my little pearl," he said, putting together with
extreme precaution two cards that looked absurdly flimsy between his big
fingers. Little Nina watched him with intense seriousness as he went on
erecting the ground floor, while he continued to speak to Almayer with
his head over his shoulder so as not to endanger the structure with his
breath.

"I know what I am talking about. . . . Been in California in forty-nine.
. . . Not that I made much . . . then in Victoria in the early days
. . . . I know all about it. Trust me. Moreover a blind man could . . .
Be quiet, little sister, or you will knock this affair down. . . . My hand
pretty steady yet! Hey, Kaspar? . . . Now, delight of my heart, we shall
put a third house on the top of these two . . . keep very quiet. . . .
As I was saying, you got only to stoop and gather handfuls of gold . . .
dust . . . there. Now here we are. Three houses on top of one another.
Grand!"

He leaned back in his chair, one hand on the child's head, which he
smoothed mechanically, and gesticulated with the other, speaking to
Almayer.

"Once on the spot, there would be only the trouble to pick up the stuff.
Then we shall all go to Europe. The child must be educated. We shall be
rich. Rich is no name for it. Down in Devonshire where I belong, there
was a fellow who built a house near Teignmouth which had as many windows
as a three-decker has ports. Made all his money somewhere out here in
the good old days. People around said he had been a pirate. We boys--I
was a boy in a Brixham trawler then--certainly believed that. He went
about in a bath-chair in his grounds. Had a glass eye . . ."

"Higher, Higher!" called out Nina, pulling the old seaman's beard.

"You do worry me--don't you?" said Lingard, gently, giving her a tender
kiss. "What? One more house on top of all these? Well! I will try."

The child watched him breathlessly. When the difficult feat was
accomplished she clapped her hands, looked on steadily, and after a
while gave a great sigh of content.

"Oh! Look out!" shouted Almayer.

The structure collapsed suddenly before the child's light breath.
Lingard looked discomposed for a moment. Almayer laughed, but the little
girl began to cry.

"Take her," said the old seaman, abruptly. Then, after Almayer went
away with the crying child, he remained sitting by the table, looking
gloomily at the heap of cards.

"Damn this Willems," he muttered to himself. "But I will do it yet!"