Page:Max Havelaar Or The Coffee Sales of the Netherlands Trading Company Siebenhaar.djvu/130

 tinued Havelaar. “The Regent is poor. The Regents of Bandoong and Tjiandjoor are members of the family of which he is the head. The latter has only the rank of Tommongong; our Regent is Adhipatti, and yet his income, because Lebak is not suitable for coffee, and therefore pays him no emoluments, does not permit him to compete in pomp and splendour with a humble Dhemang in the Preanger, who would hold the stirrup when his cousins mounted their horses. Is this true?”

“Yes, this is true.”

“He has nothing but his salary, and this is subject to a deduction in payment of an advance which the Government made him when he do you  it?”

“Yes, I know it.”

“When he wished to have a new medsjid built, for which money was wanted. Besides, many members of his family do you  it?”

“Yes, I know that.”

“Many members of his family, which in reality does not belong to Lebak, and therefore is not in favour with the population, hang round him like a gang of pirates, and extort money from him. Is this true?”

“It is the truth,” said Verbrugge.

“And when his coffers are empty, which is often the case, they despoil the people of all that pleases them. Is this as I say?”

“It is.”

“Then I am correctly informed; but about this later. The Regent, who, with advancing years, is afraid of death, is possessed with the wish to win merit by gifts to the priests. He spends much money on outlay for pilgrims to Mecca, who bring thence to him all sorts of rubbish by way of relics, charms and djimats. Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, that is so.”