The two
men stood close together, breathing hard. The replenished fire threw out
an unsteady circle of light and shone on the terrified face of Nina, who
looked at them with outstretched hands.
"Dain!" she cried out warningly, "Dain!"
He waved his hand towards her in a reassuring gesture, and, turning to
Almayer, said with great courtesy--
"Now we may talk, Tuan. It is easy to send out death, but can your
wisdom recall the life? She might have been harmed," he continued,
indicating Nina. "Your hand shook much; for myself I was not afraid."
"Nina!" exclaimed Almayer, "come to me at once. What is this sudden
madness? What bewitched you? Come to your father, and together we shall
try to forget this horrible nightmare!"
He opened his arms with the certitude of clasping her to his breast in
another second. She did not move. As it dawned upon him that she did
not mean to obey he felt a deadly cold creep into his heart, and,
pressing the palms of his hands to his temples, he looked down on the
ground in mute despair. Dain took Nina by the arm and led her towards
her father.
"Speak to him in the language of his people," he said. "He is
grieving--as who would not grieve at losing thee, my pearl! Speak to him
the last words he shall hear spoken by that voice, which must be very
sweet to him, but is all my life to me.
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