“Resident, I—”
“I did not put any question,” again roared van Gulpendam, with a look of scorn and contempt upon his subordinate, “please hold your tongue!”
“It appeared to me, Resident, that—”
“Be silent, I say! I only have a right to speak—”
Verstork, however, took no heed of this rude interruption, and quietly went on: “—That you made some remarks about the time of my presenting my report. If that be so, I feel it my duty, nay my right, to exculpate myself.”
“If you will not keep silence,” shouted van Gulpendam, “I will call—” he was on the point of making a mistake, he was just going to say the boatswain’s mate; but he checked himself and said, “I will call my chief constable and have you removed out of my presence.”
“Hark you, Mr. van Gulpendam,” said Verstork drawing himself up to his full height, and speaking with much dignity, “Hark you, I am neither your corporal nor your boatswain of the watch. And, further, let me tell you that if you continue to address me in such terms I will lodge a complaint against you with the Secretary for the Home Department, or better still, with the Governor General!”
It was now van Gulpendam’s turn to change colour, he saw that he had gone a little too far. He had so long been accustomed to see every one bowing down before him and putting up with all his whims and fits of bad temper, that he never thought of checking himself in the presence of Verstork, whom he had always looked upon as an easy-going and good-tempered fellow. He now, however, at once drew in his horns and said in a very different tone:
“Pardon me, Mr. Verstork, you know I am of a sanguine temperament. I am, moreover, very much vexed at not receiving this news from one of my officers in the first instance. Come, take a seat, I should like to run my eye over this report.”
The Controller sat down, while the resident at his desk turned his back to the light and began reading the document. Outside the office, a couple of police oppassers were pacing up and down, attracted, no doubt, to the spot by the high tone of voice in which the conversation had been carried on. In a moment or two van Gulpendam again broke out—“I thought as much—I had been warned of this—” But, checking himself, he said no more, and went on reading.