FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165  
166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   >>   >|  
take to lead home my horse? My dwelling is without the town--there, in the midst of those trees--by the side of the new mosque. In ascending the mountain of Tchandi, my horse would be in my way; I shall go much faster on foot." "I know where you live; General Simon told me. I should have gone there if I had not met you. Give me your horse." Djalma sprang lightly to the ground, threw the bridle to Mahal, unrolled one end of his sash, took out a silk purse, and gave it to the Smuggler, saying: "You have been faithful and obedient. Here!--it is a trifle--but I have no more." "Kadja-sing was rightly called the 'Father of the Generous,'" said the Smuggler, bowing with respect and gratitude. He took the road to Batavia, leading Djalma's horse. The young Indian, on the contrary, plunged into the coppice, and, walking with great strides, he directed his course towards the mountain, on which were the ruins of Tchandi, where he could not arrive before night. CHAPTER XX. M. JOSHUA VAN DAEL. M. Joshua Van Dael a Dutch merchant, and correspondent of M. Rodin, was born at Batavia, the capital of the island of Java; his parents had sent him to be educated at Pondicherry, in a celebrated religious house, long established in that place, and belonging to the "Society of Jesus." It was there that he was initiated into the order as "professor of the three vows," or lay member, commonly called "temporal coadjutor." Joshua was a man of probity that passed for stainless; of strict accuracy in business, cold, careful, reserved, and remarkably skillful and sagacious; his financial operations were almost always successful, for a protecting power gave him ever in time, knowledge of events which might advantageously influence his commercial transactions. The religious house of Pondicherry was interested in his affairs, having charged him with the exportation and exchange of the produce of its large possessions in this colony. Speaking little, hearing much, never disputing, polite in the extreme--giving seldom, but with choice and purpose--Joshua, without inspiring sympathy, commanded generally that cold respect, which is always paid to the rigid moralist; for instead of yielding to the influence of lax and dissolute colonial manners, he appeared to live with great regularity, and his exterior had something of austerity about it, which tended to overawe. The following scene took place at Batavia, while Djalma was on his way
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165  
166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Batavia
 

Djalma

 

Joshua

 

Smuggler

 

religious

 
Pondicherry
 
called
 

respect

 
influence
 

mountain


Tchandi

 

exterior

 
regularity
 

stainless

 
passed
 

probity

 
commonly
 
temporal
 

coadjutor

 

strict


appeared

 

careful

 

reserved

 

remarkably

 

skillful

 

dissolute

 

colonial

 

accuracy

 

manners

 

business


member

 
austerity
 

tended

 

belonging

 

Society

 
choice
 

overawe

 
established
 

professor

 
initiated

financial
 

exportation

 
exchange
 
polite
 

produce

 

extreme

 
generally
 

charged

 
sympathy
 

Speaking