60 MYSTIC ISLES 



traders, and planters. One could not publish the 

 phrases if one could translate them. 



Lovaina, in her bed just off the porch, was laughing 

 at the retorts of Atupu, who by her native knowledge 

 of the tongue was discomfiting the roisterers, who spoke 

 it haltingly. I heard an apt interjection on the part 

 of the proprietress which set them all roaring, and so 

 lowered their self-esteem that they left summarily. 



One day when I was hurrying off to swim in the 

 lagoon, I asked Lovaina to guard a considerable sum of 

 money in bank-notes. She assented readily, but when 

 several days later I mentioned the money she struck her 

 head in alarm. She thought and thought, but could not 

 remember in what safe place she had hidden the paper 

 francs. 



*'My God! Brien," she said in desperation, "all time 

 I jus' like that crazee way. One time one engineer big 

 steamship come here, he ask me keep two thousan' dol- 

 lar for him. I busy jus' like always, an' I throw behin' 

 that couch I sit on. My God! he come back I fore-get 

 where I put. One day we look hard. I suffer tur- 

 ribil, but the nex' day I move couch and find money. 

 Was n't that funny?" 



I suggested we try the couch again, but though we 

 turned up a number of lost odds and ends, it was not the 

 cache of my funds. By way of cheering her, I ordered 

 a rum punch, and when she went to crack the ice, a 

 gleam of remembrance came to her, and, lo! my money 

 was found in the reserve butter supply in the refrig- 

 erator, where she had artfullj^ placed it out of harm's 

 way. It was quite greasy, but intact. 



The first breakfast at the Tiare began at 6:30, but 



