OF THE SOUTH SEAS 521 



tances from loved ones. My contemplated journey to 

 the Marquesas Islands was to them a foolish and dan- 

 gerous labor for no good reason. 



The trip to Papeete from Mataiea by motor-car took 

 only an hour and a half, and I was in another world, on 

 the camphorwood chest at the Tiare hotel, by five o'clock. 



''Mais, Brien, you long time go district!" exclaimed 

 Lovaina. "What you do so long no see you? I think 

 may be you love one country vahineT 



She rubbed my back, and said that Lying Bill, who 

 had been at the Tiare for luncheon, hoped to sail in two 

 days. McHenry was to go with us as a passenger on 

 the schooner. Everybody knew everybody's business. 

 Lovaina suddenly bethought herself of a richer morsel 

 of gossip. She struck her forehead. 



"My God! how long you been? You not meet that 

 rich uncle of David from America? You not hear 

 about that turribil thing?" 



She was on the point of beginning her narrative when 

 the telephone rang, and she was called away. I knew 

 I would catch the before-dinner groups at the Cercle 

 Bougainville, and walked there, waving my hand or 

 speaking to a dozen acquaintances on the route. I 

 climbed the steep stairs, and at the first table saw Fung 

 Wah, a Chinese immigrant importer and pearl mer- 

 chant, with Lying Bill, McHenry, Hallman, and Lan- 

 ders, the latter only recently back from Auckland. I 

 was immediately aware of the sad contrast with Tautira. 

 The club-room looked mean and tawdry after so many 

 weeks among the cocoas and breadfruits; the floor, 

 tables, and chairs ugly compared with the grass, the 

 purauSj the roses, and the gardenias, the endearing en- 



