofregret，covetousnessanddespair。
Shedrovesouth。Tobeginwith，therehadbeenanappearanceoforganisation，butsoonthebondsofdisciplinebecamerelaxed。Asombreidlenesssucceeded。Theylookedwithsulleneyesatthehori—
zon。Thegalesincreased：shelayinthetrough，theseasmadeacleanbreachoverher。Ononefrightfulnight，whentheyexpectedtheirhulktoturnoverwiththemeverymoment，aheavyseabrokeonboard，delugedthestore—roomsandspoiledthebestpartoftheremainingprovisions。Itseemsthehatchhadnotbeenproperlysecured。Thisin—
stanceofneglectischaracteristicofutterdiscour—
agement。Falktriedtoinspiresomeenergyintohiscaptain，butfailed。Fromthattimeheretiredmoreintohimself，alwaystryingtodohisutmostinthesituation。Itgrewworse。Galesucceededgale，withblackmountainsofwaterhurlingthem—
selvesontheBorgmesterDahl。Someofthemenneverlefttheirbunks；manybecamequarrelsome。
Thechiefengineer，anoldman，refusedtospeakatalltoanybody。Othersshutthemselvesupintheirberthstocry。Oncalmdaystheinertsteamerrolledonaleadenseaunderamurkysky，orshowed，insunshine，thesqualorofseawaifs，thedriedwhitesalt，therust，thejaggedbrokenplaces。Thenthegalescameagain。Theykeptbodyandsoultogetheronshortrations。Once，anEnglishship，scuddinginastorm，triedtostandbythem，heaving—topluckilyundertheirlee。Theseassweptherdecks；themeninoilskinsclingingtoherrigginglookedatthem，andtheymadedes—
peratesignsovertheirshatteredbulwarks。Sud—
denlyhermain—topsailwent，yardandall，inater—
rificsquall；shehadtobearupunderbarepoles，anddisappeared。
Othershipshadspokenthembefore，butatfirsttheyhadrefusedtobetakenoff，expectingtheas—
sistanceofsomesteamer。Therewereveryfewsteamersinthoselatitudesthen；andwhentheydesiredtoleavethisdeadanddriftingcarcase，noshipcameinsight。Theyhaddriftedsouthoutofmen’sknowledge。Theyfailedtoattracttheatten—
tionofalonelywhaler，andverysoontheedgeofthepolarice—caprosefromtheseaandclosedthesouthernhorizonlikeawall。Onemorningtheywerealarmedbyfindingthemselvesfloatingamongstdetachedpiecesofice。Butthefearofsinkingpassedawayliketheirvigour，liketheirhopes；theshocksofthefloesknockingagainsttheship’ssidecouldnotrousethemfromtheirapathy：
andtheBorgmesterDahldriftedoutagainun—
harmedintoopenwater。Theyhardlynoticedthechange。
Thefunnelhadgoneoverboardinoneoftheheavyrolls；twooftheirthreeboatshaddisap—
peared，washedawayinbadweather，andthedavitsswungtoandfro，unsecured，withchafedrope’sendswagglingtotheroll。Nothingwasdoneonboard，andFalktoldmehowhehadoftenlistenedtothewaterwashingaboutthedarkengine—roomwheretheengines，stilledforever，weredecayingslowlyintoamassofrust，asthestilledheartde—
cayswithinthelifelessbody。Atfirst，afterthelossofthemotivepower，thetillerhadbeenthor—
oughlysecuredbylashings。Butincourseoftimethesehadrotted，chafed，rusted，partingonebyone：andtherudder，freed，bangedheavilytoandfronightandday，sendingdullshocksthroughthewholeframeofthevessel。Thiswasdangerous。
Nobodycaredenoughtoliftalittlefinger。Hetoldmethatevennowsometimeswakingupatnight，hefanciedhecouldhearthedullvibratingthuds。Thepintlescarriedaway，anditdroppedoffatlast。
Thefinalcatastrophecamewiththesendingoffoftheironeremainingboat。ItwasFalkwhohadmanagedtopreserveherintact，andnowitwasagreedthatsomeofthehandsshouldsailawayintothetrackoftheshippingtoprocureassistance。
Shewasprovisionedwithallthefoodtheycouldspareforthesixwhoweretogo。Theywaitedforafineday。Itwaslongincoming。Atlastonemorningtheyloweredherintothewater。
Directly，inthatdemoralisedcrowd，troublebrokeout。Twomenwhohadnobusinesstherehadjumpedintotheboatunderthepretenceofunhookingthetackles，whilesomesortofsquabblearoseonthedeckamongsttheseweak，totteringspectresofaship’scompany。Thecaptain，whohadbeenfordayslivingsecludedandunapproach—
ableinthechart—room，cametotherail。Heor—
deredthetwomentocomeuponboardandmen—
acedthemwithhisrevolver。Theypretendedtoobey，butsuddenlycuttingtheboat’spainter，gaveashoveagainsttheship’ssideandmadereadytohoistthesail。
"Shoot，sir!Shootthemdown!"criedFalk——
"andIwilljumpoverboardtoregaintheboat。"
Butthecaptain，aftertakingaimwithanirreso—
lutearm，turnedsuddenlyaway。
Ahowlofragearose。Falkdashedintohiscabinforhisownpistol。Whenhereturneditwastoolate。Twomoremenhadleapedintothewater，butthefellowsintheboatbeatthemoffwiththeoars，hoistedtheboat’slugandsailedaway。Theywereneverheardofagain。
Consternationanddespairpossessedtheremain—
ingship’scompany，tilltheapathyofutterhope—
lessnessre—asserteditssway。Thatdayafiremancommittedsuicide，runningupondeckwithhisthroatcutfromeartoear，tothehorrorofallhands。Hewasthrownoverboard。Thecaptainhadlockedhimselfinthechart—room，andFalk，knockingvainlyforadmittance，heardhimrecit—
ingoverandoveragainthenamesofhiswifeandchildren，notasifcallinguponthemorcommend—
ingthemtoGod，butinamechanicalvoicelikeanexerciseofmemory。Nextdaythedoorsofthechart—roomwereswingingopentotherolloftheship，andthecaptainhaddisappeared。Hemustduringthenighthavejumpedintothesea。Falklockedboththedoorsandkeptthekeys。
Theorganisedlifeoftheshiphadcometoanend。Thesolidarityofthemenhadgone。Theybecameindifferenttoeachother。ItwasFalkwhotookinhandthedistributionofsuchfoodasre—
mained。Theyboiledtheirbootsforsouptoekeouttherations，whichonlymadetheirhungermoreintolerable。Sometimeswhispersofhatewereheardpassingbetweenthelanguidskeletonsthatdriftedendlesslytoandfro，northandsouth，eastandwest，uponthatcarcaseofaship。
Andinthisliesthegrotesquehorrorofthissom—
brestory。Thelastextremityofsailors，overtakingasmallboatorafrailcraft，seemseasiertobear，becauseofthedirectdangeroftheseas。Thecon—
finedspace，theclosecontact，theimminentmenaceofthewaves，seemtodrawmentogether，inspiteofmadness，sufferinganddespair。Buttherewasaship——safe，convenient，roomy：ashipwithbeds，bedding，knives，forks，comfortablecabins，glassandchina，andacompletecook’sgalley，pervaded，ruledandpossessedbythepitilessspectreofstar—
vation。Thelampoilhadbeendrunk，thewickscutupforfood，thecandleseaten。Atnightshefloateddarkinallherrecesses，andfulloffears。
OnedayFalkcameuponamangnawingasplinterofpinewood。Suddenlyhethrewthepieceofwoodaway，totteredtotherail，andfellover。Falk，toolatetopreventtheact，sawhimclawtheship’ssidedesperatelybeforehewentdown。Nextdayanothermandidthesamething，afterutteringhor—
ribleimprecations。Butthisonesomehowman—
agedtogetholdofthebrokenrudderchainsandhungonthere，silently。Falksetabouttryingtosavehim，andallthetimetheman，holdingwithbothhands，lookedathimanxiouslywithhissunkeneyes。Then，justasFalkwasreadytoputhishandonhim，themanletgohisholdandsanklikeastone。Falkreflectedonthesesights。Hisheartrevoltedagainstthehorrorofdeath，andhesaidtohimselfthathewouldstruggleforeverypre—
ciousminuteofhislife。
Oneafternoon——asthesurvivorslayaboutontheafterdeck——thecarpenter，atallmanwithablackbeard，spokeofthelastsacrifice。Therewasnothingeatableleftonboard。Nobodysaidawordtothis；butthatcompanyseparatedquickly，theselistlessfeeblespectresslunkoffonebyonetohideinfearofeachother。Falkandthecar—
penterremainedondecktogether。Falklikedthebigcarpenter。Hehadbeenthebestmanofthelot，helpfulandreadyaslongastherewasanythingtodo，thelongesthopeful，andhadpreservedtothelastsomevigouranddecisionofmind。
Theydidnotspeaktoeachother。Henceforthnovoicesweretobeheardconversingsadlyonboardthatship。Afteratimethecarpentertot—
teredawayforward；butlateron，Falkgoingtodrinkatthefresh—waterpump，hadtheinspirationtoturnhishead。Thecarpenterhadstolenuponhimfrombehind，and，summoningallhisstrength，wasaimingwithacrowbarablowatthebackofhisskull。
Dodgingjustintime，Falkmadehisescapeandranintohiscabin。Whilehewasloadinghisre—
volverthere，heheardthesoundofheavyblowsstruckuponthebridge。Thelocksofthechart—
roomdoorswereslight，theyflewopen，andthecar—
penter，possessinghimselfofthecaptain’srevolver，firedashotofdefiance。
Falkwasabouttogoondeckandhaveitoutatonce，whenheremarkedthatoneoftheportsofhiscabincommandedtheapproachestothefresh—
waterpump。Insteadofgoingoutheremainedinandsecuredthedoor。"Thebestmanshallsur—
vive，"hesaidtohimself——andtheother，herea—
soned，mustatsometimeorothercometheretodrink。Thesestarvingmenwoulddrinkoftentocheatthepangsoftheirhunger。Butthecarpen—
tertoomusthavenoticedthepositionoftheport。
Theywerethetwobestmenintheship，andthegamewaswiththem。AlltherestofthedayFalksawnooneandheardnosound。Atnighthestrainedhiseyes。Itwasdark——heheardarustlingnoiseonce，buthewascertainthatnoonecouldhavecomenearthepump。Itwastotheleftofhisdeckport，andhecouldnothavefailedtoseeaman，forthenightwasclearandstarry。Hesawnothing；towardsmorninganotherfaintnoisemadehimsuspicious。Deliberatelyandquietlyheunlockedhisdoor。Hehadnotslept，andhadnotgivenwaytothehorrorofthesituation。Hewantedtolive。
Butduringthenightthecarpenter，withoutatalltryingtoapproachthepump，hadmanagedtocreepquietlyalongthestarboardbulwark，and，unseen，hadcroucheddownrightunderFalk’sdeckport。Whendaylightcameheroseupsuddenly，lookedin，andputtinghisarmthroughtheroundbrassframedopening，firedatFalkwithinafoot。
Hemissed——andFalk，insteadofattemptingtoseizethearmholdingtheweapon，openedhisdoorunexpectedly，andwiththemuzzleofhislongre—
volvernearlytouchingtheother’sside，shothimdead。
Thebestmanhadsurvived。Bothofthemhadatthebeginningjuststrengthenoughtostandontheirfeet，andbothhaddisplayedpitilessresolu—
tion，endurance，cunningandcourage——allthequalitiesofclassicheroism。AtonceFalkthrewoverboardthecaptain’srevolver。Hewasabornmonopolist。Thenafterthereportofthetwoshots，followedbyaprofoundsilence，therecreptoutintothecold，crueldawnofAntarcticregions，fromvarioushiding—places，overthedeckofthatdismantledcorpseofashipfloatingonagreysearuledbyironnecessityandwithaheartofice——
therecreptintoviewonebyone，cautious，slow，ea—
ger，glaring，andunclean，abandofhungryandlividskeletons。Falkfacedthem，thepossessoroftheonlyfire—armonboard，andthesecondbestman——thecarpenter——waslyingdeadbetweenhimandthem。
"Hewaseaten，ofcourse，"Isaid。
Hebenthisheadslowly，shudderedalittle，draw—
inghishandsoverhisface，andsaid，"Ihadneveranyquarrelwiththatman。Buttherewereourlivesbetweenhimandme。"
Whycontinuethestoryofthatship，thatstorybeforewhich，withitsfresh—waterpumplikeaspringofdeath，itsmanwiththeweapon，thesearuledbyironnecessity，itsspectralbandswayedbyterrorandhope，itsmuteandunhearingheaven？——
thefableoftheFlyingDutchmanwithitsconven—
tionofcrimeanditssentimentalretributionfadeslikeagracefulwreath，likeawispofwhitemist。
Whatistheretosaythateveryoneofuscannotguessforhimself？IbelieveFalkbeganbygoingthroughtheship，revolverinhand，toannexallthematches。Thosestarvingwretcheshadplentyofmatches!Hehadnomindtohavetheshipsetonfireunderhisfeet，eitherfromhateorfromdespair。
Helivedintheopen，campingonthebridge，com—
mandingalltheafterdeckandtheonlyapproachtothepump。Helived!Someoftheotherslivedtoo——concealed，anxious，comingoutonebyonefromtheirhiding—placesattheseductivesoundofashot。Andhewasnotselfish。Theyshared，butonlythreeofthemallwerealivewhenawhaler，re—
turningfromhercruisingground，nearlyranoverthewater—loggedhulloftheBorgmesterDahl，which，itseems，intheendhadinsomewaysprungaleakinbothherholds，butbeingloadedwithdealscouldnotsink。
"Theyalldied，"Falksaid。"Thesethreetoo，afterwards。ButIwouldnotdie。Alldied，all!
underthisterriblemisfortune。ButwasItootothrowawaymylife？CouldI？Tellme，captain？
Iwasalonethere，quitealone，justliketheothers。
Eachmanwasalone。WasItogiveupmyre—
volver？Whoto？OrwasItothrowitintothesea？Whatwouldhavebeenthegood？Onlythebestmanwouldsurvive。Itwasagreat，terrible，andcruelmisfortune。"
Hehadsurvived!Isawhimbeforemeasthoughpreservedforawitnesstothemightytruthofanunerringandeternalprinciple。Greatbeadsofperspirationstoodonhisforehead。Andsud—
denlyitstruckthetablewithaheavyblow，ashefellforwardthrowinghishandsout。
"Andthisisworse，"hecried。"Thisisaworsepain!Thisismoreterrible。"
Hemademyheartthumpwiththeprofoundcon—
victionofhiscries。AndafterhehadleftmealoneIcalledupbeforemymentaleyetheimageofthegirlweepingsilently，abundantly，patiently，andasifirresistibly。Ithoughtofhertawnyhair。Ithoughthow，ifunplaited，itwouldhavecoveredherallroundaslowasthehips，likethehairofasiren。Andshehadbewitchedhim。Fancyamanwhowouldguardhisownlifewiththein—
flexibilityofapitilessandimmovablefate，beingbroughttolamentthatonceacrowbarhadmissedhisskull!Thesirenssingandluretodeath，butthisonehadbeenweepingsilentlyasifforthepityofhislife。Shewasthetenderandvoicelesssirenofthisappallingnavigator。Heevidentlywantedtolivehiswholeconceptionoflife。Nothingelsewoulddo。Andshetoowasaservantofthatlifethat，inthemidstofdeath，criesaloudtooursenses。
Shewaseminentlyfittedtointerpretforhimitsfeminineside。Andinherownway，andwithherownprofusionofsensuouscharms，shealsoseemedtoillustratetheeternaltruthofanunerringprin—
ciple。Idon’tknowthoughwhatsortofprincipleHermannillustratedwhenheturnedupearlyonboardmyshipwithamostperplexedair。Itstruckme，however，thathetoowoulddohisbesttosurvive。Heseemedgreatlycalmedonthesub—
jectofFalk，butstillveryfullofit。
"WhatisityousaidIwaslastnight？Youknow，"heaskedaftersomepreliminarytalk。
"Too——too——Idon’tknow。Averyfunnyword。"
"Squeamish？"Isuggested。
"Yes。Whatdoesitmean？"
"Thatyouexaggeratethings——toyourself。
Withoutinquiry，andsoon。"
Heseemedtoturnitoverinhismind。Wewentontalking。ThisFalkwastheplagueofhislife。
Upsettingeverybodylikethis!Mrs。Hermannwasunwellratherthismorning。Hisniecewascryingstill。Therewasnobodytolookafterthechildren。Hestruckhisumbrellaonthedeck。Shewouldbelikethatformonths。Fancycarryingallthewayhome，secondclass，aperfectlyuselessgirlwhoiscryingallthetime。ItwasbadforLenatoo，heobserved；butonwhatgroundsIcouldnotguess。Perhapsofthebadexample。Thatchildwasalreadysorrowingandcryingenoughovertheragdoll。Nicholaswasreallytheleastsentimentalpersonofthefamily。
"Whydoessheweep？"Iasked。
"Frompity，"criedHermann。
Itwasimpossibletomakeoutwomen。Mrs。Her—
mannwastheonlyonehepretendedtounderstand。
Shewasvery，veryupsetanddoubtful。
"Doubtfulaboutwhat？"Iasked。
Heavertedhiseyesanddidnotanswerthis。Itwasimpossibletomakethemout。Forinstance，hisniecewasweepingforFalk。Nowhe（Her—
mann）wouldliketowringhisneck——butthen……
Hesupposedhehadtootenderaheart。"Frank—
ly，"heaskedatlast，"whatdoyouthinkofwhatweheardlastnight，captain？"
"Inallthesetales，"Iobserved，"thereisalwaysagooddealofexaggeration。"
AndnotlettinghimrecoverfromhissurpriseI
assuredhimthatIknewallthedetails。Hebeggedmenottorepeatthem。Hisheartwastootender。
Theymadehimfeelunwell。Then，lookingathisfeetandspeakingveryslowly，hesupposedthatheneednotseemuchofthemaftertheyweremarried。
For，indeed，hecouldnotbearthesightofFalk。
Ontheotherhanditwasridiculoustotakehomeagirlwithherheadturned。Agirlthatweepsallthetimeandisofnohelptoheraunt。
"Nowyouwillbeabletodowithonecabinonlyonyourpassagehome，"Isaid。
"Yes，Ihadthoughtofthat，"hesaidbrightly，almost。"Yes!Himself，hiswife，fourchildren——onecabinmightdo。Whereasifhisniecewent……"
"AndwhatdoesMrs。Hermannsaytoit？"I
inquired。
Mrs。Hermanndidnotknowwhetheramanofthatsortcouldmakeagirlhappy——shehadbeengreatlydeceivedinCaptainFalk。Shehadbeenveryupsetlastnight。
Thosegoodpeopledidnotseemtobeabletore—
tainanimpressionforawholetwelvehours。I
assuredhimonmyownpersonalknowledgethatFalkpossessedinhimselfallthequalitiestomakehisniece’sfutureprosperous。Hesaidhewasgladtohearthis，andthathewouldtellhiswife。Thentheobjectofthevisitcameout。HewishedmetohelphimtoresumerelationswithFalk。Hisniece，hesaid，hadexpressedthehopeIwoulddosoinmykindness。HewasevidentlyanxiousthatIshould，forthoughheseemedtohaveforgottennine—tenthsofhislastnight’sopinionsandthewholeofhisin—
dignation，yetheevidentlyfearedtobesenttotheright—about。"Youtoldmehewasverymuchinlove，"heconcludedslyly，andleeredinasortofbu—
colicway。
"AssoonashehadleftmyshipIcalledFalkonboardbysignal——thetugstilllyingattheanchor—
age。Hetookthenewswithcalmgravity，asthoughhehadallalongexpectedthestarstofightforhimintheircourses。
Isawthemoncemoretogether，andonlyonce——
onthequarter—deckoftheDiana。Hermannsatsmokingwithashirt—sleevedelbowhookedoverthebackofhischair。Mrs。Hermannwassewingalone。AsFalksteppedoverthegangway，Her—
mann’sniece，withaslightswishoftheskirtandaswiftfriendlynodtome，glidedpastmychair。
Theymetinsunshineabreastofthemainmast。
Heheldherhandsandlookeddownatthem，andshelookedupathimwithhercandidandunseeingglance。Itseemedtometheyhadcometogetherasifattracted，drawnandguidedtoeachotherbyamysteriousinfluence。Theywereacompletecouple。Inhergreyfrock，palpitatingwithlife，generousofform，olympianandsimple，shewasin—
deedthesirentofascinatethatdarknavigator，thisruthlessloverofthefivesenses。FromafarI
seemedtofeelthemasculinestrengthwithwhichhegraspedthosehandsshehadextendedtohimwithawomanlyswiftness。Lena，alittlepale，nursingherbelovedlumpofdirtyrags，ranto—
wardsherbigfriend；andtheninthedrowsysi—
lenceofthegoodoldshipMrs。Hermann’svoicerangoutsochangedthatitmademespinroundinmychairtoseewhatwasthematter。
"Lena，comehere!"shescreamed。Andthisgood—naturedmatrongavemeawaveringglance，darkandfulloffearsomedistrust。Thechildranback，surprisedtoherknee。Butthetwo，stand—
ingbeforeeachotherinsunlightwithclaspedhands，hadheardnothing，hadseennothingandnoone。Threefeetawayfromthemintheshadeaseamansatonaspar，verybusysplicingastrop，anddippinghisfingersintoatar—pot，asifutterlyunawareoftheirexistence。
WhenIreturnedincommandofanothership，somefiveyearsafterwards，Mr。andMrs。Falkhadlefttheplace。IshouldnotwonderifSchom—
berg’stonguehadsucceededatlastinscaringFalkawayforgood；and，indubitably，therewasatalestillgoingaboutthetownofacertainFalk，ownerofatug，whohadwonhiswifeatcardsfromthecaptainofanEnglishship。
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