OF THE SOUTH SEAS 299 



pig, with taro and feis, but roasted in an oven, and not 

 in native style; and there was a dehcious young turkey 

 from New Zealand, a ham from Virginia, truffles, a 

 salad of lettuce and tomatoes, and a plum pudding from 

 London. The claret was 1900 and 1904, a vintage ob- 

 tained by Polonsky in Paris. The champagne, also, 

 was of a year, and frapped. Tahitian coffee, with 

 brown sugar from the chief's plantation, ended the ban- 

 quet. 



There was no conversation of any interest. The Pa- 

 risian count was far removed in experience and culture 

 from the others, and probably only the necessity of 

 companionship in revelry and cards brought them to- 

 gether. Europe, and all the earth, was his playground, 

 and doubtless he had lavished a fortune in pleasure in 

 the capitals of the Continent. Llewellyn had an edu- 

 cation in the universities of England and Germany, but 

 since young manhood had been in his birthplace, and 

 the others were the rough and ready stuff of business 

 or seafaring. 



The table for the gambling was moved to the sward 

 by the shingle, and lamps hung upon bamboos planted 

 at each end. It was balmy, and we sat in our shirts, the 

 bosoms open for the breeze, the count with his gorgeous 

 Japanese god shining upon his ivory breast, and the 

 round glass in his eye. The tattooed skeleton upon his 

 forearm was uncanny in the flickering light, the black 

 shadows of the eyes seeming to open and close as the 

 rays fell upon it. 



Landers, though he had drunk with all, was appre- 

 ciative of every nicety of the game, and won fifteen 

 hundred francs. He alone was cool, watching the 



