 it. He followed them, but in a short time they took to the paddles and got
away from under his observant eye. A few minutes afterwards he saw Bulangi's
slave-girl paddling in a small dug-out to the town with her cakes for sale. She
also had seen them in the grey dawn. And Babalatchi grinned confidentially to
himself at the recollection of the slave-girl's discomposed face, of the hard
look in her eyes, of the tremble in her voice, when answering his questions.
That little Taminah evidently admired Dain Maroola. That was good! And
Babalatchi laughed aloud at the notion; then becoming suddenly serious, he began
by some strange association of ideas to speculate upon the price for which
Bulangi would, possibly, sell the girl. He shook his head sadly at the thought
that Bulangi was a hard man, and had refused one hundred dollars for that same
Taminah only a few weeks ago; then he became suddenly aware that the canoe had
drifted too far down during his meditation. He shook off the despondency caused
by the certitude of Bulangi's mercenary disposition, and, taking up his paddle,
in a few strokes sheered alongside the water-gate of the Rajah's house.
    That afternoon Almayer, as was his wont lately, moved about on the
water-side, overlooking the repairs to his boats. He had decided at last. Guided
by the scraps of information contained in old Lingard's pocket-book, he was
going to seek for the rich gold-mine, for that place where he had only to stoop
to gather up an immense fortune and realize the dream of his young days. To
obtain the necessary help he had shared his knowledge with Dain Maroola, he had
consented to be reconciled with Lakamba, who gave his support to the enterprise
on condition of sharing the profits; he had sacrificed his pride, his honour,
and his loyalty in the face of the enormous risk of his undertaking, dazzled by
the greatness of the results to be achieved by this alliance so distasteful yet
so necessary. The dangers were great, but Maroola was brave; his men seemed as
reckless as their chief, and with Lakamba's aid success seemed assured.
    For the last fortnight Almayer was absorbed in the preparations, walking
amongst his workmen and slaves in a kind of waking trance, where practical
details as to the fitting out of the boats were mixed up with vivid dreams of
untold wealth, where the present misery of burning sun, of the muddy and
malodorous river bank disappeared in a gorgeous vision of a splendid future
existence
