下载辰思小说免费APP
AndIdon’tknowthatIhavemuchtoreport。ImayhavetoleaveforMalieassoonasthesemailpacketsaremadeup。
’Tisanecessity(ifitbeone)Iratherdeplore。IthinkI
shouldhavelikedtolazy；butIdaresayallitmeansisthedelayofadayorsoinharkingbacktoDavidBalfour；thatrespectableyouthchidesatbeingleft(whereheisnow)inGlasgowwiththeLordAdvocate，andafterfiveyearsintheBritishLinen，whoshallblamehim？IwasallforenoonyesterdaydowninApia，’dictating，andLloydtype-writing，theconclusionofSAMOA；andthenathomecorrectingtillthedinnerbell；andintheeveningagaintillelevenoftheclock。ThismorningIhavemadeupmostofmypackets，andI
thinkmymailisallreadybuttwomore，andthetagofthis。
Iwouldneverdeny(asD。Bmightsay)thatIwasrathertiredofit。ButIhaveadamnedgooddoseofthedevilinmypipe-stematomy；IhavehadmylittleholidayoutinginmykickatTHEYOUNGCHEVALIER，andIguessIcansettletoDAVIDBALFOURto-morroworFridaylikealittleman。I
wonderifanyonehadevermoreenergyuponsolittlestrength？-Iknowthereisafrost，theSamoabookcanonlyincreasethat-Ican’thelpit，thatbookisnotwrittenformebutforMissManners；butImeantobreakthatfrostinsidetwoyears，andpulloffabigsuccess，andVanitywhispersinmyearthatIhavethestrength。IfIhaven’t，whistleowerthelaveo’t！IcandowithoutgloryandperhapsthetimeisnotfaroffwhenIcandowithoutcorn。
Itisatimecomingsoonenough，anyway；andIhaveenduredsometwoandfortyyearswithoutpublicshame，andhadagoodtimeasIdidit。IfonlyIcouldsecureaviolentdeath，whatafinesuccess！Iwishtodieinmyboots；nomoreLandofCounterpaneforme。Tobedrowned，tobeshot，tobethrownfromahorse-ay，tobehanged，ratherthanpassagainthroughthatslowdissolution。
Ifancythisgloomyrambleiscausedbyatwingeofage；I
putonanunder-shirtyesterday(itwastheonlyoneIcouldfind)thatbarelycameundermytrousers；andjustbelowit，afinehealthyrheumatismhasnowsettledlikeafireinmyhip。Fromsuchsmallcausesdothesevaluableconsiderationsflow！
Ishallnowsayadieu，dearSir，havingtenruggedmilesbeforemeandthehorrorsofanativefeastandparliamentwithoutaninterpreter，forto-dayIgoalone。
Yoursever，
HOWamItoovertakeevents？OnWednesday，assoonasmymailwasfinished，Ihadawildwhirltolookforwardto。
Immediatelyafterdinner，Belle，LloydandI，setoutonhorseback，theytotheclub，ItoHaggard’s，thencetothehotelwhereIhadsupperreadyforthem。AllnextdaywehungroundApiawithourwholehouse-crowdinSundayarray，hopingforthemailsteamerwithamenagerieonboard。Nosuchluck；theshipdelayed；andatlast，aboutthree，Ihadtosendthemhomeagain，afailureofaday’spleasuringthatdoesnotbeartobediscussed。LloydwassosickenedthathereturnedthesamenighttoVailima，BelleandIheldon，satmostoftheeveningonthehotelverandahstrickensillywithfatigueanddisappointment，andgenuinesorrowforourpoorboysandgirls，andgottobedwithratherdismalappreciationsofthemorrow。
Theseweremorethanjustified，andyetIneverhadajollierdaythanFriday27th。By7。30BelleandIhadbreakfast；wehadscarcedonebeforemymotherwasatthedooronhorseback，andaboyatherheelstotakehernotverydashingchargerhomeagain。By8。10wewereallonthelandingpier，anditwas9。20beforewehadgotawayinaboatwithtwoinchesofgreenwoodonthekeelofher，norudder，nomast，nosail，noboatflag，twodefectiverowlocks，twowretchedapologiesforoars，andtwoboys-oneaTonganhalf-caste，oneawhitelad，sonoftheTongaschoolmaster，andasailorlad-topullus。AllthiswasourfirsttasteofthetendermerciesofTaylor(thesesquipidalianhalf-casteintroducedtwolettersback，I
believe)。WehadscarcegotroundMulinuuwhenSaleTaylor’sheartmisgavehim；hethoughtwehadmissedthetide；calledahalt，andsetoffashoretofindcanoes。Twowerefound；
inonemymotherandIwereembarkedwiththetwobiscuittins(mypresenttothefeast)，andthebagwithourdryclothes，onwhichmymotherwasperched-andhercapwasonthetopofit-feminineheartspleasesympathise；allundertheguidanceofSale。IntheotherBelleandourguest；
Tauilo，achief-woman，themotherofmycook，weretohavefollowed。Andtheboysweretohavebeenleftwiththeboat。
ButTauilorefused。Andthefour，Belle，Tauilo，Frankthesailor-boy，andJimmietheTonganhalf-caste，setoffintheboatacrossthatrapidlyshoalingbayofthelag
