下载辰思小说免费APP
SUNDAY，JULY28-Karaiticametoaskforarepetitionofthe’phantoms’-thiswastheacceptedword-and，havingreceivedapromise，turnedandleftmyhumbleroofwithouttheshadowofasalutation。Ifeltitimpolitetohavetheleastappearanceofpocketingaslight；thetimeshadbeentoodifficult，andwerestilltoodoubtful；andQueenVictoria’ssonwasboundtomaintainthehonourofhishouse。KaraitiwasaccordinglysummonedthateveningtotheRicks，whereMrs。Rickfellfoulofhiminwords，andQueenVictoria’ssonassailedhimwithindignantlooks。Iwastheasswiththelion’sskin；IcouldnotroarinthelanguageoftheGilbertIslands；butIcouldstare。Karaitideclaredhehadmeantnooffence；apologisedinasound，hearty，gentlemanlymanner；andbecameatonceathisease。Hehadinadaggertoexamine，andannouncedhewouldcometopriceitonthemorrow，to-
daybeingSunday；thisnicetyinaheathenwitheightwivessurprisedme。Thedaggerwas’goodforkillingfish，’hesaidroguishly；andwassupposedtohavehiseyeuponfishupontwolegs。ItisatleastoddthatinEasternPolynesiafishwastheacceptedeuphemismforthehumansacrifice。Askedastothepopulationofhisisland，Karaiticalledouttohisvassalswhosatwaitinghimoutsidethedoor，andtheyputitatfourhundredandfifty；but(addedKaraitijovially)therewillsoonbeplentymore，forallthewomenareinthefamilyway。LongbeforeweseparatedIhadquiteforgottenhisoffence。He，however，stillboreitinmind；andwithaverycourteousinspirationreturnedearlyonthenextday，paidusalongvisit，andpunctiliouslysaidfarewellwhenhedeparted。
MONDAY，JULY29-Thegreatdaycameroundatlast。InthefirsthoursthenightwasstartledbythesoundofclappinghandsandthechantofNeiKamaunava；itsmelancholy，slow，andsomewhatmenacingmeasuresbrokenatintervalsbyaformidableshout。Thelittlemorselofhumanitythuscelebratedinthedarkhourswasobservedatmiddayplayingonthegreenentirelynaked，andequallyunobservedandunconcerned。
Thesummerparlouronitsartificialislet，relievedagainsttheshimmeringlagoon，andshimmeringitselfwithsunandtinnediron，wasalldaycrowdedaboutbyeagermenandwomen。Within，itwasboxedfullofislanders，ofanyageandsize，andineverydegreeofnudityandfinery。Soclosewesquatted，thatatonetimeIhadamightyhandsomewomanonmyknees，twolittlenakedurchinshavingtheirfeetagainstmyback。TheremightbeadameinfullattireofHOLOKUandhatandflowers；andhernextneighbourmightthenextmomentstripsomelittleragofashiftfromherfatshouldersandcomeoutamonumentofflesh，paintedratherthancoveredbythehairbreadthRIDI。Littleladieswhothoughtthemselvestoogreattoappearundrapeduponsohighafestivalwereseentopauseoutsideinthebrightsunshine，theirminiatureridisintheirhand；amomentmoreandtheywerefull-dressedandenteredtheconcert-room。
Ateitherendstooduptosing，orsatdowntorest，thealternatecompaniesofsingers；KumaandLittleMakinonthenorth，Butaritarianditsconjuncthamletsonthesouth；bothgroupsconspicuousinbarbaricbravery。Inthemidst，betweentheserivalcampsoftroubadours，abenchwasplaced；andherethekingandqueenthronedit，sometwoorthreefeetabovethecrowdedaudienceonthefloor-Tebureimoaasusualinhisstripedpyjamaswithasatchelstrappedacrossoneshoulder，doubtless(intheislandfashion)tocontainhispistols；thequeeninapurpleHOLOKU，herabundanthairletdown，afaninherhand。Thebenchwasturnedfacingtothestrangers，apieceofwell-consideredcivility；andwhenitwastheturnofButaritaritosing，thepairmusttwistroundonthebench，leantheirelbowsontherail，andturntousthespectacleoftheirbroadbacks。Theroyalcoupleoccasionallysolacedthemselveswithaclaypipe；andthepompofstatewasfurtherheightenedbytheriflesofapicketoftheguard。
Withthiskinglycountenance，andourselvessquattedontheground，weheardseveralsongsfromonesideortheother。Thenroyaltyanditsguardswithdrew，andQueenVictoria’ssonanddaughter-in-
lawweresummonedbyacclamationtothevacantthrone。Ourpridewasperhapsalittlemodifiedwhenwewerejoinedonourhighplacesbyacertainthriftlessloaferofawhite；andyetIwasgladtoo，forthemanhadasmatteringofnative，andcould
