when lim yang bing informed his son of the arrest of his accuser pak ardjan, and communicated to him some of the details of the capture, lim ho chuckled with delight. “that’s one good riddance, at all events,” quoth he, to himself. “now, with a very little management on our part, that fellow will be found guilty and sent to the devil long before his son’s smuggling case can come on at all. the most dangerous witness will then be out of the way.”
then, for a while, lim ho seemed lost in thought. he had made the njonja of the resident a very handsome and valuable present of jewellery, in return for which he had got nothing but a mere empty promise that she would see what she could do for him in the way of inducing the girl to listen to his [98]proposals. “indeed! njonja mahal, an expensive lady,” he muttered. “by kong, what will be her price if i should need her active help in the case of the girl’s refusal? mercy on me! that will cost a pretty penny.”
but pak ardjan’s arrest gave another direction to his thoughts.
“no, the girl is not to be won, of that i am certain, she hates me too much to consent. but that is precisely the thing which makes her so attractive to me. she is an elegant, pretty girl! that’s true enough, but there are many other good-looking maidens in the dessas—that’s tame, i know all about them. no, no, to make the rebellious hussy bend to my will; to cover her, who detests me, with my kisses; to have her, who despises me, in my arms; and then—yes, then, when i am tired of her, and she is soiled and faded body and soul—then to be able to trample upon her, and fling her from me. that, look you, is the highly flavoured dish which, in my pursuit of her, i intend to enjoy. and, by kong, i shall have my way, too. how? that i don’t know, just yet. by force or by cunning? that matters little—if needs be, by both!”
thus he muttered to himself as, in his father’s house, he lay stretched out on a most luxurious divan, with his long chinese pipe in his mouth, in which he was smoking the most fragrant tobacco the celestial empire produces.
“by cunning?” he continued, after a few puffs at his pipe, “by cunning? now, what is the most serious obstacle? the girl’s will, no doubt;—well, i shall know how to get over that, if i get the chance, that will have, i daresay, to be a matter of violence after all. now what else is there? the njonja!—the baboe is in her service; but i think she will help me, especially if—” here the wretch moved his hand in the manner so peculiar to the chinese, when they count money, putting down at each gesture a little pile of coins, which always contains the exact number required, never one piece more or less. “now, is there any one else in my way? yes, there is ardjan, who wants to marry her; but he is pretty well accounted for, he is safe enough in jail, and won’t very easily get out of the mess he is in, as he is charged with having smuggled a couple of pikols of opium. long before he has been condemned, and has served his time, the deed must be done. yes, long before that dalima must have been mine! what, then—why, then? i sha’n’t give either of them another thought, then the question will be, what pretty one will next take [99]my fancy,—from ardjan, i have nothing to fear, even if he does escape punishment, the company will know how to deal with him. there is only one man left against whom i must be on my guard, that is setrosmito, dalima’s father. oh, that cursed javanese, he threatened me with his kris, did he? when i offered him five hundred rix-dollars for his daughter! oh, i will pay him out for that. but how?—a thought strikes me—that arrest of pak ardjan seems to have been the easiest matter in the world. if setrosmito could be made to fall into the same trap—if we could secure him—were it but for a few weeks!”
springing up from his couch, lim ho ran to a small gong which stood by a pillar, supported on a very elegant foot of china, and with a small stick, which was carved in the shape of a crocodile’s head, the emblem of ngoh, the water-god, he struck two sharp blows upon the clear-toned metal.
a gaudily dressed javanese servant immediately made his appearance, walked up to the divan, and, squatting down before it, placed his hands to his forehead, and obsequiously made his “sembah.”
“do you think, drono,” asked lim ho, “that singomengolo is still at santjoemeh?”
“i saw him only this morning, babah,” replied drono, as he repeated his sembah.
“then run and fetch him at once,” said his master. “you will find him, i have no doubt, somewhere about the opium-store. tell him i want to speak to him. make haste!”
“sajah babah,” said the man, as he glided back a few paces, then rose, and with his face still turned to his master, made his way out of the room.
“yes,” continued lim ho to himself, pursuing the thoughts which the entrance of the servant had interrupted. “yes, if it were but for a few weeks, in that time, i have no doubt, i could find some means of enticing little dalima. the njonja resident might be most useful to me in this. but it will cost money! no matter, there is no lack of that!”
he rose again and struck the gong, and another javanese servant presented himself.
“has drono gone yet?” asked lim ho.
“not yet, babah,” was the man’s reply, “but he is just about to start.”
“very well, then run and call him back,” ordered lim ho.
a moment later lim ho’s confidential servant again stood before him. [100]
“before you go to look for singo,” said the master, “you must go to the house of m?bok karijah, and you must tell her that i want to see her here as soon as possible.”
“saja-babah,” said drono, as again he made the sembah.
“yes,” cried lim ho, impatiently, “but be off at once. saja-babah.”
the next day, m?bok karijah entered the residence, and asked to see the njonja besar, or great lady. she was admitted at once, for it was morning, and laurentia had just finished attending to her household duties, and had given out all that was needful to the cook. she was at that moment engaged in changing her morning kabaai for another one, made of fine lawn trimmed with lace. indeed, the lady’s doors were never closed to the old quack, and she would always receive her, at any hour of the day, if she could possibly do so.
“good morning, njoonjaa,” said the old woman, in that drawling tone so peculiar to the obsequious javanese, while she squatted down at the european lady’s feet.
“tabeh nènèh,” replied laurentia.
“did the obat have the desired effect?” began the old hag.
“oh yes,” replied laurentia; “it worked admirably, you must let me have a good supply of it.”
“that is what i intended to do, njonja, but the ingredients, you know, are so difficult to get, they are so expensive.”
laurentia took a small purse from her work-basket, and put a couple of rix-dollars into the old woman’s hand.
“there,” said she, “take that to buy them, and mind you let me have some soon.”
the crone took the money, and tied it up in the corner of a dirty handkerchief, from which a bunch of keys was dangling, and, with a cunning leer, she assured the lady that she would have no reason to complain.
then she began to talk about master leo, and to tell laurentia what a dear, clever little chap he was, and how everyone in the street turned back to look at the little fellow as he passed. no doubt, now and then, an eye might be cast on the baboe also who had charge of him; for, there could be no question about it, the baboe was exceedingly pretty. really, the njonja ought not to allow such a girl to go about so freely; she was too good-looking, and there are always people wicked enough to take advantage of innocence. the njonja knew that well enough, and it would be such a pity if the poor girl should get into bad hands. there was so much money to be [101]made out of her. so the old hag rattled on; and so, in a disjointed way, and by degrees, she told laurentia that lim ho’s passion for dalima was daily increasing in violence, and that every day he was prepared to make greater sacrifices to gain possession of her. then laurentia’s greedy eye began to glisten, and cunning old m?bok was clever enough to see that she might safely venture.
bending forward, but still keeping her watchful eye fixed on laurentia’s face, she went on for some time speaking in whispers, and seemed to be arousing the lady’s keenest attention; for evidently laurentia did not lose a word, and frequently nodded in token of assent. when the nènèh had finished speaking, mrs. van gulpendam did not at once reply, but, for awhile, seemed lost in meditation. at length she said:
“boleh; tapeh—mentega sama ikan.”
at the first word, “boleh,” which signifies “it is possible, it might be done,” the dull eye of the old hag brightened; but, at the remainder of the sentence, she looked up with genuine surprise.
yes, the purely idiomatic dutch expression, though rendered most correctly in malay, was beyond her.
“mentega sama ikan?” she asked, in a strangely puzzled tone of voice.
“to be sure,” repeated laurentia, in malay. “sauce with the fish. don’t you understand me, nènèh? cash down, i mean, m?bok, cash down! i am not going to be taken in by empty promises.”
“alas!” sighed the old woman, who now saw clearly enough what was meant by “sauce with the fish.” she drew a little box out of the folds of the sash which confined the sarong around her scraggy hips, and offered it to the njonja. it contained a pair of valuable golden ear-rings of chinese workmanship, richly set with diamonds.
“is that all?” asked mrs. van gulpendam, with a contemptuous smile.
“they are very valuable,” muttered the old hag.
but the resident’s wife slowly shook her head.
“lim ho asked me,” continued m?bok, “to tell you that he intends to come and personally express his gratitude to you as soon as the affair has succeeded.”
laurentia laughed, “when the affair has succeeded,” she repeated, scornfully. “a pretty story, indeed! no, i don’t intend to see the babah at all.” [102]
“but, njonja—”
“that will do,” said laurentia; “not another word about it. come,” continued she, “you may take those things away with you again.”
“but what then am i to tell lim ho?” asked the nènèh.
“you may tell him just whatever you like, nèh.”
“but, njonja—”
“now, m?bok,” said laurentia, resolutely, “not another word on that subject. don’t forget to bring me a good supply of the obat.”
“has the njonja no other orders for me?”
“none at present,” was the answer.
“i only wished to tell you that i have another little lot of jewellery at home,” insisted the old hag; “ear-rings, rings—!”
“no, no, nèh,” said laurentia, interrupting her; “but if you should happen to know of some bracelets.”
“bracelets, njonja? of what kind?”
“golden ones, of course,” replied mrs. van gulpendam. “a little while ago i saw some that i should very much like to have; the chinese major’s daughter was wearing them. they were beauties, serpents of old gold which went three or four times round the wrist and they had eyes of brilliants and in their mouth was a rose-coloured diamond as thick as that, look!” and the njonja at these words held up her little finger.
old m?bok karijah devoured, so to speak, the words which she heard.
“if,” continued the njonja, “you could find me such a pair of bracelets, i should think them well worth having and—there might be a little profit for you too.”
these words were uttered in the most careless manner possible, though laurentia’s eyes seemed to pierce the old woman as she spoke them.
“saja, njonja,” replied m?bok, scrambling to her feet; “good morning, njonja.”
“good morning, nèh,” said the lady.
half an hour after this interview lim ho uttered a frightful curse as again and again he repeated the words, “an expensive lady!”
but he was too much intent upon his purpose to hesitate and so next day he handed m?bok the bracelets for which she had asked him. [103]
before proceeding further with our story, we shall have to give the reader some information concerning mr. van nerekool, the young lawyer to whom anna van gulpendam had appealed for help in her anxiety to save ardjan, the future husband of her favourite servant dalima. hitherto the narrative has carried us away, now it is time to cast a look backward.
charles van nerekool was, as we have seen, a fine tall young man of about five or six-and-twenty years of age, with handsome clearly cut features, a light beard and moustache and thick curly hair of a somewhat darker shade. he had studied at leyden, the athens of holland. but though he had passed all his examinations most creditably, yet, he could not help confessing to himself that he had not altogether done justice to his great abilities. both at the grammar school and at the university he had passed for a somewhat absent and careless fellow in his studies. he had, from his early youth, been too much inclined to waste his time on objectless hobbies; but they were hobbies which showed that his mind was one of no ordinary stamp. mighty fond was he, when a boy, of all kinds of things which lay outside the regular routine of his school duties. first and foremost, he loved music, then drawing, painting, in fact, the general contemplation of nature. consequently, he had frequently been kept in for neglecting his lessons; but the boy did not much mind that; and on such occasions he would go away into a corner of the schoolroom and sit and dream. then, as he sat there all alone with his fair head turned upward to the clear blue sky, some one would say, “poor child, he is not long for this world, it will end in consumption.” but charles van nerekool was not at all consumptive; for it happened with him, as with so many other seemingly delicate boys, that the approach of manhood brought with it robust health. when quite a child he had had the misfortune to lose his father. spiteful tattling people, such persons as are always most anxious about things which in no way concern them, would have it that that father had never existed, or to speak more correctly, would have it that it was never known who was that father. what reason had they for flinging about these suspicions? why? none at all. it was all the merest tittle-tattle, the merest putting together of trifling circumstances. even at the name van nerekool the busy-bodies would shake their heads and suggest that it ought to be read backwards, van lookeren. but true or false, it mattered very little. in these days, a man can earn respect by his ability [104]and his honesty; and where these are present, he will be highly valued in the world—in the world, that is to say, of people whose esteem is worth having. his mother was supposed to be in very easy circumstances and to enjoy a very sufficient income. at all events, the young man’s studies had always been amply provided for, and his allowance at leyden had been liberal enough to enable him to take part in all the amusements in which his fellow students used to indulge. but when, towards the end of the young man’s time at college, mrs. van nerekool died somewhat suddenly, it appeared that in reality her means were most slender; and that she had indeed realised all the property she possessed and denied herself everything in order to be able to defray the expenses of her son’s education. seeing this, the trustee who undertook the settlement of mrs. van nerekool’s affairs, strongly advised the young man to try and get appointed to the judicial staff in dutch india. this advice young van nerekool took. the short time which he had yet to spend at the university he employed in the closest application to his studies, and after having passed a brilliant examination, he was appointed to a place in india and put under the orders of the governor general.
when he got out to batavia, they kept him for a year in the capital to help the members of the high court of justice to get through arrears of work which had accumulated. this year was by no means time lost; for young van nerekool thus got a much clearer insight in all legal matters which concerned the natives of the island than he could otherwise have done, seeing that the revision of all sentences passed by the courts in java and madura had to go through his hands.
shortly after, he was appointed member of the council at santjoemeh, which appointment gave him further opportunity of gaining useful information. at santjoemeh, the young man had the good fortune to find in mr. zuidhoorn, the president of the council, a thoroughly worthy and honest man, who proved himself a trustworthy guide, and who, fully appreciating the abilities and sterling qualities of his young colleague, took every opportunity of developing them in the right direction. in mr. zuidhoorn he had before him a living example of strict integrity and of that impartiality and freedom from prejudice which it is not always easy to practise in the service of dame justitia.
at santjoemeh van nerekool made the acquaintance of two men, one of whom was about his own age and the other four [105]or five years his junior. the names of these gentlemen were william verstork and edward van rheijn. both were in the government service in the residence of santjoemeh; but verstork was obliged to live at banjoe pahit, which was the chief dessa of the division of that name to which kaligaweh also belonged, and van rheijn was serving his probation in the capital and in the office of the resident. they were both fine honest fellows quite unspoiled by indian intrigue and corruption and who held every evasion of the truth in abhorrence. in the main point therefore their dispositions harmonised admirably with the frank nature of charles van nerekool, yet were their characters somewhat different from his. mr. verstork was, probably in consequence of his longer stay in india and his greater experience, of a much more pliable disposition than his friend; and though himself incapable of anything mean or underhand, yet to a certain extent, he was inclined to give way to his superiors and to wink at, or close his eyes to, transactions of theirs which would not bear the strictest scrutiny. this he was compelled to do, he said, in order not to spoil his career. this pliability of character frequently used to involve him in warm disputes with his two friends, in which, however, he would not try to justify himself, but used to palliate his conduct by appealing to the exceptional circumstances in which he was placed and which were indeed of sufficiently trying a nature to give him a claim to indulgence. he also had, at an early age, lost his father; but less fortunate than van nerekool, he was left as the eldest son of a large and needy family; and though his mother had heroically striven to provide for the wants of herself and children, yet her earnings were not by any means sufficient even partially to attain that object. moreover at the time of old mr. verstork’s death two of william’s younger brothers were receiving their education in europe, and the studies of these young people could not be interrupted without altogether marring their prospects of future success. thus it came to pass that controller verstork had a very heavy burden of care resting upon him, since the future of that family, of which he was in reality the bread-winner, depended entirely on the career he might make. if, therefore, he could now and then be accused of lukewarmness, or if for the shortcomings of others he was too ready to find extenuating circumstances or excuses, the difficult position in which he was placed ought to be fairly considered. as far as he himself was concerned he always [106]was in word and deed scrupulously just and honest, and the future will show that, in cases of emergency, he could play his part with manliness and vigour.
edward van rheijn, the probationary-controller, was not of so yielding a nature, lukewarmness was not one of his faults. he was, indeed, as yet too young to have acquired verstork’s circumspection and prudence; but in the office of mr. van gulpendam, under whose immediate orders he had been placed, he was in a terrible school and he had every opportunity to become, according to the latter’s favourite expression, “a thoroughly useful and efficient indian functionary.”
these three men, then, were friends in every sense of the word, and they never neglected a single opportunity of enjoying each other’s society. charles and edward had, of course, constant chances of meeting since they both lived at santjoemeh. they might, indeed be called inseparables. it was not so, however, with verstork, whose station, the dessa banjoe pahit was quite twelve miles from the residence; and for whom, therefore, there could be no question of daily intercourse with his two friends. every saturday afternoon when his work was over and he had closed his office, he used to jump on his horse and ride off at full speed to santjoemeh where he was wont to lodge with one of his friends. the saturday evening he used to spend at the “harmonie” and listen to the excellent music of the militia band. on sunday he was accustomed to pay some visits, and, of course, to call upon his chief officer, the resident, and on monday morning he was off again before daylight so as to be able to take his bath and have his breakfast and to be in his office punctually at nine o’clock. the two inseparables generally accompanied him wherever they could, but the sunday evenings were specially devoted to friendly intercourse and conversation. these they invariably used to spend together either at van nerekool’s house or at van rheijn’s.
on one of these occasions, charles had told his friends how that, on one of his visits to the van gulpendams he had been introduced to the resident’s daughter anna, how he had cultivated that young lady’s acquaintance whenever he had met her at the “harmonie,” at evening parties, or at the residence itself; and he further confessed that miss anna van gulpendam appeared to him the most amiable and accomplished girl he had ever in his life had the pleasure of meeting.
“indeed,” he had continued to say, “i do not exactly know [107]what my sentiments are. is it a mere friendly feeling towards a pretty and accomplished child, or is it perhaps love which is beginning to nestle in my heart? i am so utterly inexperienced in such matters that i cannot tell; all i know is that i am never so happy as when i am in her company.”
“and you manage to be so pretty frequently?” said van rheijn with a malicious smile. “for some time,” he continued to verstork, “friend charles has been away from home almost constantly. i really see very little of him, he is out almost every evening, and then you are sure to find him wherever miss anna and her parents happen to be, or else at the residence whether it happens to be a reception night or not. you know i am half beginning to suspect him of taking a hand at the residential card-table. i have several times strolled round the house trying to find out something; but the place is so closely hedged in by flowers and shrubs, that my curiosity has never once been rewarded and i have not been able to get at the secret at all.”
william verstork shook his head doubtfully at this communication, “is there any truth in all that?” he asked, as he steadfastly kept his eye on van nerekool.
“oh yes,” said the latter without the least hesitation, “but yet—”
“it is a very sad thing,” said verstork, interrupting him.
“a sad thing?” asked charles, somewhat hastily, “what do you mean? you won’t allow me to finish what i have to say.”
“very well,” said verstork, “say on.”
van nerekool then went on to tell him how very powerfully he had felt himself attracted to the young girl; but that hitherto he had not allowed a single word to betray his feelings. what had passed between them was mere conversation, in which he had indeed discovered how fresh and ingenuous the young girl was; but which had never gone further than the merest every-day talk, and had entirely been confined to little compliments, and to those harmless encounters of wit in which young people who are fairly gifted, and are not particularly anxious to hide their light under a bushel, are wont to indulge. he was absolutely certain that anna was wholly unconscious of what was passing in his bosom. but he continued to tell his friends, that on a certain evening, it was getting rather late, a javanese servant had brought him a note in which dear little anna had begged him to come at once and see her at the residence. [108]
william verstork could not help smiling at this communication.
“pray don’t laugh,” cried charles gravely, “although i cannot help confessing that very strange thoughts forced themselves upon me also. it was so strange, was it not? so wholly contrary to the usages of society that a young girl should write such a letter at such a time. at the time i could only look upon it as an étourderie, a thoughtless action; but i am glad to tell you i soon found out my mistake. the dear girl saw me appear at her father’s house without showing the slightest symptom of confusion, and soon convinced me that she had excellent reasons for her seemingly strange conduct. as it was not at all an unusual thing for me to accompany her, it could not awaken any one’s suspicion, that we took our places at the piano in the brilliantly lighted inner gallery. then i learnt why anna had thus strangely summoned me. she wished to invoke my assistance for a certain javanese, who is the lover and is to be the future husband of her baboe; and who now lies under a charge of opium-smuggling.”
thereupon van nerekool told his friends all he had heard from anna, about ardjan’s ill-treatment, and about the opium discovered at the moeara tjatjing.
when he had finished speaking, william verstork again said feelingly: “it is very sad!”
“yes, it is very sad,” rejoined charles, totally misunderstanding the meaning of his friend’s words. “but i hope the javanese will not be found guilty.”
“and,” asked verstork deliberately, “and—your affection for this girl is, you say, very strong?”
“well,” resumed van nerekool, “since that evening i have, as edward has told you, had frequent opportunities of meeting my dear anna, sometimes at the zuidhoorns’, sometimes at the commandant’s, and sometimes at her parents’ house; and i have had frequent conversations with her on the subject of this unfortunate police-case. and every time i have seen her i have received stronger and stronger proofs—”
“of the innocence of the javanese, i suppose!” said van rheijn, somewhat playfully.
“no, not so,” said van nerekool, “but of the goodness of her heart, of the true nobility of her soul and of the honesty and purity of her character. and—my dear old friends, i must confess it, i am now entirely under her spell.”
“it is a very sad thing,” said verstork most seriously. [109]
“but what the deuce do you mean—‘by your very sad thing?’?” cried charles, somewhat out of patience.
“your affection for her, my dearest friend,” said the other; “you are laying up for yourself a very sad future.”
“but how so?” cried charles.
“my dear friend,” said verstork, “i ask you to give me a week to answer that question.”
“why,” cried van nerekool, “you talk as if you had to pronounce a sentence. come, there’s a good fellow, out with it at once.”
“next saturday,” said verstork, “i intend to come again to santjoemeh and, take my word for it, then i will give you an answer.”
whatever efforts van nerekool might make, he could make nothing more out of the mysterious controller, and he had to rest content with the promise of a full explanation on the next saturday.
