"Yes--yes!" hissed the Malay. "Lies--all lies! I came for friend. You mock--you laugh in my face--but you do not know. I say I came for friend--I go away--enemy!" He went on speaking rapidly in the Malay tongue, his rage seeming to be the more concentrated from the cold, cutting tone he adopted. Then, nearly closing his eyes, and giving his peculiar type of features a crafty, cat-like aspect, he gazed furiously at the merchant for a few minutes, and then turned, and seemed to creep from the house in a way that was as feline as his looks. VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. TAKING ALARM. Mr Perowne drew his handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the dew from his forehead. "Good Heavens!" he ejaculated, "they assassinated poor Rodrick, and here is that girl only home for a few weeks, and a shock like this to come upon me! Surely I've troubles enough on hand without a worry like this!" He walked to the window and saw the Malay prince entering his boat by the landing-place, where it was pushed off and pulled into mid-stream by a dozen stout rowers. "The man's mad with passion," muttered Mr Perowne. "I would not have had it happen for all I possess. Women always were at the bottom of every bit of mischief, but I did not expect Helen would begin so soon." He had another look at the Rajah's handsome boat, which took the place of a carriage in that roadless place, and saw that the Malay prince had turned and was gazing back. "I don't know what's to be the end of all this, and--Oh, Harley! is that you? Come in." The Resident, looking rather troubled and anxious, came in through the veranda, gazing sharply at Mr Perowne. "What has the Rajah been here for this morning?" "What has he been here for?" cried Mr Perowne, angrily, and glad of someone upon whom he could let off a little of his rage. "Why, to do what you ought to have done in a downright way. I gave you leave, and you have done nothing but play with her." "He has not been to propose for Helen's hand?" "Indeed, but he has." "How unfortunate! I did not know that matters had gone so far as that?" "Nor I neither. I knew she was flirting a bit, confound her. Did you meet him?" "Yes, and he would not speak. I saw something was wrong from his savage manner." "Perhaps he thought you had come up to propose, eh? Had you?" "Not exactly," said the Resident, looking very serious. "Because if you had, you ought to have come before," said Mr Perowne, biting his nails. "I came to remonstrate with Helen, after seeing Mrs Bolter this morning." "Hang Mrs Bolter for a meddling little fool," cried the merchant. "She drew my attention to the serious dangers that might ensue if Helen led this man on. I ought to have foreseen it, but I did not, and that's the most troublous part of it. I ought to have known better," cried the Resident, biting his lips.