238 MYSTIC ISLES 



and buried the boxes. They were still at it when an 

 officer of marines came hurrying to notify them that the 

 frigates were French schooners from the Paumotus. 

 The whole population had hidden itself away in the 

 meantime. Well, they had many jokes about it and 

 many songs, but the governor built this house on the 

 steps of which we sit as a permanent depository for 

 archives in case of war, and here he used to come for 

 picnics until a few years ago. There was a post-office, 

 with a guard of sailors, here. They planted the garden, 

 the flowers, and strawberries that now run wild. You 

 know our chiefs were always being secretly warned that 

 England, which owns most of the islands in these seas, 

 wanted to seize our island." 



Over the Diadem the dark shadows were lengthening. 

 The daring pinnacles of Maiauo were thrust up like the 

 mangled fingers of a black hand against the blue sky. 



Noanoa Tiare pointed to them. 



"The ahiahi comes. Night is not far off," she said 

 warningly. "If we lingered here much longer, we 

 might have to stay all the night." 



"How memorable to me would be a sunrise from 

 here," I rephed. "I would never forget it." 



She looked at me archly over her shoulder. 



"I would like it myself. It would be magnificent, 

 and I have never spent the night just here." 



She considered a moment, and my mind took up the 

 matter of arrangements. We could cook feiSj and there 

 was plenty of other fruit, with shelter in the house, if we 

 needed that. We could start down early and be at 

 Lovaina's for the first dejeuner. Zeus! to pass the 

 night in such a solitude ! To hear in the pitch darkness 



