Thereupon he shook hands with Verbrugge, and the latter returned with him to the table, where the Resident, the Regent, and Madam Havelaar were seated, the Controller having perceived more than five minutes before that “this Mr. Havelaar was not such a fool” as the [[103]]Commandant thought. Verbrugge was not at all ill furnished with intellect, and he who knew the province of Lebak almost as well as it is possible to know an extensive region, where nothing is printed, began to feel that there was surely some connexion between the apparently incoherent questions of Havelaar, and, at the same time, that the new Assistant Resident, though he had never been in the province, knew something of what happened there. Verbrugge did not understand, it is true, why he had rejoiced at the poverty of Lebak, but he supposed he had misunderstood that expression; and afterwards, when Havelaar often said the same, he understood how good and noble was that joy.
Havelaar and Verbrugge seated themselves at the table, and while drinking tea, and speaking of indifferent matters, we all waited, till Dongso came in to tell the Resident that fresh horses were put to the carriage. All took their places as well as they could in the carriage, and off it went. To speak was difficult, because of the jolting and bruising. Max was kept quiet with pisang;[6] his mother had him on her lap, and would not acknowledge that she was tired, when Havelaar proposed to relieve her of the heavy boy. During a compulsory rest in a mud-hole, Verbrugge asked the Resident if he had yet mentioned Madam Slotering? [[104]]
“Mr. Havelaar——has——said——”
“Of course, Verbrugge, why not? that lady can stay with us: I should not like——”
“that——it——was——good,” continued the Resident, with much difficulty.
“I should not like to forbid my house to a lady in such circumstances. That is a matter of course,—is it not, Tine?”
Tine, too, was of opinion that it was a matter of course.
“You have two houses at Rankas-Betong,” Verbrugge said; “there is room enough for two families.”
“But, even if this were not the case——”
“I——should——not——dare——”