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Taminah saw Almayer standing on the shore with Nina on his arm. She heard Nina's voice calling out gaily, and saw Dain's face brighten with joy as he leaped on shore. She hated the sound of that voice ever since. After that day she left off visiting Almayer's compound, and passed the noon hours under the shade of the brig awning.
"The place behind the curtain is empty," gasped Taminah, catching her breath between the words. "There are no women in your house any more, Tuan. I saw the old Mem go away before I tried to wake you. I did not want your women, I wanted you." "Old Mem!" repeated Almayer. "Do you mean my wife?" She nodded her head. "But of my daughter you are not afraid?" said Almayer.
He shook his head sadly at the thought that Bulangi was a hard man, and had refused one hundred dollars for that same Taminah only a few weeks ago; then he became suddenly aware that the canoe had drifted too far down during his meditation.
Tell him that before sunset, and do not forget my words." Taminah made a gesture of assent, and watched Babalatchi recross the ditch and disappear through the bushes bordering Almayer's compound. She moved a little further off the creek and sank in the grass again, lying down on her face, shivering in dry-eyed misery. Babalatchi walked straight towards the cooking-shed looking for Mrs. Almayer.
He would forget. This thought soothed the last pangs of dying jealousy that had nothing now to feed upon, and Taminah found peace. It was like the dreary tranquillity of a desert, where there is peace only because there is no life. And now he had returned. She had recognised his voice calling aloud in the night for Bulangi.
She had crept out after her master to listen closer to the intoxicating sound. Dain was there, in a boat, talking to Bulangi. Taminah, listening with arrested breath, heard another voice.
He recognised Taminah, Bulangi's slave-girl, with her tray of cakes for sale an apparition of daily recurrence and of no importance whatever. She was going towards Almayer's house. She could be made useful. He roused himself up and ran towards the gate calling out, "Taminah O!" The girl stopped, hesitated, and came back slowly. Reshid waited, signing to her impatiently to come nearer.
Taminah! He jumped up ashamed of his fury and stood perplexed, wiping his forehead. The girl struggled to a kneeling posture and embraced his legs in a frenzied prayer for mercy. "Don't be afraid," he said, raising her. "I shall not hurt you. Why do you come to my house in the night? And if you had to come, why not go behind the curtain where the women sleep?"
When near Reshid Taminah stood with downcast eyes. Reshid looked at her a while before he asked "Are you going to Almayer's house? They say in the settlement that Dain the trader, he that was found drowned this morning, is lying in the white man's campong." "I have heard this talk," whispered Taminah; "and this morning by the riverside I saw the body. Where it is now I do not know."
"White men are quick in anger and slow in gratitude. We shall see." He stood at the gate stroking his grey beard and listening to the distant cries of greeting at the other end of the settlement. As Taminah was turning to go he called her back. "Listen, girl," he said: "there will be many white men in Almayer's house. You shall be there selling your cakes to the men of the sea.
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