silence, and presently after left the ship with cold formality.

When he took me back into favour, he adroitly and pointedly

explained the nature of my offence: I had asked him to sell cocoa-

nuts; and in Hoka's view articles of food were things that a

gentleman should give, not sell; or at least that he should not

sell to any friend. On another occasion I gave my boat's crew a

luncheon of chocolate and biscuits. I had sinned, I could never

learn how, against some point of observance; and though I was drily

thanked, my offerings were left upon the beach. But our worst

mistake was a slight we put on Toma, Hoka's adoptive father, and in

his own eyes the rightful chief of Anaho. In the first place, we

did not call upon him, as perhaps we should, in his fine new

European house, the only one in the hamlet. In the second, when we

came ashore upon a visit to his rival, Taipi-Kikino, it was Toma

whom we saw standing at the head of the beach, a magnificent figure

of a man, magnificently tattooed; and it was of Toma that we asked

our question: 'Where is the chief?' 'What chief?' cried Toma, and

turned his back on the blasphemers. Nor did he forgive us. Hoka

came and went with us daily; but, alone I believe of all the

countryside, neither Toma nor his wife set foot on board the Casco.

The temptation resisted it is hard for a European to compute. The

flying city of Laputa moored for a fortnight in St. James's Park

affords but a pale figure of the Casco anchored before Anaho; for

the Londoner has still his change of pleasures, but the Marquesan

passes to his grave through an unbroken uniformity of days.

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>