. After a moment's silence he said to him: "Can you
undertake 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 followi