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。