“Oh yes, sir, I know where it came from. Your chief servant told me that it was put on shore from the Kiem Ping Hin, and you know—”
“From the Kiem Ping Hin,” hastily exclaimed van Gulpendam. “What makes you think that?”
“What makes me think that?” slowly repeated Meidema. “Why, Resident, I told you just now your chief servant told me so.”
“Man, man,” cried the Resident, in a loud voice.
The servant thus summoned appeared; and then turning to Mr. Meidema and pointing to the Javanese, the Resident said: “Is that the man who told you this?”
“Yes, sir,” said Meidema, “that is the man.”
“Man,” said the Resident, as he sternly fixed his eye upon his Javanese servant, “that opium which you delivered to the toean Inspector, was found upon Ardjan—was it not?”
“Engèh, Kandjeng toean,” was the man’s reply. “But”—
“I will have no ‘buts,’ ” cried van Gulpendam, “simply yes or no.”
“Engèh, Kandjeng toean,” said the man again stolidly.