“No, no,” replied Edward, glancing uneasily at van Nerekool, “it was not Javanese; but let me read on, we are now coming to the dénouement.
“ ‘The fair swimmer got to the side of the pool and sat down on the rocky bank allowing her little feet to paddle in the water. She presently began to wring out her mass of hair and, as she was sitting with her face turned away from me, from the position I occupied I could only catch a glimpse of part of her back as she lifted up her arms to tie up her hair. Was it the light in my eyes? Was it all a mere delusion? Did my eyes play me false altogether? I began to think that her back was not nearly so dark as her face, her neck and her hands. Puzzled beyond measure I was determined to get a better view. I grasped a branch of one of the shrubs which were around me, I hoisted myself up and bent forward as far as I could! Alas!—no, rather let me say thank God!—in making that movement I slipped. A big lump of stone, dislodged, no doubt, by the motion of my feet, went rolling down the slope and fell down plump into the water to the right of and close beside the fair bather. It was just by the merest chance that I did not tumble in myself, what a fright the poor little dear would have been in! It was bad enough as it was. At the splash made by the stone the girl uttered a cry of terror, she suddenly moved to the left and started to fly. In doing so her sarong must have hitched in some projecting stone, and—
“ ‘By all the gods, she was a pure-bred European! Face, arms, hands, neck, shoulders, all were brown; but for the rest she was lily-white—that beautiful creamy white which is so characteristic of brunettes.
“ ‘Then it all became clear to me—Miss van Gulpendam—she who had so mysteriously disappeared—that face with which I felt all along I was familiar—Oh, there was no possibility of a mistake, I knew her well enough now in spite of the dark colouring of her skin. Though the girls could not see me behind my thick hedge, yet they were much startled and frightened. They at once snatched up their clothes and fled up the path which leads to the hut I had seen on the ridge, and as they ran I could overhear the Javanese saying to her companion: “Don’t be alarmed, Nana, there is no person there.” Probably she meant to say that the stone was loosened by the movement of some animal or perhaps she ascribed it to mere chance. In spite, however, of this, both of them hurried out of sight as fast as they could, and soon the sheltering roof of their little hut received them.
“ ‘It was then only that I began to feel how unpardonable had been my indiscretion and, to spare the young ladies’ feelings as much as I could, I remained for a long time concealed. When I thought they must have given up looking out, I sneaked as quietly as possible, under cover of the bushes, to the bottom of the ravine, and there a bend in the path soon enabled me to get away unperceived. Such, my friends, is my adventure in the Karang Bollong mountains. I have sent you this news as soon as possible for I know how happy my communication will make one of you. I will not venture to give you any counsel as to what you ought to do under the circumstances; but I place myself entirely at your disposal and shall at any time be ready to point out the little hut to you.’ ”
“Anna!—Anna found!” exclaimed van Nerekool, jumping up out of his chair and striding impatiently up and down the inner gallery.
“What do you intend to do?” asked van Beneden.
“What I intend to do? Why, to-morrow morning at daybreak I am off—I will—!”
“My dear fellow,” said Grashuis, restraining, as well as he could, his friend’s impatience and excitement, “now, pray, do not be in a hurry.”
“How can you talk such nonsense!” cried van Nerekool—“Do not be in a hurry!—And what if meanwhile she should again disappear?”