Page:Max Havelaar; or, the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (IA dli.granth.77827).pdf/421



bidden them to leave their village again, and taken away (as I am told) their clothes, to oblige them to remain at home. One of them escaped, came to me again and declared ‘.’

“What I ought to reply to man, I did not know. I could not protect him;I not avow my impotence; I  not prosecute the accused chief, because this would have appeared as if the matter had been picked up by me, pour le besoin de ma cause I did not know what to do

“I charge you, until further instructions from the Resident of Bantam, with the Government of the district of Lebak, from to-morrow morning.—The Assistant Resident of Lebak,

(Signed) “.”

Then Havelaar departed with wife and child from Rankas-Betong. He refused all escort. Duclari and Verbrugge were deeply touched at the leave-taking. Max was likewise moved; above all, when he found at the first stage a great number of persons who had gone secretly from Rankas-Betong to bid him a last farewell.

At Serang, the family was received into the house of My. Slymering, with the ordinary Indian hospitality.

In the evening many visitors came to the Resident. They said they had come to say farewell to Havelaar, and Havelaar received many an eloquent shake of the hand