ving
only half a rounded cheek, a stray tress, and one eye exposed, wherewith
to contemplate the gorgeous and bold being so unlike in appearance to the
rare specimens of traders she had seen before on that same verandah.

Dain Maroola, dazzled by the unexpected vision, forgot the confused
Almayer, forgot his brig, his escort staring in open-mouthed admiration,
the object of his visit and all things else, in his overpowering desire
to prolong the contemplation of so much loveliness met so suddenly in
such an unlikely place--as he thought.

"It is my daughter," said Almayer, in an embarrassed manner. "It is of
no consequence. White women have their customs, as you know Tuan, having
travelled much, as you say. However, it is late; we will finish our talk
to-morrow."

Dain bent low trying to convey in a last glance towards the girl the bold
expression of his overwhelming admiration. The next minute he was
shaking Almayer's hand with grave courtesy, his face wearing a look of
stolid unconcern as to any feminine presence. His men filed off, and he
followed them quickly, closely attended by a thick-set, savage-looking
Sumatrese he had introduced before as the commander of his brig. Nina
walked to the balustrade of the verandah and saw the sheen of moonlight
on the steel spear-heads and heard the rhythmic jingle of brass anklets
as the men moved in single file towards the jetty. The boat shoved off
after a little while, looming large in the full light of the moon, a
black shapeless mass in the slight haze hanging over the water. Nina
fancied she could distinguish the graceful figure of the trader standing
erect in the stern sheets, but in a little while all the outlines got
blurred, confused, and soon disappeared in the folds of white vapour
shrouding the middle of the river.

Almayer had approached his daughter, and leaning with both arms over the
rail, was looking moodily down on the heap of rubbish and broken bottles
at the foot of the verandah.

"What was all that noise just now?" he growled peevishly, without looking
up. "Confound you and your mother! What did she want? What did you
come out for?"

"She did not want to let me come out," said Nina. "She is angry. She
says the man just gone is some Rajah. I think she is right now."

"I believe all you women are crazy," snarled Almayer. "What's that to
you, to her, to anybody? The man wants to collect trepang and birds'
nests on the islands. He told m