下载辰思小说免费APP
ItwasapicturetoseehersailtochurchonaSunday，aparasolinhand，anursemaidfollowing，andthebabyburiedinatradehatandarmedwithapatentfeeding-bottle。Theservicewasenlivenedbyhercontinualsupervisionandcorrectionofthemaid。Itwasimpossiblenottofancythebabywasadoll，andthechurchsomeEuropeanplayroom。Allthesewomenwerelegitimatelymarried。Itistruethatthecertificateofone，whensheproudlyshowedit，provedtorunthus，thatshewas’marriedforonenight，’andhergraciouspartnerwasatlibertyto’sendhertohell’thenextmorning；butshewasnonethewiserortheworseforthedastardlytrick。Another，Iheard，wasmarriedonaworkofmineinapiratededition；itansweredthepurposeaswellasaHallBible。
Notwithstandingalltheseallurementsofsocialdistinction，rarefoodandraiment，acomparativevacationfromtoil，andlegitimatemarriagecontractedonapiratededition，thetradermustsometimesseeklongbeforehecanbemated。WhileIwasinthegrouponehadbeeneightmonthsonthequest，andhewasstillabachelor。
Withinstrictlynativesocietytheoldlawsandpracticeswereharsh，butnotwithoutacertainstampofhigh-mindedness。
Stealthyadulterywaspunishedwithdeath；openelopementwasproperlyconsideredvirtueincomparison，andcompoundedforafineinland。Themaleadultereraloneseemstohavebeenpunished。Itiscorrectmannersforajealousmantohanghimself；ajealouswomanhasadifferentremedy-shebitesherrival。Tenortwentyyearsagoitwasacapitaloffencetoraiseawoman’sRIDI；tothisdayitisstillpunishedwithaheavyfine；andthegarmentitselfisstillsymbolicallysacred。SupposeapieceoflandtobedisputedinButaritari，theclaimantwhoshallfirsthangaRIDIonthetapu-posthasgainedhiscause，sincenoonecanremoveortouchitbuthimself。
TheRIDIwasthebadgenotofthewomanbutthewife，themarknotofhersexbutofherstation。Itwasthecollarontheslave’sneck，thebrandonmerchandise。Theadulterouswomanseemstohavebeenspared；werethehusbandoffended，itwouldbeapoorconsolationtosendhisdraughtcattletotheshambles。Karaiti，tothisday，callshiseightwives’hishorses，’sometraderhavingexplainedtohimtheemploymentoftheseanimalsonfarms；andNanteiteihiredouthiswivestodomason-work。Husbands，atleastwhenofhighrank，hadthepoweroflifeanddeath；evenwhitesseemtohavepossessedit；andtheirwives，whentheyhadtransgressedbeyondforgiveness，madehastetopronouncetheformulaofdeprecation-IKANAKIM。Thisformofwordshadsomuchvirtuethatacondemnedcriminalrepeatingitonaparticulardaytothekingwhohadcondemnedhim，mustbeinstantlyreleased。
Itisanofferofabasement，and，strangelyenough，thereverse-
theimitation-isacommonvulgarinsultinGreatBritaintothisday。IgiveascenebetweenatraderandhisGilbertIslandwife，asitwastoldmebythehusband，nowoneoftheoldestresidents，butthenafreshmaninthegroup。
’Goandlightafire，’saidthetrader，’andwhenIhavebroughtthisoilIwillcooksomefish。’Thewomangruntedathim，islandfashion。’Iamnotapigthatyoushouldgruntatme，’saidhe。
’Iknowyouarenotapig，’saidthewoman，’neitheramIyourslave。’
’Tobesureyouarenotmyslave，andifyoudonotcaretostopwithme，youhadbettergohometoyourpeople，’saidhe。’Butinthemeantimegoandlightthefire；andwhenIhavebroughtthisoilIwillcooksomefish。’
Shewentasiftoobey；andpresentlywhenthetraderlookedshehadbuiltafiresobigthatthecook-housewascatchinginflames。
’IKANAKIM！’shecried，asshesawhimcoming；buthereckednot，andhitherwithacooking-pot。Thelegpiercedherskull，bloodspouted，itwasthoughtshewasadeadwoman，andthenativessurroundedthehouseinamenacingexpectation。Anotherwhitewaspresent，amanofolderexperience。’Youwillhaveusbothkilledifyougoonlikethis，’hecried。’ShehadsaidIKANAKIM！’IfshehadnotsaidIKANAKIMhemighthavestruckherwithacaldron。Itwasnottheblowthatmadethecrime，butthedisregardofanacceptedformula。
Polygamy，theparticularsacrednessofwives，theirsemi-servilestate，theirseclusioninkings’harems，eventheirprivilegeofbiting，allwouldseemtoindicateaMohammedansocietyandtheopinionofthesoullessnessofwoman。Andnotsointheleast。Itisamereappearance。Afteryo
