CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Van Oudijck was fond of certain effects. He did not say much abouthis visit to the palace that day, nor in the evening, when Eldersmaand Van Helderen came to speak to him about the council which wouldbe held next morning. They felt more or less uneasy and asked if theyshould go armed. But Van Oudijck very firmly and decidedly forbadethem to take arms with them and said that no one was allowed to doso. The officials gave way, but nobody felt comfortable. The council,however, took place in complete peace and harmony; only, there weremore people moving about among the booths in the market-place, therewere more police at the ornamental arches, with the rippling stripsof bunting. But nothing happened. The wives indoors were anxious andfelt relieved when their husbands were safely back home again. And VanOudijck had obtained his effect. He now paid a few visits, feelingsure of his grip on things, relying on the raden-aju pangeran. Hereassured the ladies and told them to think of nothing now exceptthe fancy-fair. But they were none too confident. Some families,in the evening, bolted all their doors and remained in the middlegallery with their visitors and children and babus, armed, listening,on their guard.
Theo, to whom his father had spoken in an outburst of confidence,planned and played a practical joke with Addie. The two lads, oneevening, went round the houses of those whom he knew to be mostfidgety and made their way into the front-verandah and shouted tohave the doors opened; and they could hear the cocking of fire-armsin the middle galleries. They had a merry evening of it.
Then at last the fancy-fair took place. Eva had organized a series ofthree tableaux from the Arthurian legend on the stage of the club:Vivien and Guinevere and Lancelot; in the middle of the garden wasa Madura proa, fitted up like a Viking's ship, in which iced punchwas served; a neighbouring sugar-factory, always full of fun, famedfor its jovial tone, had provided a complete Dutch fritters-stall,as a nostalgic memory of Holland, with the ladies dressed as Frisianpeasant-girls and the young fellows from the factory as cooks; andthe excitement over the Transvaal was represented by a Majuba Hillwith ladies and gentlemen in fantastic Boer costumes. There was nota word about the tremendous seaquake at Ternate, although one halfof the receipts was destined for the devastated districts. Underthe glowing festoons of Chinese lanterns slung across the gardens,a great sense of fun prevailed, coupled with a readiness to spendpots of money, especially on behalf of the Transvaal. But amid themerriment there yet quivered a fear. Groups assembled, peering glanceswere cast at the road outside, where Eurasians, Javanese, Chinese andArabs stood round the steaming portable kitchens. And the visitors,while tossing off a glass of champagne or toying with a plate offritters, turned their ears in the direction of the square, where thepublic fair was in full swing. When Van Oudijck appeared with Doddie,received with the national anthem, generously scattering rixdollarsand banknotes, he was constantly asked whispered questions. And,when it was seen that Mrs. van Oudijck was not coming, people beganto ask one another where she was. She had been suffering so with herteeth, said one; she had gone to Surabaya to see the dentist. Theydid not think it nice of her; they did not like her when they didnot see her. She was much discussed that evening; the most horriblescandals were told about her. Doddie took up her stand in the Maduraproa as a saleswoman; and Van Oudijck, with Eldersma, Van Helderenand a couple of controllers from other districts, went round andtreated the members of his council. When people asked their mysteriousquestions, with anxious glances at the road, with ears pricked towardsthe popular market, he reassured them with a majestic smile; nothingwas going to happen, he pledged his word on it. They considered himextremely trusting, mightily sure of himself; but the jovial smilearound his thick moustache was comforting. He urged all who belongedto his good town of Labuwangi to think of nothing but enjoyment andbenevolence. And, when suddenly the Regent, Raden Adipati Sunario,and his wife, the young raden-aju, appeared at the entrance and paidfor bouquets, programmes and fans with a hundred-guilder-note, thetension was relaxed throughout the garden. Everybody soon knew aboutthe hundred-guilder-note. And they all breathed again, realizingthat there was now no occasion for anxiety, that there would be noinsurrection that night. They made much of the regent and his smilingyoung wife, who glittered with her beautiful jewels.
Out of sheer relief and relaxation of their tense anxiety, out ofsheer craziness, they spent more and more money, trying to vie withthe few wealthy Chinese--those dating from before the opium-monopoly,the owners of the white marble and stucco palaces--as these with theirwives, in embroidered grey and green Chinese costumes, their shinyhair stuck full of flowers and precious stones, smelling strongly ofsandalwood, distributed rixdollars broadcast. Money flowed like water,dripped as though in silver drops into the collecting-boxes of thedelighted saleswomen. And the fancy-fair was a success. And, when VanOudijck at last, little by little, here and there, said a word to Doornde Bruijn, to Rantzow, to the officials from other residencies abouthis visit, about his interview with the raden-aju pangeran--assumingan air of humility and simplicity, but nevertheless, despite himself,beaming with happy pride, with delight in his triumph--then he attainedhis greatest effect.
The story ran round the garden, of the tact, the cleverness of theresident, who had laid the spectre of insurrection merely with aword. He received a sort of ovation. And he filled every glass withchampagne, he bought up every fan, he purchased all the tickets inthe tombola that remained unsold. It was his apotheosis, his greatestmoment of success and popularity. And he joked with the ladies andflirted with them.
The entertainment was prolonged until daylight, until six o'clockin the morning. The merry cooks were drunk and danced around theirfritters-stove. And, when Van Oudijck went home at last, he feltan inner mood of self-satisfaction, of strength, he was delighted,enraptured with himself. He felt a king in his little world and adiplomatist into the bargain and beloved by all whose quiet and peacehe had assured. That evening made him rise in his own esteem and hevalued himself more highly than he had ever done before. Never hadhe felt as happy as he felt now.
He had sent the carriage away and he walked home with Doddie. Afew early salesmen were going to market. Doddie, dog-tired andhalf-asleep, dragged herself along on her father's arm ... untilsome one passed close beside her and, feeling rather than seeing,she suddenly shuddered. She looked up. The figure had passed. Shelooked round and recognized the back of the hadji, hurrying away....
She turned cold and felt as though she would faint. But then,wearily, walking in her sleep, she reflected that she was halfdreaming, dreaming of Addie, of Patjaram, of the moonlit night underthe tjemaras, where the white hadji had startled her at the end ofthe avenue....