The house of Karlsberger stood in a hollow of the southern sandhills,
only discoverable on a close approach, so that the sight of its red
roof, something like an extinguisher, came always as a surprise.
Its owner was of the number of those Jewish immigrants who, lured by
the offer of perpetual charity, had of late years come in their
thousands to occupy lands provided by their rich co-religionists. But
the life of a husbandman soon palled on Karlsberger, accustomed to
trade upon the vices of a European city; and his wife, a former harlot,
shared his disgust. As soon as he could gather money enough he had
left agriculture to the dullards, and built this house near the town as
a rendezvous for all who loved the flavour of depravity. For the
dragomans and their kind the house of Karlsberger stood for the fashion
and gay life of Europe.
Thither Iskender conducted his lord in the manner of a reluctant
follower rather than a guide. He had said all he could to dissuade the
Frank from going, had exaggerated the ill repute of the place, and
called the dragomans low, drunken blackguards; but all in vain. The
Emîr was bent on going; and his slave went with him miserably, feeling
sure that the kindness he had himself inspired would not survive the
introduction to a set of dashing fellows, whose profession it was to
win the hearts of foreigners. The air was sultry, the expanse of sand
glared hatefully beneath a sky veiled all over with thin cloud. All
nature, in accordance with his mood, seemed glum and spiteful.
In sight of the house he pointed to it without a word. It looked in
truth a pretty place for a great prince to visit. With a gloomy
satisfaction Iskender noticed filth about the threshold, and shabby
garments spread to dry upon the window-sill.
Sounds of talk and laughter came from the open door. They ceased
directly the Emîr was seen by those within; and some dozen men,
assembled in a narrow room, rose as one and saluted. The room had been
roughly cleaned for the occasion, the dust and filth of the floor
having been swept into the four corners, where it lay in heaps. The
ceiling and the white-washed walls were grimy, and dust made a bloom on
the ragged curtains of the window, looped pretentiously; a three-legged
table all but filled the room, leaving just room for one to pass around
it. His lord was ushered to the seat of honour, a sofa covered with a
fabric which had once been plush, but now resembled draggled sealskin;
while Iskender went quite unnoticed till the wife of Karlsberger--a
bulky slattern, who kept shuffling in and out with plates and
glasses--perceived his need, and placed a stool for him. Through
confusion and annoyance he caught nothing of the conversation till
Elias, in a mincing voice, announced:
"The grub quite ready."
The Englishman laughed at that; upon which Elias, dancing up to him,
exclaimed:
"You are a good fellow; I see that. I like you, and so blease to see
you here."
All then drew close to the table, on which were set forth many tempting
viands, including mottled discs of German sausage, anchovies, pickled
gherkins, and huge chunks of Frankish bread. A bottle of rum and a
bottle of gin stood one at each end of the board, attended by glasses
of all shapes and sizes.
"Allow me to helb you, sir--a bit of sausage?" cried Elias, seizing a
knife and presenting it at the dish in question. The Emîr laughed
again, which was the signal for an obsequious roar. He said he would
prefer some bread and anchovy, and could help himself. He accepted a
little of the rum for politeness' sake, and then professed himself
satisfied. After some outcry on his lack of appetite the rest of the
party fell to with avidity. The presence of his uncle, which he now
realised for the first time, relieved Iskender from the fear of
personal indignity. He, too, attacked the victuals with good appetite,
but refused the spirits, strong in the example of Abdullah's
abstinence. The work of eating was soon done, and every one sat back
for conversation. There was much ostentatious picking of teeth, and
noises of repletion came from all sides. Tongues were loosed, and vied
one with another to display deep knowledge of the English speech and
manners. The company abounded in expressions such as "old chap,"
"never say die," and "right you are!" which Iskender, from his
education, knew to be inappropriate. Every one too, except Abdullah,
made believe to revel in the gin and rum, out of compliment to the
guest, whose national drink it was; but Iskender was not deceived by
their hilarity. Sitting at the opposite end of the room to his patron,
he saw the wry faces which were turned away at every sip. Elias, quite
beside himself with adulation, and intoxicated already by the success
of his facetious sallies, drank and drank again with convivial gestures.
"Ha, ha!" he cried, "I'm feelin' deflish habby. So fery nice to be
with English beeble. The English are our friends; they're Christians
like what we are. Blease God, they take this country like they taken
Egybt, and gif the Turks an' Muslims good old Hell! Ha, ha! we're
English, we are, just the same. The Turks all done for--no dam' good.
The Christians kick 'em all the time. They got to lick our boots,
that's sure. The English they soon string up the rotten ole Sultan,
first they christen 'im jus' for luck----"
His words were drowned in cries of horrified protest; his neighbours at
the table flung themselves upon the rash talker, stopping his mouth
forcibly with their hands; while old Abdullah rose up in authority and
loudly denounced such sentiments as high treason, with glances at the
open door as at an audience. Iskender could see the Frank was quite
bewildered; he sat smiling on all that occurred without intelligence.
Elias, when let go, was laughing heartily.
"Well, I neffer!" he observed. "Who's afraid?"
Just then Khalîl, the concertina-player, a dull-eyed, fattish man, who
had kept silence, suddenly drew all eyes upon himself by picking up his
instrument from the floor and playing a few chords softly.
"All right, Khalîl! Come along then! Neffer say die, ole chabbie!"
Elias encouraged him.
"I blay you 'Bob goose the Whistle,'" said the musician seriously, and
at once struck up a jerky Frankish tune, with eyes intently fixed on
the Emîr, garnering his every smile and sign of pleasure. When his
Honour showed a disposition to sing the words of the refrain, he played
more loudly than before in triumph. All present flung back their heads
and bawled in discord, producing a din so horrible that the Jew
Karlsberger, with his wife and child, appeared from an inner room with
scared white faces.
"Merciful Allah, make less noise!" the Israelite besought the
revellers. "If a Muslim were to hear you, I am ruined."
At that Elias rose with dignity and swaggering towards the Jew with a
Frankish elegance which the depth of his potations made unsteady,
seized the landlord by the breast of his gaberdine. He lifted an
admonishing finger, saying:
"You hold your row, Mr. Karlsberger. You go to Blazes, my fery good
friend!"
The Jew, who knew no English, accepted the assurance and retired.
The musician struck into another tune, but soon desisted, finding his
art forgotten in a general clamour of conversation, every one
addressing the Frank, who, after looking from one to another at a loss,
gave ear to Yuhanna Mahbûb, who sat next him. Yuhanna, like Elias, had
partaken of the rum and gin. He struck a vein of amorous reminiscence,
and began boasting of his conquests among English ladies. Abdullah
sharply bade him hold his tongue.
"He is a boaster, sir, and neffer did nothing what he say he did," said
that respectable man in explanation to the visitor. "If he really done
such things, he neffer sbeak about them, that sure; he know he get the
sack for such a shame."
"Shame!" chorused Elias with a reproachful shake of the head. "Hear,
hear! Order, order! By God, you are a nasty beast, Yuhanna."
As he spoke he poured out rum into a tumbler, without looking, till the
glass was half full.
Iskender, seeing the disgust in the Frank's face deepen, waxed
exultant. It was time to leave now, while that look endured. He
caught his uncle's eye. The old man nodded.
"It is time that we dispersed," he said in Arabic, "unless we wish to
get wet through. See how the sky has clouded over while we sat here.
Remember, it is the year's first rain, which means a deluge."
"He speaks truth"--"Rain is coming"--"See the clouds," cried one and
another, peering out on the world. The company obeyed the motion of
its acknowledged sheykh, all save Elias, who had got beyond the reach
of all authority.
"You think I'm goin' yet, you silly ole fool!" he cried in English.
"No dam' jolly fear! I haf not yet talk to my friend, this nice kind
mister!"
And holding in one hand the glass half full of rum, he staggered to the
sofa, till then sacred to the Emîr, and sank down on it with a
contented hiccup.
"My dear luffed friend, now we talk a little. The rest, they go to
Hell," he said; and tried to kiss the Frank.
He measured his length on the floor, the tumbler was broken, the rum
spilt. In a moment the whole room was in an uproar. All who could get
near enough tendered abject apologies to the guest for their
companion's rudeness; while those debarred by concourse from that
privilege, consoled themselves by kicking and punching the prostrate
Elias, who wept aloud, still crying: "My friend! My dearest friend!"
In the midst of this tumult, Khalîl struck up the English National
Hymn, a carefully reserved effect which he was unwilling to forgo.
At length the Emîr won his way to the door, where Iskender was waiting
for him, too happy in the turn events had taken to shake his head or
say "I told you so." They were joined by old Abdullah. Indoors,
behind them, the shrieks of the Jew and his spouse were now heard high
above the furious talking and the strains of the concertina.
"He come to you to-morrow, sir, and lie down on the floor and lick your
boots; I'll see to that," said Abdullah with determination.
"Curse it all! I lost my temper!" said the Frank with a nervous laugh.
"We best make haste, sir," said Abdullah, pointing eastward.
The sky inland was black as ink and formless; the sand looked white as
sun-bleached bone by contrast; the dark green wave of the
orange-gardens appeared pale; a palm-tree in the distance stood up wan
against the impending cloud. Presently a flash of lightning made them
quicken step; big drops of water fell like bullets round them. Before
they could reach the hotel the rain came down in sheets, beating up the
sand like smoke, and they were drenched to the skin. The Emîr lent his
henchman some dry clothes and insisted on his remaining till the storm
passed over. Iskender knew that it might last for days. He dispatched
a ragamuffin, who had sought shelter in the hotel entry, with a message
to relieve his mother's mind; and soon found himself arrayed in clothes
too large for him, sitting in a drawing-room only less luxurious than
that of the Mission, looking at some English pictures, while the Frank
wrote letters. Truly, it seemed, he had been born to honour.