"Certainly--if--" drawled Chumbley, yawning. "If? If what!" "I wanted a kris in my back, and to supply food to the crocodiles." VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY. A PROPOSAL. Mr Perowne's home at Sindang was kept up in almost princely style, and he was regarded as the principal inhabitant of the place. Both English and Chinese merchants consulted him, and the native dealers and rajahs made him the first offers of tin slabs, rice, gambier, gutta-percha, and other products of the country, while a large proportion of the English and French imports that found favour with the Malays were consigned to the house of Perowne and Company. People said that he must be immensely rich, and he never denied the impeachment, but went on in a quiet, bland way, accepting their hints, polite to all, whether trading or non-trading, while his table was magnificently kept up, and to it the occupants of the station were always made welcome. When fate places people in the tropics, they make a point of rising early. Helen Perowne was up with the sun, and dressed in a charming French muslin costume, had a delightful drive, which she called upon Grey Stuart to share, before she met her father at breakfast--a meal discussed almost in silence, for Mr Perowne would give a good deal of his attention to business matters over his meals, a habit against which Dr Bolter warned him, but without avail. The repast was nearly finished, when a servant entered and announced that the Sultan Murad was coming down the river in his dragon-boat, and evidently meant to land at the stage at the bottom of the garden. "What does he want?" said the merchant, absently. "Been collecting tribute, I suppose, and wants to sell. Go and see if he lands," he said aloud, "and then come back." "This is the way we have to make our money, my dear," said Perowne, smiling, but without seeing the increased colour in his child's face. "The Sultan is here, sir," said the man, returning. "Where?" asked Mr Perowne. "In the drawing-room, sir. Shall I bring in fresh breakfast?" "I don't know. I'll ring. I've done, Helen. I say, young lady, what a colour you have got! You stopped out too long in the sun this morning." "Oh, no, papa, I think not," she replied; "but it is hot." "You'll soon get used to that, my dear. I don't mind the heat at all. Party went off very well last night, I think." The merchant was by this time at the door, wondering what proposal the Rajah had to make to him, for all these petty princes stoop to doing a little trading upon their own account, raising rice in large quantities by means of their slaves; but, man of the world as the merchant was, he did not find himself prepared for the proposition that ensued.