shading her face from the smoky light of the lamp on the table. Almayer
looked at her furtively, but the face was as impassible as ever. She
turned her head slightly towards her father, and, speaking, to his great
surprise, in English, asked--

"Was that Abdulla here?"

"Yes," said Almayer--"just gone."

"And what did he want, father?"

"He wanted to buy you for Reshid," answered Almayer, brutally, his anger
getting the better of him, and looking at the girl as if in expectation
of some outbreak of feeling. But Nina remained apparently unmoved,
gazing dreamily into the black night outside.

"Be careful, Nina," said Almayer, after a short silence and rising from
his chair, "when you go paddling alone into the creeks in your canoe.
That Reshid is a violent scoundrel, and there is no saying what he may
do. Do you hear me?"

She was standing now, ready to go in, one hand grasping the curtain in
the doorway. She turned round, throwing her heavy tresses back by a
sudden gesture.

"Do you think he would dare?" she asked, quickly, and then turned again
to go in, adding in a lower tone, "He would not dare. Arabs are all
cowards."

Almayer looked after her, astonished. He did not seek the repose of his