A tall,
lean man came stealthily out of the banana plantation, and went away
rapidly across the open space looking at them with big, frightened eyes
over his shoulder. Some vagabond without a master; there were many such
in the settlement, and they looked upon Almayer as their patron. They
prowled about his premises and picked their living there, sure that
nothing worse could befall them than a shower of curses when they got in
the way of the white man, whom they trusted and liked, and called a fool
amongst themselves. In the house, which Almayer entered through the back
verandah, the only living thing that met his eyes was his small monkey
which, hungry and unnoticed for the last two days, began to cry and
complain in monkey language as soon as it caught sight of the familiar
face. Almayer soothed it with a few words and ordered Ali to bring in
some bananas, then while Ali was gone to get them he stood in the doorway
of the front verandah looking at the chaos of overturned furniture.
Finally he picked up the table and sat on it while the monkey let itself
down from the roof-stick by its chain and perched on his shoulder. When
the bananas came they had their breakfast together; both hungry, both
eating greedily and showering the skins round them recklessly, in the
trusting silence of perfect friendship.
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