They came down to the busy, narrow street which led into the Boulevard du Montparnasse. Electric trams passed through it with harsh ringing of bells, and people surged along the pavements.
The fair to which they were going was held at the Lion de Belfort, not more than a mile away, and Arthur hailed a cab. Susie told the driver where they wanted to be set down. She noticed that Haddo, who was waiting for them to start, put his hand on the horse's neck. On a sudden, for no apparent reason, it began to tremble. The trembling passed through the body and down its limbs till it shook from head to foot as though it had the staggers. The coachman jumped off his box and held the wretched creature's head. Margaret and Susie got out. It was a horribly painful sight. The horse seemed not to suffer from actual pain, but from an extraordinary 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 trembling began to decrease, and in a moment the poor old cab-horse was in its usual state. It seemed a little frightened still, but otherwise recovered.
'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 right through people, and then, lifting his hat, walked away. Susie turned suddenly to Dr Porho?t.
'Do you think he could have made the horse do that? It came immediately he 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 Porho?t gravely. 'An odd thing happened once when he came to see me. I have two Persian cats, which are the most properly conducted of all their tribe. They spend their days in front of my fire, meditating2 on the problems of metaphysics. But as soon as he came in they started up, and their fur stood right on end. Then they began to run madly round and round the room, as though the victims of uncontrollable terror. I opened the door, and they bolted out. I have never been able to understand exactly what took place.'
'I've never met a man who filled me with such loathing,' she said. 'I don't know what there is about him that frightens me. Even now I feel his eyes fixed5 strangely upon me. I hope I shall never see him again.'
Arthur gave a little laugh and pressed her hand. She would not let his go, and he felt that she was trembling. Personally, he had no doubt about the matter. He would have no trifling6 with credibility. Either Haddo believed things that none but a lunatic could, or else he was a charlatan7 who sought to attract attention by his extravagances. In any case he was contemptible8. It was certain, at all events, that neither he nor anyone else could work miracles.
'I'll tell you what I'll do,' said Arthur. 'If he really knows Frank Hurrell I'll find out all about him. I'll drop a note to Hurrell tonight and 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 you run across persons who believe in everything. There's no form of religion, there's no eccentricity9 or enormity, that hasn't its votaries10. Just think what a privilege it is to come upon a man in the twentieth century who honestly believes in the occult.'
'Since I have been occupied with these matters, I have come across strange people,' said Dr Porho?t quietly, 'but I agree with Miss Boyd that Oliver Haddo is the most extraordinary. For one thing, it is impossible to know how much he really believes what he says. Is he an impostor or a madman? Does he deceive himself, or is he laughing up his sleeve at the folly11 of those who take him seriously? I cannot tell. All I know is that he has travelled widely and is acquainted with many tongues. He has a minute knowledge of alchemical literature, and there is no book I have heard of, dealing13 with the black arts, which he does not seem to know.' Dr Porho?t shook his head slowly. 'I should not care to dogmatize about this man. I know I shall outrage14 the feelings of my friend Arthur, but I am bound to confess it would not surprise me to learn that he possessed15 powers by which he was able to do things seemingly miraculous16.'
Arthur was prevented from answering by their arrival at the Lion de Belfort.
The fair was in full swing. The noise was deafening17. Steam bands thundered out the popular tunes18 of the moment, and to their din1 merry-go-rounds were turning. At the door of booths men vociferously20 importuned21 the passers-by to enter. From the shooting saloons came a continual spatter of toy rifles. Linking up these sounds, were the voices of the serried23 crowd that surged along the central avenue, and the shuffle24 of their myriad25 feet. The night was lurid26 with acetylene torches, which flamed with a dull unceasing roar. It was a curious sight, half gay, half sordid27. The throng28 seemed bent29 with a kind of savagery30 upon amusement, as though, resentful of the weary round of daily labour, it sought by a desperate effort to be merry.
The English party with Dr Porho?t, mildly ironic31, had scarcely entered before they were joined by Oliver Haddo. He was indifferent to the plain fact that they did not want his company. He attracted attention, for his appearance and his manner were remarkable32, and Susie noticed that he was pleased to see people point him out to one another. He wore a Spanish cloak, the _capa_, and he flung the red and green velvet33 of its lining34 gaudily35 over his shoulder. He had a large soft hat. His height was great, though less noticeable on account of his obesity36, and he towered over the puny37 multitude.
They looked idly at the various shows, resisting the melodramas38, the circuses, the exhibitions of eccentricity, which loudly clamoured for their custom. Presently they came to a man who was cutting silhouettes39 in black paper, and Haddo insisted on posing for him. A little crowd collected and did not spare their jokes at his singular appearance. He threw himself into his favourite attitude of proud command. Margaret wished to take the opportunity of leaving him, but Miss Boyd insisted on staying.
'He's the most ridiculous creature I've ever seen in my life,' she whispered. 'I wouldn't let him out of my sight for worlds.'
When the silhouette40 was done, he presented it with a low bow to Margaret.
'I implore41 your acceptance of the only portrait now in existence of Oliver Haddo,' he said.
'Thank you,' she answered frigidly42.
She was unwilling44 to take it, but had not the presence of mind to put him off by a jest, and would not be frankly45 rude. As though certain she set much store on it, he placed it carefully in an envelope. They walked on 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 sat cross-legged, listlessly beating a drum. When he saw them stop, he addressed them in bad French.
'Does not this remind you of the turbid46 Nile, Dr Porho?t?' said Haddo. 'Let us go in and see what the fellow has to show.'
Dr Porho?t stepped forward and addressed the charmer, who brightened on hearing 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 to follow. The native closed the opening behind them. They found themselves in a dirty little tent, ill-lit by two smoking lamps; a dozen stools were placed in a circle on the bare ground. In one corner sat a fellah woman, motionless, in ample robes of dingy47 black. Her face was hidden by a long veil, which was held in place by a queer ornament48 of brass49 in the middle of the forehead, between the eyes. These alone were visible, large and sombre, and the lashes50 were darkened with kohl: her fingers were brightly stained with henna. She moved slightly as the visitors entered, and the man gave her his drum. She began to rub it with her hands, curiously51, and made a droning sound, which was odd and mysterious. There was a peculiar52 odour in the place, so that Dr Porho?t was for a moment transported to the evil-smelling streets of Cairo. It was an acrid53 mixture of incense54, of attar of roses, with every imaginable putrescence. It choked the two women, and Susie asked for a cigarette. The native grinned when he heard the 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 banks of the Nile than to a fair in Paris, and its colour could hardly be seen for dirt. On his head was the national tarboosh.
A rug lay at one side of the tent, and from under it he took a goatskin sack. He placed it on the ground in the middle of the circle formed by the seats and crouched55 down on his haunches. Margaret shuddered, for the uneven56 surface of the sack moved strangely. He opened the mouth of it. The woman in the corner listlessly droned away on the drum, and occasionally uttered a barbaric cry. With a leer and a flash of his bright teeth, the Arab thrust his hand into the sack and rummaged58 as a man would rummage57 in a sack of corn. He drew out a long, writhing59 snake. He placed it on the ground and for a moment waited, then he passed his hand over it: it became immediately as rigid43 as a bar of iron. Except that the eyes, the cruel eyes, were open still, there might have been no life 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 Pan in the hills of Greece played to the dryads, and he piped a weird60, monotonous61 tune19. The stiffness broke away from the snake suddenly, and it lifted its head and raised its long body till it stood almost on the tip of its tail, and it swayed slowly to and fro.
Oliver Haddo seemed extraordinarily62 fascinated. He leaned forward with eager face, and his unnatural63 eyes were fixed on the charmer with an indescribable expression. Margaret drew back in terror.
'You need not be frightened,' said Arthur. 'These people only work with animals whose fangs64 have been extracted.'
Oliver Haddo looked at him before answering. He seemed to consider each time what sort of man this was to whom he spoke65.
'A man is only a snake-charmer because, without recourse to medicine, he is proof against the fangs of the most venomous serpents.'
'Do you think so?' said Arthur.
'I saw the most noted66 charmer of Madras die two hours after he had been bitten 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 we arrived, but we waited, and presently, accompanied by some friends, he came. We told him what we wanted. He had been at a marriage-feast and was drunk. But he sent for his snakes, and forthwith showed us marvels68 which this man has never heard of. At last he took a great cobra from his sack and began to handle it. Suddenly it darted69 at his chin and bit him. It made two marks like pin-points. The juggler70 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 my trade. To me it can be of no other use. Nothing can save me."
'His friends and the jugglers, his fellows, gathered round him and placed him in a chair. In two hours he was dead. In his drunkenness he had forgotten a portion of the spell which protected him, and so he died.'
'You have a marvellous collection of tall stories,' said Arthur. 'I'm afraid I should want better proof that these particular snakes are poisonous.'
Oliver turned to the charmer and spoke to him in Arabic. Then he answered Arthur.
'The man has a horned viper71, _cerastes_ is the name under which you gentlemen of science know it, and it is the most deadly of all Egyptian snakes. It is commonly known as Cleopatra's Asp, for that is the serpent which was brought in a basket of figs72 to the paramour of Caesar in order that 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 the tent and fell on his knees. He uttered Arabic words, which Dr. Porho?t translated to the others.
'O viper, I adjure73 you, by the great God who is all-powerful, to come forth67. You are but a snake, and God is greater than all snakes. Obey my call and come.'
A tremor74 went through the goatskin bag, and in a moment a head was protruded75. A lithe76 body wriggled77 out. It was a snake of light grey colour, 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 ceased her weird rubbing of the drum. Haddo seized the snake and opened its mouth. Immediately it fastened on his hand, and the reptile78 teeth went deep into his flesh. Arthur watched him for signs of pain, but he did not wince79. The writhing snake dangled80 from his hand. He repeated a sentence in Arabic, and, with the peculiar suddenness of a drop of water falling from a roof, the snake fell to the ground. The blood flowed freely. Haddo spat22 upon the bleeding place three times, muttering words they could not hear, and three times he rubbed the wound with his fingers. The bleeding stopped. He stretched out his hand for Arthur to look at.
'That surely is what a surgeon would call healing by first intention,' he said.
Burdon was astonished, but he was irritated, too, and would not allow that 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 a word she rose to her feet and from a box took a white rabbit. She lifted it up by the ears, and it struggled with its four quaint12 legs. Haddo put it in front of the horned viper. Before anyone could have moved, the snake darted forward, and like a flash of lightning struck the rabbit. The wretched little beast gave a slight scream, a shudder3 went through it, 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 doorway81. They were frightened and disgusted. Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer.
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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charlatan
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| n.骗子；江湖医生；假内行 | |
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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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eccentricity
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| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
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votaries
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| n.信徒( votary的名词复数 )；追随者；（天主教）修士；修女 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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importuned
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| v.纠缠，向（某人）不断要求( importune的过去式和过去分词 )；（妓女）拉（客） | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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serried
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| adj.拥挤的；密集的 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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gaudily
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| adv.俗丽地 | |
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obesity
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| n.肥胖，肥大 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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38
melodramas
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| 情节剧( melodrama的名词复数 ) | |
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silhouettes
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| 轮廓( silhouette的名词复数 )； （人的）体形； （事物的）形状； 剪影 | |
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silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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frigidly
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| adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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turbid
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| adj.混浊的，泥水的，浓的 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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uneven
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| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
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rummage
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| v./n.翻寻，仔细检查 | |
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rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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70
juggler
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| n. 变戏法者, 行骗者 | |
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71
viper
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| n.毒蛇；危险的人 | |
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72
figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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adjure
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| v.郑重敦促(恳请) | |
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74
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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75
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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77
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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79
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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80
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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