112 MYSTIC ISLES 



David; McHenry; Schlyter, the Swedish tailor; Jones 

 and Mrs. Jones, the husband, head of a book company 

 in Los Angeles; a Barbary Coast singer and her man; a 

 demirep of Chicago and her loved one; three Tahitian 

 youths with wreaths; the post-office manager, and with 

 him the surgeon of the hospital ; a notary's clerk, the gov- 

 ernor's private secretary ; the administrateur of the Mar- 

 quesas Islands, Margaret, Lurline and Mathilde, Lena, 

 and Lucy, lovely part-Tahitian girls who clerked in 

 stores; the Otoman, chauffeur for Polonsky; English 

 tourists ; Nance, the California capitalist ; and others. 



Curses upon Saint Michel, threats of damage suits for 

 fright and delay, laughable stories of the mistakes of 

 the volunteer crew of the Noa-Noa; discussions of the 

 price of copra, mingled with the chants of the native 

 feasters and ribald tales. The Tiare girls, all color and 

 sparkle, exchanged quips with the male diners, patted 

 their shoulders, and gigglingly fought when they tried 

 to take them into their laps. 



In the open porch, Lovaina, gaily adorned, her feet 

 bare, but a wreath of ferns on her head, sped the dishes 

 and the wine. She kept the desserts before her and cut 

 portions to suit the quality of her liking for each patron. 



"Taporo e taata au ahuf' said Atupu. 



"The lime and the tailor," that means, and identified 

 Landers and Schlyter. Landers was the "lime" be- 

 cause a former partner of his establishment exported 

 limes, and Landers succeeded to his nickname. Lan- 

 ders and Schlyter were good customers, so they got 

 larger slices of dried-apple pie. 



Chappe-Hall, being bidden farewell on his leaving 

 for Auckland, was apostrophizing Tahiti in verse, all the 



