308 MYSTIC ISLES 



in front, and the general audience consisted of French 

 and every caste of Tahitian, from half to a sixteenth. 

 The men were in white evening suits, and the women 

 and girls in decollete gowns, white and colored. 



It was eight o'clock when the governor entered on the 

 arm of the president of the Alliance, Dr. Cassiou. He 

 was in a white drill uniform, with deep cuffs of gold bul- 

 lion, and a blazing row of orders on his breast. The 

 repuhlique outdoes many monarchies in decorating with 

 these baubles its heroes of politics. The governor, a 

 wholesome-looking diplomat, was the image of the fa- 

 mous host of the Old Poodle Dog restaurant in San 

 Francisco, who himself would have had a hundred rib- 

 bons in a just democracy. 



The band of native musicians played "The Marseil- 

 laise," but nobody stood. With all their embellish- 

 ments, the French would not incommode themselves at 

 the whim of a baton-wielder, who in America had only 

 to wave his stick in "The Star-Spangled Banner," and 

 any one who did not humor his whim by getting on his 

 feet was beaten by his neighbors, who would not suffer 

 without him. 



With the governor were the inspecteurs colonials^ the 

 bearded napkin-wearers of Lovaina's. They, too, had 

 a line of gay ribbon from nipple to nipple. These three 

 and the houlevardier, the gay secretary, sat upon the 

 stage beside a stack of gilded red books. The band 

 played "La Croix d'Honneur," and the good Dr. Cas- 

 siou read from a manuscript his annual address in a low 

 voice becoming a ministrant at sick-beds. Another 

 piece by the band, and the books were distributed to the 

 pupils, who went tremulously upon the stage to receive 



