Almayer's Folly: A Story of an Eastern River

the hills behind which the sun had sunk. "Listen, mother, I a

er heart with impatient longing for the darkness that would mean the end of danger and strife, the beginning of happiness, the fulfilling of love, the completeness of life. It had set at last! The short tropical twilight went out before she could draw the long breath of relief; and now the sudden darkness seemed to be full of menacing voices calling upon her to rush headlong into the unknown; to be true to her own impulses, to give herself up to the passion she had evoked and shared. He was waiting! In the solitude of the secluded clearing, in the vast

urn," muttered Mrs. A

waved her hand towards the lights of "Almayer's Folly," an

stopped by a common impulse, and Mrs. Almayer, laying her hand on her daughter's arm, tried in vain to look close into the girl's averted face. When she attempted to

ch power that will endure many days, and even last into your old age. What have I been? A slave all my life, and I have cooked rice for

that had rushed out on the black sky and now hung breathless over that strange parting, her mother's shrivelled features, and looked close into the sunken eyes that could see into her own dark future by the light of a long and a painful experience. A

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but remember men's strength and their weakness. Tremble before his anger, so that he may see yo

ter of life! You do n

descended to lau

e? Have you watched the sleep of men weary of dealing death? Have you felt about you the strong arm that c

orgotten my old life. If I was white would I stand here, ready to go? Mot

f you went back he might awake and see you. No, he shall never see you. When t

long time ago,"

! I heard you cry and jumped into the river. You were his daughter then; you are my daughter n

long grass. The two women heard it, and listened for a while in startled silence. "I shall

Mrs. Almayer clinging to he

hall not go!

r skirts for a quick run, but Mrs. Almayer ran forward and

o white men, angry because they cannot have the blood of the man you love. And in those dark houses," she continued, more calmly as sh

te figure before her stood silent and irresolute i

speak lies. And they think lies because they despise us that are better than they are, but not so strong. Forget their friendship and their contempt; forget

y heroisms and so many crimes. For years she had stood between her mother and her father, the one so strong in her weakness, the other so weak where he could have been strong. Between those two beings so dissimilar, so antagonistic, she stood with mute heart wondering and angry at the fact of her own existence. It seemed so unreasonable, so humiliating to be flung there in that settlement and to see the days rush by into the past, without a hope, a desire, or an aim that would justify the life she had to endure in ever-growing weariness. She had little belief and no sympathy for her father's dreams; but the savage ravings of her mother chanced to strike a resp

d, straightening herself painfully, stood

dark. I am afraid of Abdulla's slaves. The wretches prowl in the night

the wrinkled forehead. Mrs. Almayer snorted contemptuously in protest ag

you again, mothe

fate to die? You will live far away in splendour and might. When I hear of white men driv

ned Nina, earnestly; "but where

ve him his kriss yourself and bid him go, as the wife of a mighty prince should do when the enemies are near. Let him slay the white men that come to us to tr

iver, but did not let go the gunwale, keepin

ddle against the bank, ready

e asked, in a low voice.

a," she continued, abruptly, after a slight pau

from Nina's hands, which she put out in a protesting gesture. Mrs. Almayer fell on her knee

be. Hide your anger, and do not let him see on your face the pain that will eat your heart. Meet him with joy in your eyes and wisdom on your lips, for to you he w

ering her face with both her hands. "Do

yer, steadily, "to that w

m by the gunwale, and gripped it with both

red face. "Arise, and take your paddle, for he has waited long enough. And r

waters of the Pantai. After listening for a while intently on her knees, Mrs. Almayer rose with a deep sigh, while two tears wandered slowly down her withered cheeks. She wiped them off quickly with a wisp of her grey hair as if ashamed of herself, but could not stifle another loud sig

er imagination peopled the solitude of the riverside wit

notone behind the white veil seemed to swell louder for a moment, to

went straight towards the cooking-shed, observing that the embers of the fire there glowed more brightly than usual, as if somebody had been adding fr

ked the anxious s

. "What are the white men do

evils, and made much talk and trouble over that carcase. The chief threatened me twice with his hand, and s

er laughed

ercy. Men with arms by their side

rily. "Killed by the Dutch. Aha! But I shall live to deceive them. A man knows when

h bent body and outstretched arm she appeared

. "I have heard in the air the sounds of grief, as of a sigh

chi, in an altered voi

g drawn. I wish I had burnt the paper

le at once. You know he found his death on the river," he added cheerfu

g her neck to look round the corn

eassured. "Is it not time for the Ra

lained Babalatchi. "I think I will go over and see what make

eak of day. I cannot leave my doll

d back at the empty and silent courtyard, now lit up by the rays of the rising moon. No sooner she had disappeared, however, than a vague shape flitted out from amongst the stalks of the banana plantation, darted over the moonlit space, and fell in the darkness at the foot of the verandah. It might h

ifting cautiously the red curtain, gazed upon

criticism. At his feet lay the overturned table, amongst a wreck of crockery and broken bottles. The appearance as of traces left by a desperate struggle was accentuated by the chairs, which seemed to have been scattered violently all over the place, and now lay about t

suggested sudden death had it not been for the melodious call he exchanged with a less adventurous friend hiding amongst the lumber in the courtyard. Then the boards in the passage creaked, the lizard vanished, and Almayer stirred uneasily with a sigh: slowly, out of the senseless annihilation of drunken sleep, he was returning, through the land of dreams, to waking consciousness. Almayer's head rolled from shoulder to shoulder in the oppression of his dream; the heavens had descended upon him like a heavy mantle, and trailed in starred folds far under him. Stars above, stars all round him; and from the stars under his feet rose a whisper full of entreaties and tears, and sorrowful faces flitted amongst the clusters of light filling the infinite space below. How escape from the importunity of lamentable cries and from the look of staring, sad eyes in the faces which pressed round him till he gasped for breath under the crushing weight of worlds that hung over his aching shoulders? Get away! But how? If he attempted to move he

there still lingered the sound of entreating whisper.-"Am I awake?-Why do I hear the voices?" he argued to himself, hazily.-"I cannot get rid of the horrible

or and sat up straight in the chair, trembling in every limb. What was this apparition?-His own fancy, no doubt.-His nerves had been much tried the

mble of torturing sentences, the meaning of which escaped the utmost efforts of his brain. Who spoke the Malay words? Who ran away? Why too late-and too late for what? What meant those words of hate and love mixed so strangely together, the ever-recurring names falling on his e

ng from him with piercing shrieks that were like fuel to the flames of his anger. Over the furniture, round the overturned table, and now he had it cornered behind Nina's chair. To the left, to the right they dodged, the chair rocking madly between them, she sending out shriek after shriek at every feint, and he growling meaningless curses through his hard set teeth. "Oh! the fiendish noise

ul! Taminah! He jumped up ashamed of his fury and stood perplexed, wiping his forehead. Th

u. Why do you come to my house in the night? And if you had t

ween the words. "There are no women in your house any more, Tuan. I saw the old

ed Almayer. "Do y

dded h

r you are not afra

e I not spoken for a long time when you lay

not tell when a man is

time before I touched you, and I spoke softly for fear it would depart at a sudden noise and leave you sleeping for ever. I took y

d. What is it? Tell agai

ont of the verandah into a stronger light. She wrung her hand

ad men. And yet nobody living came," he added to himself

ned away directly, and his face suddenly lost all expression in a stony stare far away over the river. Ah! the river! His old friend and his old enemy, speaking always with the same voice as he runs from year to year bringing fortune or disappointment happiness or pain, upon the same varying but unchanged surface of glancing currents and swirling eddies. For many years he had listened to the passionless and soothing murmur that sometimes was the song of hope, at times the song of triumph, of encouragement; more often the whisper of consolation that spoke of better days to come. For so many years! So many years! And now to the accompaniment of that murmur he listened to the slow and painful beating of h

lmayer's voice sounded

that I saw the witchwoman push the canoe? I lay hidden in the grass and heard all the words. She that we

round under the downward push of the heavy han

pain. "Let me go, Tuan. Why are you angry with me? Hasten, or y

ed close into her face while she struggled,

me?" he asked, violently. "I

owards the doorway, where she lay immobile and silent, as if she had

which reproach and love spoke together in pai

, touched Almayer's forehead with its cool breath, in a caress of infinite pity. The curtain in the women'

lmayer. "Where

empty house in a tremulou

loathsome sight. When, hearing a slight rustle, he u