OF THE SOUTH SEAS 211 



It was hard to keep on a pareu in a swift-running 

 stream unless one knew how to tie it. I lost mine sev- 

 eral times, and had to grope shamefacedly in the race 

 for it, until finally Lovaina made the proper knots and 

 turned it into a diaper. 



"I not go swim now," she said regretfully, " 'cep' 

 some night-time. Too big. Before I marry, eighteen 

 seven'y-nine, and before my three children grow up, I 

 swim plenty then." 



"Lovaina," I said, "it was hardly eighteen seventy- 

 nine you were married. You are only forty-three now. 

 Was it not eighty-nine?" 



"Mus' be," she replied thoughtfully. "I nineteen 

 when marry. My father give me that house, now Tiare 

 Hotel, for weddin' present. All furnish. You should 

 see that many! My God! there was bottle in yard all 

 broken. Admiral French fleet send band; come hisself 

 with all his officer'. Five o'clock mornin'-time still 

 dance and drink. Bigges' time T'ytee. You not walk 

 barefoot long time 'count broken glass everywhere." 



I had heard that delicious incident before, but it never 

 lost savor. 



After dinner and a prolonged session upon the cam- 

 phor-wood chest to hear Lovaina's chatter, I came 

 leisurely to the Annexe along the shore of the lagoon. 

 It was after midnight, and the heavens sang with stars 

 as the ripe moon dipped into the western sea. 



The tropics only know the fullness of the firmament, 

 the myriad of suns and planets, the brilliancy of the 

 constellations, and the overpowering revelation of the 

 infinite above. In less fervent latitudes one can never 

 feel the bigness of the vault on high, nor sense the in- 



