All this he said without showing the slightest emotion, without the slightest heat, without so much as even raising his voice; but in the drawling sing-song way in which Chinamen generally speak; and with the obsequious smirk which Chinese features always wear when the owner is addressing a superior.
“Babah!” shouted Meidema trembling with rage, “take care of yourself, don’t go too far!”
But Lim Yang Bing felt his advantage, and was not to be intimidated. With the same false smile and in the same drawling tones he continued:
“But I clearly see what the toean Assistant Resident is aiming at. The greater part of the present which I took the liberty of offering to the njonja he keeps for himself, and to that he intends to add the fine which Lim Ho will have to pay, should he be found guilty of smuggling instead of Ardjan. It is not at all a bad idea, I admit; but I leave it to the Kandjeng toean to say whether he thinks it quite fair and honest.”
Meidema sat there as if thunderstruck. A terrible suspicion began to arise within him. Yes! his money matters were not by any means in a healthy state. His housekeeping was an expensive one, all that, he felt, was true enough. Could his wife under the hard pressure of circumstances—could she have been induced to yield to the temptation, might she possibly not have told him the whole truth? Might she perhaps have mentioned to him only part of the bribe she had received, just to see how he would take it? Yes! that must be it—His wife and his daughters! Yes! now it flashed across him that they seemed much confused when he came in. And then the line of conduct which he had adopted before the Resident who, he felt, was no friend to him—with an awful imprecation he sprang to his feet:
“Babah!” he exclaimed, “you are an impudent liar!”
“If the toean Assistant Resident becomes abusive,” said Lim Yang Bing with the same imperturbable calmness, “then I must request the Kandjeng toean to give me leave to retire.”
“Mr. Meidema,” said van Gulpendam sternly, “I must beg of you to moderate your language.”
“How much do you say there was in that packet?” asked Meidema, in despair.
“I offered the njonja Assistant Resident ten bank notes of a thousand, and ten of five hundred guilders.”