If I was white would I stand here, ready to go?
Mother, I shall return to the house and look once more at my father's
face."
"No!" said Mrs. Almayer, violently. "No, he sleeps now the sleep of gin;
and if you went back he might awake and see you. No, he shall never see
you. When the terrible old man took you away from me when you were
little, you remember--"
"It was such a long time ago," murmured Nina.
"I remember," went on Mrs. Almayer, fiercely. "I wanted to look at your
face again. He said no! I heard you cry and jumped into the river. You
were his daughter then; you are my daughter now. Never shall you go back
to that house; you shall never cross this courtyard again. No! no!"
Her voice rose almost to a shout. On the other side of the creek there
was a rustle in the long grass. The two women heard it, and listened for
a while in startled silence. "I shall go," said Nina, in a cautious but
intense whisper. "What is your hate or your revenge to me?"
She moved towards the house, Mrs. Almayer clinging to her and trying to
pull her back.
"Stop, you shall not go!" she gasped.
Nina pushed away her mother impatiently and gathered up her skirts for a
quick run, but Mrs. Almayer ran forward and turned round, facing her
daughter with outstretched arms.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207