air. He sank
down, blew upon them, caught them, letting them set their tail weapons
in his fingers, and lifting them thus, imbedded, high above the floor.
Then again he put them down, breathed upon each one, drew a circle
round each with his forefinger. His face had suddenly become intense,
hypnotic. The scorpions, as if mesmerised, remained utterly still, each
in its place within its imaginary circle, that had become a cage; and
their master bowed to the fetish of the tomtoms, leaped, grinned, and
bowed again, undulating his body in a maze of hair.

Domini felt as if she, like the scorpions, had been mesmerised. She,
too, was surely bound in a circle, breathed upon by some arrogant
breath of fanaticism, commanded by some horrid power. She looked at the
scorpions and felt a sort of pity for them. From time to time the bowing
fanatic glanced at them through his hair out of the corners of his eyes,
licked his lips, shook his shoulders, and uttered a long howl, thrilling
with the note of greed. The tomtoms pulsed faster and faster, louder and
louder, and all the men began to sing a fierce chant, the song surely
of desert souls driven crazy by religion. One of the scorpions moved
slightly, reared its tail, began to run. Instantly, as if at a signal,
the dancer fell upon his knees, bent down his head, seized it in his
teeth, munched it and swallowed it. At the same moment with the uproar
of the tomtoms there mingled a loud knocking on the door.

Hadj's lips curled back from his pointed teeth and he looked dangerous.

"It is Batouch!" he snarled.

Domini got up. Without a word, turning her back upon the court, she made
her way out, still hearing the howl of the scorpion-eater, the roar of
the tomtoms, and the knocking on the door. Hadj followed her quickly,
protesting. At the door was the man with the pitted white face and the
thick lips. When he saw her he held out his hand. She gave him some
money, he opened the door, and she came out into the night by the triple
palm tree. Batouch stood there looking furious, with the bridles of
two horses across his arm. He began to speak in Arabic to Hadj, but
she stopped him with an imperious gesture, gave Hadj his fee, and in a
moment was in the saddle and cantering away into the dark. She heard the
gallop of Batouch's horse coming up behind her and turned her head.

"Batouch," she said, "you are the smartest"--she used the word
_chic_--"Arab here. Do you know what is the fashion