Hmo , the Apostate. 
349 
rejoiced, for now, while he hated Hino- 
riri, he yet still desired her and thought 
to make her his wife or kill her. Sometimes 
a chief when displeased with his wife would 
cast her off, and this was ever in Matara’s 
mind. 
That evening Hino, with her husband’s 
curses burning into her bosom, sat on the 
beach, looking out upon the sea. Beside her 
were her two children, who wondered why she 
wept and sought to console her by caresses. 
“ Dear ones,” she said, drawing their faces to 
her bosom and fondling them in turn, “ ’tis 
but a black cloud in thy father’s mind that it is 
thy mother who hath brought this strong famine 
on the land ; ” and then she wept again. 
Suddenly Matara stood before her. His 
spies had watched Hino-riri and the children 
go to the beach, and the priest had followed. 
“ Thou evil woman,” he said, “ dost weep for 
shame that thou hast made so many to die of 
hunger and thirst ? ” 
“ Nay,” said Hino, drying her tears, for she 
had now no fear of Matara; “ I wept because 
thou hast made my husband think such evil 
of me.” 
