VIII
Fatou’s hands, the backs of which were deep black, had pink palms.
For a long time this discovery dismayed the spahi; he disliked seeing the palms of Fatou’s hands, which in spite of himself made upon him an unpleasant impression like the cold paws of a monkey.
Nevertheless these hands were small and well-modelled, and joined to the rounded arm with a very delicate wrist.
But this discolouration of the palms; these parti-coloured fingers had something not human about them, and inspired him with horror.
That and certain strange, falsetto intonations which escaped her sometimes when she was highly animated, together with certain restless movements, recalled mysterious resemblances which troubled the imagination.
In the end, however, Jean had grown accustomed to these things, and no longer troubled his head about them. At times when Fatou seemed to him charming, and he was still in love with her, he would call her laughingly by a curious Yolof name, which signified “little monkey-girl.”
Fatou herself was very much mortified by this pet name, and would assume staid airs and a serious expression which amused the spahi.
One day (it was exceptionally fine that day; the weather almost cool, the sky very clear)—one day Fritz Muller, who was going to pay Jean a visit, had noiselessly climbed the staircase and halted on the threshold.
There he was very much entertained by the following scene, which he witnessed from the door.
Jean, smiling the good-tempered smile of a child who is enjoying himself, appeared to be examining Fatou with great attention—stretching out her arms, turning her round, inspecting her from all points of view without uttering a word—and then suddenly, with an air of conviction, he thus expressed the conclusions at which he had arrived,
“You’re exactly the same as a monkey.”
And Fatou, deeply injured,
“Ah, Tjean! You not say that, my white man. First a monkey not knowing how to talk—and I knowing very well.”
Thereupon Fritz Muller burst out laughing—and then Jean followed his example, especially when he saw the dignified, ceremonious manner that Fatou endeavoured to assume by way of protest against these uncomplimentary conclusions.
“In any case, a very pretty little monkey,” said Muller, who had a great admiration for Fatou’s good looks.
(He had lived a long time in the negro realm, and was a good judge of the pretty girls of the Soudan.)
“A very pretty little monkey! If all those in the woods of Galam were like her, one might grow accustomed to this accursed country, which assuredly has never been visited by the good God.”