waking to another day of suffering. As the astute statesman

proceeded, Lingard's eyebrows came close, his eyes became



animated, and a big vein stood out on his forehead, accentuating

a lowering frown. When speaking his last words Babalatchi



faltered, then stopped, confused, before the steady gaze of the

old seaman.



Lingard rose. His face cleared, and he looked down at the

anxious Babalatchi with sudden benevolence.



"So! That's what you were after," he said, laying a heavy hand

on Babalatchi's yielding shoulder. "You thought I came here to



murder him. Hey? Speak! You faithful dog of an Arab trader!"

"And what else, Tuan?" shrieked Babalatchi, exasperated into



sincerity. "What else, Tuan! Remember what he has done; he

poisoned our ears with his talk about you. You are a man. If



you did not come to kill, Tuan, then either I am a fool or . . ."

He paused, struck his naked breast with his open palm, and



finished in a discouraged whisper--"or, Tuan, you are."

Lingard looked down at him with scornful serenity. After his



long and painful gropings amongst the obscure abominations of

Willems' conduct, the logical if tortuous evolutions of



Babalatchi's diplomatic mind were to him welcome as daylight.

There was something at last he could understand--the clear effect



of a simple cause. He felt indulgent towards the disappointed

sage.



"So you are angry with your friend, O one-eyed one!" he said

slowly, nodding his fiercecountenance close to Babalatchi's



discomfited face. "It seems to me that you must have had much to

do with what happened in Sambir lately. Hey? You son of a burnt



father."

"May I perish under your hand, O Rajah of the sea, if my words



are not true!" said Babalatchi, with recklessexcitement. "You

are here in the midst of your enemies. He the greatest. Abdulla



would do nothing without him, and I could do nothing without

Abdulla. Strike me--so that you strike all!"



"Who are you," exclaimed Lingard contemptuously--"who are you to

dare call yourself my enemy! Dirt! Nothing! Go out first," he



went on severely. "Lakas! quick. March out!"

He pushed Babalatchi through the doorway and followed him down



the short ladder into the courtyard. The boatmen squatting over

the fire turned their slow eyes with apparent difficulty towards



the two men; then, unconcerned, huddled close together again,

stretching forlornly their hands over the embers. The women



stopped in their work and with uplifted pestles flashed quick and

curious glances from the gloom under the house.



"Is that the way?" asked Lingard with a nod towards the little

wicket-gate of Willems' enclosure.



"If you seek death, that is surely the way," answered Babalatchi

in a dispassionate voice, as if he had exhausted all the



emotions. "He lives there: he who destroyed your friends; who

hastened Omar's death; who plotted with Abdulla first against



you, then against me. I have been like a child. O shame! . . .

But go, Tuan. Go there."



"I go where I like," said Lingard, emphatically, "and you may go

to the devil; I do not want you any more. The islands of these



seas shall sink before I, Rajah Laut, serve the will of any of

your people. Tau? But I tell you this: I do not care what you



do with him after to-day. And I say that because I am merciful."

"Tida! I do nothing," said Babalatchi, shaking his head with



bitter apathy. "I am in Abdulla's hand and care not, even as you

do. No! no!" he added, turning away, "I have learned much wisdom



this morning. There are no men anywhere. You whites are cruel

to your friends and merciful to your enemies--which is the work



of fools."

He went away towards the riverside, and, without once looking



back, disappeared in the low bank of mist that lay over the water

and the shore. Lingard followed him with his eyes thoughtfully.



After awhile he roused himself and called out to his boatmen--

"Hai--ya there! After you have eaten rice, wait for me with your



paddles in your hands. You hear?"

"Ada, Tuan!" answered Ali through the smoke of the morning fire

• strongly [´strɔŋli] ad.强烈地；强有力地 (初中英语单词)


• primitive [´primitiv] a.原始的 n.原始人 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• readily [´redili] ad.乐意地；容易地 (初中英语单词)


• connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• consideration [kən,sidə´reiʃən] n.考虑；原因；体谅 (初中英语单词)


• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• passive [´pæsiv] a.被动的 n.被动性 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• distinctly [di´stiŋktli] ad.清楚地，明晰地 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• sleeve [sli:v] n.袖子；袖套 (初中英语单词)


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• withdraw [wið´drɔ:] v.收回；撤销；撤退 (初中英语单词)


• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)


• doorway [´dɔ:wei] n.门口 (初中英语单词)


• brilliant [´briliənt] a.灿烂的；杰出的 (初中英语单词)


• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• wooden [´wudn] a.木制的；呆板的 (初中英语单词)


• nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)


• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• forehead [´fɔrid] n.额，前部 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• perish [´periʃ] v.灭亡；消灭；(使)死去 (初中英语单词)


• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)


• apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)


• anywhere [´eniweə] ad.无论何处；任何地方 (初中英语单词)


• awhile [ə´wail] ad.少顷；片刻 (初中英语单词)


• indignation [,indig´neiʃən] n.愤慨；气愤 (高中英语单词)


• civilized [´sivilaizd] a.先进的；文明的 (高中英语单词)


• counter [´kauntə] n.计算者；柜台；计算机 (高中英语单词)


• nowhere [´nəuweə] n.无处；不知道 (高中英语单词)


• doubtful [´dautful] a.怀疑的，可疑的 (高中英语单词)


• ghastly [´gɑ:stli] a.苍白的；可怕的 (高中英语单词)


• injustice [in´dʒʌstis] n.不公正，不公平 (高中英语单词)


• universe [´ju:nivə:s] n.天地；全人类；银河系 (高中英语单词)


• uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)


• dismal [´dizməl] a.灰暗的；阴郁的 (高中英语单词)


• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)


• explosion [ik´spləuʒən] n.爆炸；爆发；发作 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)


• severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)


• ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• adventurer [əd´ventʃərə] n.冒险者 (英语四级单词)


• episode [´episəud] n.插曲；一段情节 (英语四级单词)


• good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)


• unwilling [ʌn´wiliŋ] a.不愿意的；不情愿的 (英语四级单词)


• muzzle [´mʌzəl] n.枪口，炮口 (英语四级单词)


• protector [prə´tektə] n.保护者；防御者 (英语四级单词)


• asunder [ə´sʌndə] a.分开地；零散地 (英语四级单词)


• shuffle [´ʃʌf(ə)l] v.洗(牌) n.搅乱 (英语四级单词)


• husking [´hʌskiŋ] n.农家碾米会 (英语四级单词)


• impatiently [im´peiʃəntli] ad.不耐烦地，急躁地 (英语四级单词)


• confidential [,kɔnfi´denʃəl] a.极受信任的；心腹的 (英语四级单词)


• logical [´lɔdʒikəl] a.逻辑(上)的 (英语四级单词)


• diplomatic [,diplə´mætik] a.外交的 (英语四级单词)


• scornful [´skɔ:nful] a.轻蔑的，藐视的 (英语六级单词)


• pensive [´pensiv] a.沉思的；忧郁的 (英语六级单词)


• inexplicable [,inik´splikəbəl] a.难以理解的 (英语六级单词)


• enmity [´enmiti] n.敌意；憎恨；不和 (英语六级单词)


• fitness [fitnis] n.适合；健康 (英语六级单词)


• rightful [´raitfəl] a.正义的；合法的 (英语六级单词)


• inactive [in´æktiv] a.不活动的 (英语六级单词)


• persuasive [pə´sweisiv] a.有说服力的 n.动机 (英语六级单词)


• incomplete [,inkəm´pli:t] a.不完全的，未完成的 (英语六级单词)


• forefinger [´fɔ:,fiŋgə] n.食指 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• emphatically [im´fætikəli] ad.强调地；断然地 (英语六级单词)


• apathy [´æpəθi] n.缺乏感情；冷淡 (英语六级单词)


• merciful [´mə:sifəl] a.仁慈的；宽大的 (英语六级单词)


• riverside [´rivəsaid] n.河岸 a.河岸上的 (英语六级单词)