“Now, Prabu, one question: What reason could you have for keeping secret from us so long our cousin’s whereabouts?”
“It was the Pangeran’s secret, Sahib. He wanted money, and Ebberfeld proposed the abduction of Marie, that he might inherit her fortune. It was a sin, but he has atoned for it—neither has harm nor even discomfort happened to her while under his roof.”
“It was a black business, though,” said Martin. “Nevertheless,” he added, “‘all’s well that ends well,’ and so we will say no more about it. But now, Prabu, you have not told us what you intend doing.”
“Seek service with the truest of Indian islanders, the Rajah of Blilling, in Bali, for he and his race are free men; their soil is unstained by the feet of European conquerors. There will I bide my time, as all must who believe that the day will come when the Dutch hucksters will be driven from Java.”
Reader, I have nearly done. I have only to add that, within a week, laden with presents from the Pangeran, we were on our road to Batavia. Upon our arrival in that city, we found that Madame Ebberfeld, having heard of her husband’s death, had made arrangements to again enter the bonds of matrimony within a week. At this, I may tell you that I was not at all surprised, as it is not at all unusual to find ladies among the Colonists who have married ten or twelve husbands.
In conclusion: By the interest of one of our uncle’s old friends, at the time appointed by his will, we obtained our fortunes.
By way of postscript, perhaps, the reader may like to know that I am even now living under the roof of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Black, and that Marie and her husband spend many a long evening in chatting with their bachelor brother anent our adventures in Java and the Indian Archipelago.
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] The custom of naming children after some personal quality is frequent in Java; as frequent is it for the parents, after the birth of a first child, to sink their own names, and designate themselves as the father and mother of the “handsome one,” the father and mother of the “strong one,” etc.