Page:Max Havelaar Or The Coffee Sales of the Netherlands Trading Company Siebenhaar.djvu/134

 be called no one dared give witness against the Regent  ah, Mr. Havelaar, these things are so difficult!”

The reader will, before he has finished reading my book, know just as well as Verbrugge why these things were so particularly difficult.

“Mr. Slotering,” continued the Controller, “had a great deal of annoyance through it all; he wrote sharp letters to the Chiefs ”

“I read them last night,” said Havelaar.

“And I often heard him say that, if there were no change, and if the Resident did not take he would write direct to the Governor-General. This he also said to the Chiefs at the last Sebah over which he presided.”

“That would have been a great mistake on his part. The Resident was his Chief, whom he should under no consideration have passed by. And why, indeed, should he? It surely may not be supposed that the Resident of Bantam would approve injustice and arbitrariness?”

“Approve no! But one would rather not charge a Chief before the Government.”

“I am not fond of accusing anyone, whoever he may be, but if it be done, then a Chief as soon as anyone else. But here, thank God, there is not yet any question of laying a charge! To-morrow I am going to see the Regent. I shall represent to him the wrongfulness of illegal exercise of authority, especially where the property of poor people is concerned. But in anticipation that everything will right itself, I shall assist him as much as I can in his ticklish circumstances. You now understand why I had that money paid to the collector, don’t you? I also intend asking the Government to remit the advance owed by the Regent. And to you, Verbrugge, I propose that we together do our duty punctiliously. As long as it is possible, gently, but if without fear! You are an honest man, I know, but you are timid. In future say frankly how matters stand, come of it what may! Throw off half-heartedness, my dear fellow and now, stay to dinner: we have Dutch cauliflower tinned