When The Fortnight Of Rejoicing Is Over Its Signs
Are Removed, And After The Outbreak Of Extravagant Expenditure The
Chinese Return To Their Quiet, Industrious Habits And Frugal Ways.
Just as this brilliant display left the room, a figure in richer
coloring of skin appeared - Babu, the head servant, in his beautiful
Hadji dress.
He wore white full trousers, drawn in tightly at the
ankles over black shoes, but very little of these trousers showed below
a long, fine, linen tunic of spotless white, with a girdle of orange
silk. Over this was a short jacket of rich green silk, embroidered in
front with green of the same color, and over all a pure white robe
falling from the shoulders. The turban was a Mecca turban made of many
yards of soft white silk, embroidered in white silk. It was difficult
to believe that this gorgeous Mussulman, in the odor of double
sanctity, with his scornful face and superb air, could so far demean
himself as to wait on "dogs of infidels" at dinner, or appear in my
room at the Stadthaus, with matutinal tea and bananas!
This magnificence heralded the Datu Klana, Syed Abdulrahman, the
reigning prince of the native State of Sungei Ujong, his principal
wife, and his favorite daughter, a girl of twelve. It has been decided
that I am to go to Sungei Ujong, and that I am to be escorted by Mr.
Hayward, the superintendent of police, but, unfortunately, I am to go
up in the Datu Klana's absence, and one object of his visit was to
express his regret.
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