THE MOHAMMEDANS
213
timidated and confused. Under the spotless, almost delicate order
of the terry-cloth turban, the man's ugliness was imposing. His
face was fleshy, with an enormous fat glistening nose, large black
eyes, thick lips. He was scarcely taller than Simon, but his great
chest
and broad shoulders gave the impression of size and power.
Perhaps, for once, he too was embarassed or confused, for he
stared
at Simon with a slow, baleful, pendulum-like movement of
his
head, until the white man said:
"0 yes, how stupid of me. Simon's the name, Charles Rodney
Simon."
Wiley Bey nodded gravely.
"The name sounds Jewish, but it's not. My background is
Scotch-Norman. In fact it's my personal opinion that Simon was
originally not a family but a christian name. It's easy to imagine
young Norman nobles named Jean Simon de Monfort, or Robert
Simon de la Tour becoming John Simon and Robert Simon. A
question of primogeniture, no doubt. On the other hand-"
"Have you got the key?" .
"You flatter me!"
"The man at the office said you had the key, in case he didn't
get here."
"Why yes, of course! You mean the key to upstairs," cried
Simon with a nervous laugh. "Imagine! I rushed out here to
help you move in and I forgot the key entirely.... But that's
nonsense, don't believe a word of it. I was really quite annoyed
when I saw you coming in. No one took the trouble to inform me,
you know. And yet this house has been in the family for three
generations. Ah well, at my back I always hear Time's winged
dlariot hurrying near. And why didn't he hand you over the key
iD
the first place? He's a fool, that man is, and a moral coward
to
boot." He drew back a step and cocked his head. "Are you
quite determined to move into this place? ... I find it picturesque,
but not very practical."
The Negro stared at him, like an expressionless ebony idol.
"But pay no attention to me," said Simon. "Idiotic! .•.
Now let me see. The key."
Wiley Bey turned to the women on the sidewalk and an–
BOunced,
in a tone of dispassionate disgust: "It's a white man!"
The women broke their group, each attaching herself to a small
