Page:Max Havelaar; or, the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (IA dli.granth.77827).pdf/377

 formerly been always healthy; but if no value is attached to such evidence, because the notion of what is called health varies with different persons, particularly in the eyes of non-medical individuals, yet the important question remains, whether a person who dies to-day of an “abscess in the liver,” could ride on horseback yesterday, with the intention of inspecting a mountainous country, which is in some directions eighty miles in extent?

The doctor who treated Slotering may have been a skilful physician, and yet have been mistaken in his judgment of the symptoms of the disease, unprepared as he was to suspect crime. However this may be, I cannot prove that Havelaar’s predecessor was poisoned, because Havelaar was not allowed time to clear up the matter; but I can prove that every one believed in the poisoning, and that this was suspected on account of his desire to oppose injustice.

The Controller Verbrugge entered Havelaar’s room; the latter asked abruptly—

“What did Mr. Slotering die of?”

“I don’t know.”

“Was he poisoned?”

“I don’t know but”

“Speak plainly, Verbrugge.”

“But he endeavoured to oppose the abuses, as you do and he would certainly have been poisoned if he had remained here longer.”