“Well, I came from the dessa Pringtoetoel, that’s where I was yesterday.”
“But,” continued Anna, “what business had you there?”
“The day before that,” resumed Dalima not heeding the interruption, “I was at Gombong and the day before that again at Karang Anjer.”
“At Karang Anjer?” exclaimed Anna. “What induced you to go there?”
“To look for my Nana,” was the reply.
“To look for me? Is that why you have come all the way from Santjoemeh? Have you undertaken so long a journey to look for me?—and in your condition too!”
Anna spoke these last words with some hesitation, while the furtive glance she cast at the poor girl’s figure left no doubt as to her meaning.
“Yes, Nana,” replied Dalima very quietly and without the least trace of confusion. “As soon as ever I left the prison, thanks to the aid of the young judge,” continued she, as she fixed one penetrating look upon Anna who felt the blood fly up to her cheeks at the words, “I went to look after my mother. Thanks again to toean Nerekool, I found her and the children well provided for. My next thought was for my Nana. The toean had told me that the nonna was no longer staying at Karang Anjer but had left, and had vanished without leaving a trace behind her. I thought I could guess why. I knew how lonely, how forsaken, how utterly miserable my dear Nana must feel. An irresistible longing came over me—the longing you know of a young woman in my situation—” she added with a faint sad smile, “to go at once and look for Nana so that I might be of some service to her. I started and—”
“Does toean van Nerekool know of all this?” asked Anna much alarmed.
“No, Nana, he knows nothing whatever about it.”