“Well, then, through all this he is so poor. The Dhemang of Parang Koodyang is his son-in-law. Where the Regent himself, afraid of bringing shame on his rank, dare not take, it is this Dhemang—but not he alone—who courts favour with the Adhipatti by extorting money and kind from the poor population, and by fetching the people away from their own rice-fields and driving them to the sawahs of the Regent. And the latter . . . look, I am willing to believe that he would like it to be otherwise, but necessity forces him to resort to such means. Is not all this true, Verbrugge?”
“Yes, it is true,” said Verbrugge, who began to realize more and more that Havelaar’s eyes were keen.
“I knew,” continued the Assistant-Resident, “that he had no money in his house, when just now he began to speak about the settlement with the sub-collector. You heard this morning that it is my intention to do my duty. I will brook no injustice, by God, I will not brook it!”
And he jumped up, and in his tone there was something very different from that of the previous day on the occasion of his official oath.
“But,” he resumed, “I wish to do my duty with forbearance. I do not wish to know too precisely what has happened. But whatever happens from to-day is on my responsibility, of it I shall take charge. I hope to be here long. Do you know, Verbrugge, that our calling is gloriously beautiful? But do you know also that everything I said to you just now should really have come from you to me? I know you as well as I know who are making garemglap[1] on the south coast. You are an honest man . . . this also I know. But why did you not tell me that there was so much wrong here? For two months you were Acting Assistant-Resident, and moreover you have been here a long time as Controller . . . you ought therefore to know it, don’t you think?”
“Mr. Havelaar, I have never served under anyone like you. There is something unusual about you, pardon me.”
- ↑ Illicit making of salt.
