Chapter 5 - Page 2

for sale. She also had seen them in the grey dawn. And Babalatchi
grinned confidentially to himself at the recollection of the slave-girl's
discomposed face, of the hard look in her eyes, of the tremble in her
voice, when answering his questions. That little Taminah evidently
admired Dain Maroola. That was good! And Babalatchi laughed aloud at
the notion; then becoming suddenly serious, he began by some strange
association of ideas to speculate upon the price for which Bulangi would,
possibly, sell the girl. He shook his head sadly at the thought that
Bulangi was a hard man, and had refused one hundred dollars for that same
Taminah only a few weeks ago; then he became suddenly aware that the
canoe had drifted too far down during his meditation. He shook off the
despondency caused by the certitude of Bulangi's mercenary disposition,
and, taking up his paddle, in a few strokes sheered alongside the water-
gate of the Rajah's house.

That afternoon Almayer, as was his wont lately, moved about on the water-
side, overlooking the repairs to his boats. He had decided at last.
Guided by the scraps of information contained in old Lingard's pocket-
book, he was going to seek for the rich gold-mine, for that place where
he had only to stoop to gather up an immense fortune and realise the
dream of his young days. To obtain the necessary help he had shared his
knowledge with Dain Maroola, he had consented to be reconciled with
Lakamba, who gave his support to the enterprise on condition of sharing
the profits; he had sacrificed his pride, his honour, and his loyalty in
the face of the enormous risk of his undertaking, dazzled by the
greatness of the results to be achieved by this alliance so distasteful
yet so necessary. The dangers were great, but Maroola was brave; his men
seemed as reckless as their chief, and with Lakamba's aid success seemed
assured.

For the last fortnight Almayer was absorbed in the preparations, walking
amongst his workmen and slaves in a kind of waking trance, where
practical details as to the fitting out of the boats were mixed up with
vivid dreams of untold wealth, where the present misery of burning sun,
of the muddy and malodorous river bank disappeared in a gorgeous vision
of a splendid future existence for himself and Nina. He hardly saw Nina
during these last days, although the beloved daughter was ever present in
his thoughts. He hardly took notice of Dain, whose constant presence in
his house had become a matter of course to him now they were connected by
a community of interests. When meeting the young chief he gave him an
absent greeting and passed on, seemingly wishing to avoid him, bent upon
forgetting the hated reality of the present by absorbing himself in his
work, or