Chapter 4

by William Somerset Maugham

　　They came down to the busy, narrow street which led into the Boulevard duMontparnasse. Electric trams passed through it with harsh ringing ofbells, and people surged along the pavements.The fair to which they were going was held at the Lion de Belfort, notmore than a mile away, and Arthur hailed a cab. Susie told the driverwhere they wanted to be set down. She noticed that Haddo, who was waitingfor them to start, put his hand on the horse's neck. On a sudden, for noapparent reason, it began to tremble. The trembling passed through thebody and down its limbs till it shook from head to foot as though it hadthe staggers. The coachman jumped off his box and held the wretchedcreature's head. Margaret and Susie got out. It was a horribly painfulsight. The horse seemed not to suffer from actual pain, but from anextraordinary fear. Though she knew not why, an idea came to Susie.'Take your hand away, Mr Haddo,' she said sharply.He smiled, and did as she bade him. At the same moment the tremblingbegan to decrease, and in a moment the poor old cab-horse was in itsusual state. It seemed a little frightened still, but otherwiserecovered.'I wonder what the deuce was the matter with it,' said Arthur.Oliver Haddo looked at him with the blue eyes that seemed to see rightthrough people, and then, lifting his hat, walked away. Susie turnedsuddenly to Dr Porhoet.'Do you think he could have made the horse do that? It came immediatelyhe put his hand on its neck, and it stopped as soon as he took it away.''Nonsense!' said Arthur.'It occurred to me that he was playing some trick,' said Dr Porhoetgravely. 'An odd thing happened once when he came to see me. I have twoPersian cats, which are the most properly conducted of all their tribe.They spend their days in front of my fire, meditating on the problems ofmetaphysics. But as soon as he came in they started up, and their furstood right on end. Then they began to run madly round and round theroom, as though the victims of uncontrollable terror. I opened the door,and they bolted out. I have never been able to understand exactly whattook place.'Margaret shuddered.'I've never met a man who filled me with such loathing,' she said. 'Idon't know what there is about him that frightens me. Even now I feel hiseyes fixed strangely upon me. I hope I shall never see him again.'Arthur gave a little laugh and pressed her hand. She would not let hisgo, and he felt that she was trembling. Personally, he had no doubt aboutthe matter. He would have no trifling with credibility. Either Haddobelieved things that none but a lunatic could, or else he was a charlatanwho sought to attract attention by his extravagances. In any case he wascontemptible. It was certain, at all events, that neither he nor anyoneelse could work miracles.'I'll tell you what I'll do,' said Arthur. 'If he really knows FrankHurrell I'll find out all about him. I'll drop a note to Hurrell tonightand ask him to tell me anything he can.''I wish you would,' answered Susie, 'because he interests me enormously.There's no place like Paris for meeting queer folk. Sooner or later yourun across persons who believe in everything. There's no form ofreligion, there's no eccentricity or enormity, that hasn't its votaries.Just think what a privilege it is to come upon a man in the twentiethcentury who honestly believes in the occult.''Since I have been occupied with these matters, I have come acrossstrange people,' said Dr Porhoet quietly, 'but I agree with Miss Boydthat Oliver Haddo is the most extraordinary. For one thing, it isimpossible to know how much he really believes what he says. Is he animpostor or a madman? Does he deceive himself, or is he laughing up hissleeve at the folly of those who take him seriously? I cannot tell. AllI know is that he has travelled widely and is acquainted with manytongues. He has a minute knowledge of alchemical literature, and thereis no book I have heard of, dealing with the black arts, which he doesnot seem to know.' Dr Porhoet shook his head slowly. 'I should not careto dogmatize about this man. I know I shall outrage the feelings of myfriend Arthur, but I am bound to confess it would not surprise me tolearn that he possessed powers by which he was able to do thingsseemingly miraculous.'Arthur was prevented from answering by their arrival at the Lion deBelfort.The fair was in full swing. The noise was deafening. Steam bandsthundered out the popular tunes of the moment, and to their dinmerry-go-rounds were turning. At the door of booths men vociferouslyimportuned the passers-by to enter. From the shooting saloons came acontinual spatter of toy rifles. Linking up these sounds, were the voicesof the serried crowd that surged along the central avenue, and theshuffle of their myriad feet. The night was lurid with acetylene torches,which flamed with a dull unceasing roar. It was a curious sight, halfgay, half sordid. The throng seemed bent with a kind of savagery uponamusement, as though, resentful of the weary round of daily labour, itsought by a desperate effort to be merry.The English party with Dr Porhoet, mildly ironic, had scarcely enteredbefore they were joined by Oliver Haddo. He was indifferent to the plainfact that they did not want his company. He attracted attention, for hisappearance and his manner were remarkable, and Susie noticed that he waspleased to see people point him out to one another. He wore a Spanishcloak, the capa, and he flung the red and green velvet of its lininggaudily over his shoulder. He had a large soft hat. His height was great,though less noticeable on account of his obesity, and he towered over thepuny multitude.They looked idly at the various shows, resisting the melodramas, thecircuses, the exhibitions of eccentricity, which loudly clamoured fortheir custom. Presently they came to a man who was cutting silhouettes inblack paper, and Haddo insisted on posing for him. A little crowdcollected and did not spare their jokes at his singular appearance. Hethrew himself into his favourite attitude of proud command. Margaretwished to take the opportunity of leaving him, but Miss Boyd insisted onstaying.'He's the most ridiculous creature I've ever seen in my life,' shewhispered. 'I wouldn't let him out of my sight for worlds.'When the silhouette was done, he presented it with a low bow to Margaret.'I implore your acceptance of the only portrait now in existence ofOliver Haddo,' he said.'Thank you,' she answered frigidly.She was unwilling to take it, but had not the presence of mind to puthim off by a jest, and would not be frankly rude. As though certain sheset much store on it, he placed it carefully in an envelope. They walkedon and suddenly came to a canvas booth on which was an Eastern name.Roughly painted on sail-cloth was a picture of an Arab charming snakes,and above were certain words in Arabic. At the entrance, a native satcross-legged, listlessly beating a drum. When he saw them stop, headdressed them in bad French.'Does not this remind you of the turbid Nile, Dr Porhoet?' said Haddo.'Let us go in and see what the fellow has to show.'Dr Porhoet stepped forward and addressed the charmer, who brightened onhearing the language of his own country.'He is an Egyptian from Assiut,' said the doctor.'I will buy tickets for you all,' said Haddo.He held up the flap that gave access to the booth, and Susie went in.Margaret and Arthur Burdon, somewhat against their will, were obliged tofollow. The native closed the opening behind them. They found themselvesin a dirty little tent, ill-lit by two smoking lamps; a dozen stools wereplaced in a circle on the bare ground. In one corner sat a fellah woman,motionless, in ample robes of dingy black. Her face was hidden by a longveil, which was held in place by a queer ornament of brass in the middleof the forehead, between the eyes. These alone were visible, large andsombre, and the lashes were darkened with kohl: her fingers were brightlystained with henna. She moved slightly as the visitors entered, and theman gave her his drum. She began to rub it with her hands, curiously, andmade a droning sound, which was odd and mysterious. There was a peculiarodour in the place, so that Dr Porhoet was for a moment transported tothe evil-smelling streets of Cairo. It was an acrid mixture of incense,of attar of roses, with every imaginable putrescence. It choked the twowomen, and Susie asked for a cigarette. The native grinned when he heardthe English tongue. He showed a row of sparkling and beautiful teeth.'My name Mohammed,' he said. 'Me show serpents to Sirdar Lord Kitchener.Wait and see. Serpents very poisonous.'He was dressed in a long blue gabardine, more suited to the sunny banksof the Nile than to a fair in Paris, and its colour could hardly be seenfor dirt. On his head was the national tarboosh.A rug lay at one side of the tent, and from under it he took a goatskinsack. He placed it on the ground in the middle of the circle formed bythe seats and crouched down on his haunches. Margaret shuddered, for theuneven surface of the sack moved strangely. He opened the mouth of it.The woman in the corner listlessly droned away on the drum, andoccasionally uttered a barbaric cry. With a leer and a flash of hisbright teeth, the Arab thrust his hand into the sack and rummaged as aman would rummage in a sack of corn. He drew out a long, writhing snake.He placed it on the ground and for a moment waited, then he passed hishand over it: it became immediately as rigid as a bar of iron. Exceptthat the eyes, the cruel eyes, were open still, there might have been nolife in it.'Look,' said Haddo. 'That is the miracle which Moses did before Pharaoh.'Then the Arab took a reed instrument, not unlike the pipe which Panin the hills of Greece played to the dryads, and he piped a weird,monotonous tune. The stiffness broke away from the snake suddenly, andit lifted its head and raised its long body till it stood almost on thetip of its tail, and it swayed slowly to and fro.Oliver Haddo seemed extraordinarily fascinated. He leaned forward witheager face, and his unnatural eyes were fixed on the charmer with anindescribable expression. Margaret drew back in terror.'You need not be frightened,' said Arthur. 'These people only work withanimals whose fangs have been extracted.'Oliver Haddo looked at him before answering. He seemed to consider eachtime what sort of man this was to whom he spoke.'A man is only a snake-charmer because, without recourse to medicine, heis proof against the fangs of the most venomous serpents.''Do you think so?' said Arthur.'I saw the most noted charmer of Madras die two hours after he had beenbitten by a cobra,' said Haddo. I had heard many tales of his prowess,and one evening asked a friend to take me to him. He was out when wearrived, but we waited, and presently, accompanied by some friends, hecame. We told him what we wanted. He had been at a marriage-feast and wasdrunk. But he sent for his snakes, and forthwith showed us marvels whichthis man has never heard of. At last he took a great cobra from his sackand began to handle it. Suddenly it darted at his chin and bit him. Itmade two marks like pin-points. The juggler started back.'"I am a dead man," he said.'Those about him would have killed the cobra, but he prevented them.'"Let the creature live," he said. "It may be of service to others of mytrade. To me it can be of no other use. Nothing can save me."'His friends and the jugglers, his fellows, gathered round him and placedhim in a chair. In two hours he was dead. In his drunkenness he hadforgotten a portion of the spell which protected him, and so he died.''You have a marvellous collection of tall stories,' said Arthur. 'I'mafraid I should want better proof that these particular snakes arepoisonous.'Oliver turned to the charmer and spoke to him in Arabic. Then he answeredArthur.'The man has a horned viper, cerastes is the name under which yougentlemen of science know it, and it is the most deadly of all Egyptiansnakes. It is commonly known as Cleopatra's Asp, for that is the serpentwhich was brought in a basket of figs to the paramour of Caesar in orderthat she might not endure the triumph of Augustus.''What are you going to do?' asked Susie.He smiled but did not answer. He stepped forward to the centre of thetent and fell on his knees. He uttered Arabic words, which Dr. Porhoettranslated to the others.'O viper, I adjure you, by the great God who is all-powerful, to comeforth. You are but a snake, and God is greater than all snakes. Obey mycall and come.'A tremor went through the goatskin bag, and in a moment a head wasprotruded. A lithe body wriggled out. It was a snake of light greycolour, and over each eye was a horn. It lay slightly curled.'Do you recognize it?' said Oliver in a low voice to the doctor.'I do.'The charmer sat motionless, and the woman in the dim background ceasedher weird rubbing of the drum. Haddo seized the snake and opened itsmouth. Immediately it fastened on his hand, and the reptile teeth wentdeep into his flesh. Arthur watched him for signs of pain, but he did notwince. The writhing snake dangled from his hand. He repeated a sentencein Arabic, and, with the peculiar suddenness of a drop of water fallingfrom a roof, the snake fell to the ground. The blood flowed freely. Haddospat upon the bleeding place three times, muttering words they could nothear, and three times he rubbed the wound with his fingers. The bleedingstopped. He stretched out his hand for Arthur to look at.'That surely is what a surgeon would call healing by first intention,' hesaid.Burdon was astonished, but he was irritated, too, and would not allowthat there was anything strange in the cessation of the flowing blood.'You haven't yet shown that the snake was poisonous.''I have not finished yet,' smiled Haddo.He spoke again to the Egyptian, who gave an order to his wife. Without aword she rose to her feet and from a box took a white rabbit. She liftedit up by the ears, and it struggled with its four quaint legs. Haddo putit in front of the horned viper. Before anyone could have moved, thesnake darted forward, and like a flash of lightning struck the rabbit.The wretched little beast gave a slight scream, a shudder went throughit, and it fell dead.Margaret sprang up with a cry.'Oh, how cruel! How hatefully cruel!''Are you convinced now?' asked Haddo coolly.The two women hurried to the doorway. They were frightened and disgusted.Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer.