Like all Dayak young ladies she had gone unclad up to the age of maturity, simply wearing a “sapieng” in imitation of the fig-leaf of our primitive parents. Later on she had clothed herself in a saloi like other young girls of her tribe, and in her innocence had never seen aught of impropriety in that attire. She knew no better. But when at the blako ontong she had felt the piercing glance of her bridegroom there stole over her a sensation of shame hitherto unknown to her, and she seemed to wish that the earth would open beneath her to rescue her from the gaze of all these men collected around her. The sensation was intolerable, and therefore from that moment she always appeared dressed in a badjoe, although her companions reproached her for already assuming the exclusive garb of a married woman when in company. The same charming simplicity characterized all her intercourse with Wienersdorf. Though she was ignorance personified, she yet understood all that was told her and was especially attentive when he spoke of the outer world, that world which he so well pictured to her, but of which she could form no idea. Her brothers had been to Bandjermasin and had seen so much there as to render their narratives inexhaustible. But what was Bandjermasin at the side of Singapore? And what were those again compared to the cities of the land of the whitefaces? Had he ever been there? she asked. For a moment he hesitated. He still wished to keep up his disguise of Kwala Kapoeas and was on the point of telling her that he had been to Java and that from there he had embarked on board a very large ship bound, for Holland, but a look into her beautiful, innocent and truthful eyes modified his intention. He threw his arms round her, drew her towards him, and disclosing one of his shoulders from which the drug with which he had been stained had been rubbed off, he exhibited his white skin. “Olo bapoeti!” a white man, she uttered with a smothered voice. He kept her prisoner in his arms for a moment; her bosom heaved violently; she then threw her lovely arms around his neck and whispered: “Be it as you will: you are the iron tree; I am the creeper; together we are strong.” Vehemently he pressed her to his heart.