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chap, xxii TAVERNIER'S DISCLOSURES 265
tion
; that if he wished me to reply to what he asked, it was necessary to
convey it to me in a language which I understood, and not in Dutch/ He
replied to this ' that he had often heard me speak Dutch,' to which I
answered * that in truth I did know something of the language, but not
enough to enable me to read and understand chicanery.' As I perceived
that he was offended by the use of the word ' chicanery * I said to him
again in a firmer tone than before, ' that I was not in receipt of
wages from the Company, and that I had not been appointed to observe
the conduct and actions of M. Constant.' The Council at length ordered
the Fiscal to give me his questions in French ; this he did, and fixed
the period for replying at eight days. I laughed at all these
questions, being well assured that I was able to put an end to the
proceedings whenever I pleased. I deferred replying for another eight
days beyond the eight which they had given me ; but seeing that the
Council began to be annoyed, I thought that it was time to put an end
to the affair.
As
soon as the Fiscal had given me his questions in French, I communicated
them to M. Potre, the ablest counsel in Batavia, who told me that, not
being employed by the Company, I was not obliged to reply to any of
these articles ; nevertheless, being desirous of putting an end to the
affair, I went to the President's house shortly after sunrise, and he
came to receive me in his sleeping garment, ' preferring ', he said, '
to come to me in that condition rather than make me wait while he
dressed.' The reply which I made to this compliment was ' that since he
wished me absolutely to tell him all that I knew of M. Constant, I
would conceal nothing that had come to my knowledge, even were it to
the disadvantage of the General himself and many members of the
Council, and of you yourself who urge me to speak,' I added, after he
had made his guard withdraw, and he and I remained alone. I told him,
then, that ' when leaving Surat to go to the diamond mine, M. Constant
entrusted me with 44,000 * rupees, asking me to expend it on diamonds,
and especially on large stones, that my services would be well
rewarded, and that as this sum belonged to the General
£4,950.
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