第19章

CHAPTERXV-THETWOCHIEFSOFATUONA

IThadchanced(astheCASCObeatthroughtheBordelaisStraitsforTaahauku)sheapproachedononeboardverynearthelandintheoppositeisleofTauata，wherehousesweretobeseeninagroveoftallcoco-palms。BrotherMichelpointedoutthespot。’Iamathomenow，’saidhe。’IbelieveIhavealargeshareinthesecocoa-nuts；andinthathousemadamemymotherliveswithhertwohusbands！’’Withtwohusbands?’somebodyinquired。’C’ESTMA

HONTE，’repliedthebrotherdrily。

Awordinpassingonthetwohusbands。Iconceivethebrothertohaveexpressedhimselfloosely。Itseemscommonenoughtofindanativeladywithtwoconsorts；butthesearenottwohusbands。Thefirstisstillthehusband；thewifecontinuestobereferredtobyhisname；andthepositionofthecoadjutor，orPIKIO，althoughquiteregular，appearsundoubtedlysubordinate。Wehadopportunitiestoobserveonehouseholdofthesort。ThePIKIOwasrecognised；appearedopenlyalongwiththehusbandwhentheladywasthoughttobeinsulted，andthepairmadecommoncauselikebrothers。Athometheinequalitywasmoreapparent。Thehusbandsattoreceiveandentertainvisitors；thePIKIOwasrunningthewhiletofetchcocoa-nutslikeahiredservant，andIremarkedhewassentontheseerrandsinpreferenceeventotheson。Plainlywehaveherenosecondhusband；plainlywehavethetoleratedlover。Only，intheMarquesas，insteadofcarryinghislady’sfanandmantle，hemustturnhishandtodothehusband’shousework。

ThesightofBrotherMichel’sfamilyestateledtheconversationforsomewhileuponthemethodandconsequenceofartificialkinship。Ourcuriositybecameextremelywhetted；thebrotherofferedtohavethewholeofusadopted，andsometwodayslaterwebecameaccordinglythechildrenofPaaaeua，appointedchiefofAtuona。Iwasunabletobepresentattheceremony，whichwasprimitivelysimple。ThetwoMrs。StevensonsandMr。Osbourne，alongwithPaaaeua，hiswife，andanadoptedchildoftheirs，sonofashipwreckedAustrian，satdowntoanexcellentislandmeal，ofwhichtheprincipalandtheonlynecessarydishwaspig。A

concoursewatchedthemthroughtheaperturesofthehouse；butnone，notevenBrotherMichel，mightpartake；forthemealwassacramental，andeithercreativeordeclaratoryofthenewrelationship。InTahitithingsarenotsostrictlyordered；whenOriandI’madebrothers，’bothourfamiliessatwithusattable，yetonlyheandI，whohadeatenwithintentionweresupposedtobeaffectedbytheceremony。FortheadoptionofaninfantIbelievenoformalitytoberequired；thechildishandedoverbythenaturalparents，andgrowsuptoinherittheestatesoftheadoptive。Presentsaredoubtlessexchanged，asatalljuncturesofislandlife，socialorinternational；butIneverheardofanybanquet-thechild’spresenceatthedailyboardperhapssufficing。WemayfindtherationaleintheancientArabianideathatacommondietmakesacommonblood，withitsderivativeaxiomthat’heisthefatherwhogivesthechilditsmorningdraught。’

IntheMarquesanpractice，thesensewouldthusbeevanescent；fromtheTahitian，ameresurvival，itwillhaveentirelyfled。Aninterestingparallelwillprobablyoccurtomanyofmyreaders。

Whatisthenatureoftheobligationassumedatsuchafestival?

Itwillvarywiththecharactersofthoseengaged，andwiththecircumstancesofthecase。ThusitwouldbeabsurdtotaketooseriouslyouradoptionatAtuona。OnthepartofPaaaeuaitwasanaffairofsocialambition；whenheagreedtoreceiveusinhisfamilythemanhadnotsomuchasseenus，andknewonlythatwewereinestimablyrichandtravelledinafloatingpalace。We，uponourside，ateofhisbakedmeatswithnotrueANIMUSAFFILIANDI，butmovedbythesinglesentimentofcuriosity。Theaffairwasformal，andamatterofparade，aswheninEuropesovereignscalleachothercousin。Yet，hadwestayedatAtuona，Paaaeuawouldhaveheldhimselfboundtoestablishusuponhisland，andtosetapartyoungmenforourservice，andtreesforoursupport。IhavementionedtheAustrian。Hesailedinoneoftwosisterships，whichlefttheClydeincoal；bothroundedtheHorn，andboth，atseveralhundredmilesofdistance，thoughcloseonthesamepointoftime，tookfireatseaonthePacific。Onewasdestroyed；thederelictironframeofthesecond，afterlong，aimlesscruising，wasatlengthrecovered，refitted，andhailsto-dayfromSanFrancisco。Aboat’screwfromoneofthesedisastersreached，aftergreathardships，theisleofHiva-oa。Someofthesemenvowedtheywouldneveragainconfrontthechancesofthesea；butaloneofthemalltheAustrianhasbeenexactlytruetohisengagement，remainswherehelanded，anddesignstodiewherehehaslived。Now，withsuchaman，fallingandtakingrootamongislanders，theprocessesdescribedmaybecomparedtoagardener’sgraft。Hepassesbodilyintothenativestock；ceaseswhollytobealien；hasenteredthecommuneoftheblood，sharestheprosperityandconsiderationofhisnewfamily，andisexpectedtoimpartwiththesamegenerositythefruitsofhisEuropeanskillandknowledge。

Itisthisimpliedengagementthatsofrequentlyoffendstheingraftedwhite。Tosnatchanimmediateadvantage-toget(letussay)astationforhisstore-hewillplayuponthenativecustomandbecomeasonorabrotherfortheday，promisinghimselftocastdowntheladderbywhichheshallhaveascended，andrepudiatethekinshipsosoonasitshallgrowburdensome。Andhefindstherearetwopartiestothebargain。PerhapshisPolynesianrelativeissimple，andconceivedtheblood-bondliterally；perhapsheisshrewd，andhimselfenteredthecovenantwithaviewtogain。

Andeitherwaythestoreisravaged，thehouselitteredwithlazynatives；andthericherthemangrows，themorenumerous，themoreidle，andthemoreaffectionatehefindshisnativerelatives。

Mostmenthuscircumstancedcontrivetobuyorbrutallymanagetoenforcetheirindependence；butmanyvegetatewithouthope，strangledbyparasites。

WehadnocausetoblushwithBrotherMichel。Ournewparentswerekind，gentle，well-mannered，andgenerousingifts；thewifewasamostmotherlywoman，thehusbandamanwhostoodjustlyhighwithhisemployers。EnoughhasbeensaidtoshowwhyMoipushouldbedeposed；andinPaaaeuatheFrenchhadfoundareputablesubstitute。Hewentalwaysscrupulouslydressed，andlookedthepictureofpropriety，likeadark，handsome，stupid，andprobablyreligiousyoungmanhotfromaEuropeanfuneral。Incharacterheseemedtheidealofwhatisknownasthegoodcitizen。Heworegravitylikeanornament。Nonecouldmorenicelyrepresentthedesiredcharacterasanappointedchief，theoutpostofcivilisationandreform。Andyet，weretheFrenchtogoandnativemannerstorevive，fancybeholdshimcrownedwitholdmen’sbeardsandcrowdingwiththefirsttoaman-eatingfestival。ButImustnotseemtobeunjusttoPaaaeua。Hisrespectabilitywentdeeperthantheskin；hissenseofthebecomingsometimesnervedhimforunexpectedrigours。

OneeveningCaptainOtisandMr。Osbournewereonshoreinthevillage。Allwasagog；dancinghadbegun；itwasplainitwastobeanightoffestival，andouradventurerswereoverjoyedattheirgoodfortune。AstrongfallofraindrovethemforsheltertothehouseofPaaaeua，wheretheyweremadewelcome，wiledintoachamber，andshutin。Presentlytheraintookoff，thefunwastobegininearnest，andtheyoungbloodsofAtuonacameroundthehouseandcalledtomyfellow-travellersthroughtheintersticesofthewall。Lateintothenightthecallswerecontinuedandresumed，andsometimesmingledwithtaunts；lateintothenighttheprisoners，tantalisedbythenoisesofthefestival，renewedtheireffortstoescape。Butallwasvain；rightacrossthedoorlaythatgod-fearinghouseholder，Paaaeua，feigningsleep；andmyfriendshadtoforegotheirjunketing。Inthisincident，sodelightfullyEuropean，wethoughtwecoulddetectthreestrandsofsentiment。Inthefirstplace，Paaaeuahadachargeofsouls：

thesewereyoungmen，andhejudgeditrighttowithholdthemfromtheprimrosepath。Secondly，hewasapubliccharacter，anditwasnotfittingthathisguestsshouldcountenanceafestivalofwhichhedisapproved。Somightsomestrictclergymanathomeaddressaworldlyvisitor：’Gotothetheatreifyoulike，but，byyourleave，notfrommyhouse！’Thirdly，Paaaeuawasamanjealous，andwithsomecause(asshallbeshown)forjealousy；andthefeasterswerethesatellitesofhisimmediaterival，Moipu。

Fortheadoptionhadcausedmuchexcitementinthevillage；itmadethestrangerspopular。Paaaeua，inhisdifficultpostureofappointedchief，drewstrengthanddignityfromtheiralliance，andonlyMoipuandhisfollowersweremalcontent。Forsomereasonnobody(exceptmyself)appearstodislikeMoipu。CaptainHart，whohasbeenrobbedandthreatenedbyhim；FatherOrens，whomhehasfiredat，andrepeatedlydriventothewoods；myownfamily，andeventheFrenchofficials-allseemedsmittenwithanirrepressibleaffectionfortheman。Hisfallhadbeenmadesoft；

hisson，uponhisdeath，wastosucceedPaaaeuainthechieftaincy；

andhelived，atthetimeofourvisit，intheshorewardpartofthevillageinagoodhouse，andwithastrongfollowingofyoungmen，hislatebravesandpot-hunters。Inthissociety，thecomingoftheCASCO，theadoption，thereturnfeastonboard，andthepresentsexchangedbetweenthewhitesandtheirnewparents，weredoubtlesseagerlyandbitterlycanvassed。Itwasfeltthatafewyearsagothehonourswouldhavegoneelsewhere。Inthisunwontedbusiness，inthisreceptionofsomehithertoundreamed-ofandoutlandishpotentate-somePresterJohnoroldAssaracus-afewyearsbackitwouldhavebeenthepartofMoiputoplaytheheroandthehost，andhisyoungmenwouldhaveaccompaniedandadornedthevariouscelebrationsastheacknowledgedleadersofsociety。

Andnow，byamalignvicissitudeoffortune，Moipumustsitinhishousequiteunobserved；andhisyoungmencouldbutlookinatthedoorwhiletheirrivalsfeasted。PerhapsM。Grevyfeltatouchofbitternesstowardshissuccessorwhenhebeheldhimfigureonthebroadstageofthecentenaryofeighty-nine；thevisitoftheCASCO

whichMoipuhadmissedbysofewyearswasamoreunusualoccasioninAtuonathanacentenaryinFrance；andthedethronedchiefdeterminedtoreasserthimselfinthepubliceye。

Mr。OsbournehadgoneintoAtuonaphotographing；thepopulationofthevillagehadgatheredtogetherfortheoccasionontheplacebeforethechurch，andPaaaeua，highlydelightedwiththisnewappearanceofhisfamily，playedthemasterofceremonies。Thechurchhadbeentaken，withitsjollyarchitectbeforethedoor；

thenunswiththeirpupils；sundrydamselsintheancientandsingularlyunbecomingrobesoftapa；andFatherOrensinthemidstofagroupofhisparishioners。Iknownotwhatelsewasinhand，whenthephotographerbecameawareofasensationinthecrowd，and，lookingaround，beheldaverynoblefigureofamanappearuponthemarginofathicketandstrollnonchalantlynear。Thenonchalancewasvisiblyaffected；itwasplainhecametheretoarouseattention，andhissuccesswasinstant。Hewasintroduced；

hewascivil，hewasobliging，hewasalwaysineffablysuperiorandcertainofhimself；awell-gracedactor。Itwaspresentlysuggestedthatheshouldappearinhiswarcostume；hegracefullyconsented；andreturnedinthatstrange，inappropriateandill-