Such then was the mother of Anna van Gulpendam, as she suddenly stalked into the pandoppo and at the sight of Dalima straightway fired up and cried out: "So! has that slut come in again?"
"Now then," she continued in her wrath, "tell me, you young monkey, where have you been? You have been out, I'll be bound, dragging about with that lover of yours!"
"Pardon, madam!" cried the young girl. "I did not run away. I did not indeed!"
"And you did not leave master Leo running about by himself in the garden?"
"I was carried off, madam," said the young girl.
"Carried off!" cried Mrs. van Gulpendam scornfully, "by whom, pray?"
"By two strange Chinamen," replied Dalima.
"How did that come to pass?" asked her mistress.
Thereupon Dalima gave her mistress a detailed account of her forcible abduction by Ong Kwat, of which we have made mention above. We ought here to add that "sienjo Leo" just mentioned was the son of the Resident's brother, and that the boy had been staying for a considerable time at the residence, his father at that time having his home at Billiton.
"And where did they take you to?" enquired Mrs. van Gulpendam. There was in her voice some little emotion, called forth no doubt by the young girl's graphic description.
"They took me on board a big ship," said Dalima.
"I don't know," replied Dalima. "I had not, however, been on board long before Lim Ho came--"
"Lim Ho," cried Mrs. van Gulpendam now thoroughly roused!--"Lim Ho, the son of the rich opium farmer!"
"That is the man," replied Dalima trembling as in utter confusion she still was crouching at the feet of her Nonna Anna.
A very peculiar smile began to play upon Mrs. van Gulpendam's lips, and a very peculiar fire began to sparkle in her eyes. "Anna," said she to her daughter, "I wish you would just go and ask your father if he would like a cup of coffee, and, if he does, get it him; will you?"
The young girl at once took the hint and disappeared.
As soon as she was gone Laurentia in feverish haste and with heaving bosom turned to Dalima and said:
Oh! poor Dalima understood that look so well, and little as she knew of the world she knew so well why the "nonna" had been sent away. She repressed her emotion however, and calmly enough she said: