Page:Max Havelaar; or, the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (IA dli.granth.77827).pdf/411

 to calculate upon nobody daring to take it up against him—look”

He went into his office, and came back with a letter in his han [sic] a letter which lies before me, reader!

“Look, in this letter, he dares to make me proposals about the kind of labour which he intends to have done by men whom he has summoned unlawfully is not that shamelessness going too far? And do you know who these persons are? They are women with little children, with sucklings; women who are pregnant, who have been driven from Parang-Koodjang to the capital, to work for himthere are no more men! And they have nothing to eat, and they sleep on the road, and eat sand Can eat sand? Must they eat sand till I am Governor-General?

“Curse it”

Tine knew very well with whom alone Max was angry, when he spoke thus to her whom he loved.

“And,” continued Havelaar, “that is all on responsibility. If at this moment some of these poor creatures are wandering there outside, and seeing the light of our lamps, will say: ‘There lives the wretch who ought to protect us; there he sits quietly with wife and child, and draws embroidery patterns, while we lie here like dogs on the road, and starve with our children!’ Yes, I hear it, I hear it; that cry for vengeance upon my head here, Max, here”