MR. KNOW-ALL

by W.S. Maugham

William Somerset Maugham, author of the novels Of Human Bondage (1915) and Cakes and Ale (1930), spent five years studying medicine and served in World War I as both an ambulance driver and a British spy. Yet during all this time he recognized that his one compelling ambition was to be a writer.

He was noted as an expert storyteller and a master of the technique of fiction. Maugham wrote with wit, irony, and scrupulous observation, frequently expressing an aloofly cynical attitude toward life.

Once I was going by ship from San-Francisco to Yokohama. I shared my cabin with a man called Mr. Kelada. He was short and of a sturdy build, clean shaven and dark-skinned, with a hooked nose and very large liquid eyes. His long black hair was curly. And though he introduced himself as an Englishman I felt sure that he was born under a bluer sky than is generally seen in England. Mr. Kelada was chatty. He talked of New York and of San Francisco. He discussed plays, pictures and politics. He was familiar. Though I was a total stranger to him he used no such formality as to put mister before my name when he addressed me. I didn't like Mr. Kelada. I not only shared a cabin with him and ate three meals a day at the same table, but I couldn't walk round the deck without his joining me. It was impossible to snub him. It never occurred to him that he was not wanted. He was certain that you were as glad to see him as he was glad to see you. In your own house you might have kicked him downstairs and slammed the door in his face.

Mr. Kelada was a good mixer, and in three days knew everyone on board. He ran everything. He conducted the auctions, collected money for prizes at the sports, organized the concert and arranged the fancy-dress ball. He was everywhere and always. He was certainly the best-hated man in the ship. We called him Mr. Know-A11, even to his face. He took it as a compliment. But it was at meal times that he was most intolerable. He knew everything better than anybody else and you couldn't disagree with him. He would not drop a subject till he had brought you round to his way of thinking. The possibility that he could be mistaken never occurred to him.

We were four at the table: the doctor, I, Mr. Kelada and Mr. Ramsay.

Ramsay was in the American Consular Service, and was stationed at Kobe. He was a great heavy fellow. He was on his way back to resume his post, having been on a flying visit to New York to fetch his wife, who had been spending a year at home. Mrs. Ramsay was a, very pretty little thing with pleasant manners and a sense of humour. She was dressed always very simply, but she knew how to wear her clothes.

One evening at dinner the conversation by chance drifted to the subject of pearls. There was some argument between Mr. Kelada and Ramsay about the value of culture and real pearls. I did not believe Ramsay knew anything about the subject at all. At last Mr. Kelada got furious and shouted: " Well, I know what I am talking about. I'm going to Japan just to look into this Japanese pearl business. I'm in the trade. I know the best pearls in the world, and what I don't know about pearls isn't worth knowing."

Here was news for us, for Mr. Kelada had never told anyone what his business was.

Ramsay leaned forward.

" That's a pretty chain, isn't it? " he asked pointing to the chain that Mrs. Ramsay wore.

" I noticed it at once, " answered Mr. Kelada. " Those are pearls all right."

" I didn't buy it myself, of course, " said Ramsay. " I wonder how much you think it cost."

" Oh, in the trade somewhere round fifteen thousand dollars. But if it was bought on Fifth Avenue anything up to thirty thousand was paid for it."

Ramsay smiled. " You'll be surprised to hear that Mrs. Ramsay bought that string the day before we left New York for eighteen dollars. I'll bet you a hundred dollars it's imitation."

" Done."

" But how can it be proved? " Mrs. Ramsay asked.

" Let me look at the chain and if it's imitation I'll tell you quickly enough. I can afford to lose a hundred dollars, " said Mr. Kelada.

The chain was handed to Mr. Kelada. He took a magnifying glass from his pocket and closely examined it. A smile of triumph spread over his face. He was about to speak. Suddenly he saw Mrs. Ramsay's face. It was so white that she looked as if she were about to faint'. She was staring at him with wide and terrified eyes. Mr. Kelada stopped with his mouth open. He flushed deeply. You could almost see the effort he was making over himself. " I was mistaken, " he said. " It's a very good imitation." He took a hundred-dollar note out of his pocket and handed it to Ramsay without a word. " Perhaps that'll teach you a lesson, " said Ramsay as he took the note. I noticed that Mr. Kelada's hands were trembling.

The story spread over the ship. It was a fine joke that Mr. Know-All had been caught out. But Mrs. Ramsay went to her cabin with a headache.

Next morning I got up and began to shave. Suddenly I saw a letter pushed under the door. I opened the door and looked out. There was nobody there. I picked up the letter and saw that it was addressed to Mr. Kelada. I handed it to him. He took out of the envelope a hundred-dollar note. He looked at me and reddened.

" Were the pearls real? " I asked.

" If I had a pretty little wife I shouldn't let her spend a year in New York while I stayed at Kobe, " said he.

1. Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

a chatty man, address smb, be certain, be a goodmixer, take smth as a compliment, a way of thinking, be mistaken, pleasant manners, a sense of humour, dress simply, get furious, be worth doing, can afford to do smth, examine smth closely, stare at smb with wide eyes, make an effort over oneself, trembling hands.

2 Questions on the text:

1) Where did the author get acquainted with Mr. Kelada? 2) What did Mr. Kelada look like? 3) Why did the author doubt whether his companion was an Englishman? 4) Prove that Mr. Kelada was chatty and familiar. 5) In what way did Mr. Kelada force himself upon his f ellow-travellers? 6) Why did the passengers call him Mr. Know-All? 7) When and why was he most intolerable? 8) Who was Mr. Ramsay and why had he flown to New York? 9) Describe his wife. 10) What subject did the conversation drift to one evening? 11) What did Mr. Kelada's companions find out about his business? 12) How did Mr. Kelada value Mrs. Ramsay's string of pearls? 13) Why did Mr. Kelada and Mr. Ramsay make a bet? 14) Why was Mr. Know-All so certain that he would win the bet? 15) What made him say the thing he didn't want to? 16) What was Mr. Ramsay's and other passengers’ reaction? 17) What happened next morning? 18) How did Mr. Kelada explain his strange behaviour the night before?

3 Discuss the following:

1) Give a character sketch of Mr. Kelada. 2) Was his gentle behaviour during the last argument a surprise to you? Does it contradict to the author's previous portrait of his? Why do you think the author gave such a contrast? 3) Why did Mr. Kelada's words cost him a lot of effort? Analyse other possible variants of his behaviour. 4) Who wrote the letter? What for?