Yes! the terrible news was true—it was but too true—!
When the van Gulpendams arrived at Soeka maniesan, the proprietor of that sugar-factory could not help admitting that lately all symptoms of disturbance had disappeared. He had caused the woods, in which the supposed seditious meetings were held, to be carefully watched; but he had not been able to discover in them a single human being. Thus, he had come to the conclusion, that either his former information had been altogether false, or else that the mutinous spirits had removed to some other part of the country.
Resident van Gulpendam, on his arrival, summoned the Assistant Resident of the district of which Soeka maniesan was an outlying station, and he also called before him the Regent and the Wedonos of the place; but he could not extract anything out of them which might awaken so much as a suspicion of danger.
Very much the other way! All these authorities declared that the most profound calm and content prevailed throughout the district, though the Regent was fain to admit that there was a great deal of poverty and distress about.
“Indeed!” said the Resident; “and what may be the cause of this sad state of things, Radhen Adipattie?”
The Javanese chief shook his head dubiously, he did not at all like answering that question.
As he stood there hesitating, van Gulpendam asked:
“Do the landowners pay the labourers reasonably well?”
“Oh, yes, kandjeng toean.”
“Perhaps the rice harvest has failed or has not, this season, produced as much as usual?”