She is not there.
He struggles up and gets entangled in the klamboe,[6] which he is unable to open in his feverish terror.... He now releases himself from the muslin folds and is again about to call out for his baboe ... but he hears voices, whispering, in the back verandah.... The blood curdles in the boy's body: he thinks of thieves, of ketjoes,[7] and is horribly frightened.... No, they are not speaking Javanese: they are not ketjoes. They are speaking Dutch, with Malay in between; and he next recognizes Baboe's voice. And he tries to utter a scream of fright, but his fright prevents him.... What are they doing, what is happening? The boy is clammy, cold.... He has heard his mother's voice: he now recognizes the voice of Mr. Emile, Mr. Takma, the secretary, who is so often at the house in the town.... Oh, what are they doing out there in the dark?... He was frightened at first, but now he is cold rather and shivers and does not know why.... What can be happening? What are Mamma and Mr. Takma and Ma-Boeten doing out there in the night?... His curiosity overcomes his terrors. He keeps very quiet, only his teeth chatter; he opens the door of his room, very gently, to prevent its creaking. The middle verandah is dark, the back verandah is dark....
"Hush, baboe, hush, O my God, hush!... Quietly, quietly.... If the sinjo[8] should hear!..."
"He's asleep, kandjeng[9]...."
"If the oppas[10] should hear!..."
"He's asleep, kandjeng...."
"O my God, O my God, if he should wake!... Oh, baboe, baboe, what are we to do?..."
"Be quiet, Ottilie, be quiet!..."
"Nothing else for it, kandjeng: in the river, in the river!..."
"O my God, O my God, no, no, not in the river!"