He now told her how he had deserted from the Dutch to return to his country. She seemed not to understand him. All white people were Dutch, she had thought, and with the greatest difficulty he explained to her that the whitefaces had more varieties still than the dark race, of whom she had only seen her own tribe and none beyond. She soon felt sympathy with the man who for the sake of seeing his native country again had exposed himself to so many dangers. Nevertheless she could not understand his feelings in the matter, for she argued could one not be happy anywhere? He smiled at her remarks, and making use of the opportunity he pictured to her European society and described the invaluable privileges which are conferred by the protection of civilization and strengthened by ties of mutual love. He explained how in his country the spilling of blood was prohibited, and how a white man might live amongst his companions independent of the differences existing between their various tribes. He told her that the whitefaces were all free; that they had no slaves who lived in constant fear of their lives and were subject to be killed in the most horrible manner. He explained the status of woman amongst the white people, her share in the battle of life, the estimation in which she was held, reigning next to her husband as a true companion instead of being regarded as she was here, as a beast of burden, the slave of her spouse. As she listened attentively a new world rose before her eyes. He went on telling her of the beautiful dwellings of the whitefaces, so different from the hovels she had hitherto seen. He described the European towns with their squares, streets, churches, palaces, theatres, promenades, and in his description employed such charming enthusiasm that he created a complete revolution in her primitive mind. Involuntarily she embraced him with tenderness and almost inaudibly she whispered into his ears that she was willing and ready to follow wherever Dohong would lead her. She only begged of him for the present to preserve the secret that he was no Dayak. She would undertake to inform her brother Harimaoung Boekit of the fact at a fitting opportunity. While the lovers were thus enjoying some of their most happy moments, each of the other two Europeans had tried to kill time in his own way. La Cueille being also in an amorous mood had wished to amuse himself by courting, but his Moendoet had been entrusted with the culinary preparations and he was manifestly quite superfluous. Besides she was highly perfumed by garlic which she was manipulating and these odors compelled her adorer to withdraw. He went away disconsolate intending to take a solitary walk in the neighborhood, when he met Schlickeisen, who also having nothing to do joined him. Both men stepped into a djoekoeng and were quietly paddling along when suddenly La Cueille observed a lump of coal lying on one of the banks.