“Well, Resident,” said Madam Havelaar, “there is no doubt about it.”
“to——promise——it,——for——it——is——”
“Were they ten of them, if they only liked to be with us——”
“a——great——deal——of——trouble——and——she——is——”
“But to travel at such a time is an impossibility, Resident.”
A heavy jolt of the carriage, just got out of the mud, put a point of exclamation after the declaration that to travel was an impossibility for Madam Slotering. Every one had said the usual “Oh!” which follows such a jolt; Max had recovered in his mother’s lap the ‘pisang’ [[105]]which he lost by the shock, and we were already pretty near to the next mud-hole before the Resident could resolve to finish his phrase, by adding—
“a——native——woman.”
“Oh, that makes no difference,” explained Madam Havelaar. The Resident nodded, as if he thought it good that the matter was thus arranged, and as it was so difficult to speak, we ended the conversation. This Madam Slotering was the widow of Havelaar’s predecessor, who had died two months ago. Verbrugge, who had been charged ad interim with the duties of Assistant Resident, would have had a right to occupy, during that time, the large mansion which had been erected at Rankas-Betong, as in every district, for the head of the Government. Still he had not done so, partly because he feared that he should have to remove too soon, partly that this lady with her children might continue to occupy it. Yet there would have been room enough, for besides the large mansion for the Assistant Resident, there was near it, in the grounds, another house, that had served for the same purpose formerly, and though in a decayed condition, was still very inhabitable.
Madam Slotering had asked the Resident to intercede for her with the successor of her husband, and obtain permission for her to inhabit that old house till after her confinement, which she expected in a few months. This was the request which had been granted so readily by [[106]]Havelaar and his wife, for hospitable they were in the highest degree.
The Resident had said that Madam Slotering was a “native woman.” This needs some explanation for readers who are not acquainted with India; for otherwise they would be apt to come to the wrong conclusion—that she was a Javanese woman. European society in India is very sharply divided into two different parts, the Europeans proper, and those who, though lawfully belonging to the same jurisdiction, were not born in Europe, and have more or less Indian blood in their veins. In honour of the notions of humanity prevailing in the Indies, I hasten to add, that however clearly in social intercourse the difference between the two classes of persons, both having, in contradistinction to the native, the name of Europeans, may be marked, this separation has by no means the barbarous characteristic which predominates in America. I do not deny that there is still much injustice and exclusiveness in the relation of the parties, and that the word liplap[7] sounded often in my ears as a proof how removed the white man, not being a ‘liplap,’ often is from true civilisation. It is true that the ‘liplap’ is only by exception admitted into society; that he is generally considered, if I may be allowed to make use of a very vulgar expression, “as not being thoroughbred;” but such an [[107]]exclusion or slight is seldom defended as a principle. Every one is at liberty to choose his own companions, and one cannot take it amiss in the European proper, if he prefers the conversation of persons of his own nationality to that of persons who, not to speak of the greater or less esteem in which they are held in society, do not agree with his impressions or ideas, or—and this is perhaps the main point,—whose prejudices have taken a different direction from his own.