In the cool of the evening grave Arabs
in long white shirts and yellow sleeveless jackets walked slowly on the
dusty path by the riverside towards Almayer's gate, and made solemn calls
upon that Unbeliever under shallow pretences of business, only to get a
glimpse of the young girl in a highly decorous manner. Even Lakamba came
out of his stockade in a great pomp of war canoes and red umbrellas, and
landed on the rotten little jetty of Lingard and Co. He came, he said,
to buy a couple of brass guns as a present to his friend the chief of
Sambir Dyaks; and while Almayer, suspicious but polite, busied himself in
unearthing the old popguns in the godowns, the Rajah sat on an armchair
in the verandah, surrounded by his respectful retinue waiting in vain for
Nina's appearance. She was in one of her bad days, and remained in her
mother's hut watching with her the ceremonious proceedings on the
verandah. The Rajah departed, baffled but courteous, and soon Almayer
began to reap the benefit of improved relations with the ruler in the
shape of the recovery of some debts, paid to him with many apologies and
many a low salaam by debtors till then considered hopelessly insolvent.
Under these improving circumstances Almayer brightened up a little.
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