grove，wesawtheglowandsmeltthearomaticodourofacoalofcocoa-nuthusk，arelicoftheeveningkitchen。Cricketssang；
someshrillthingwhistledinatuftofweeds；andthemosquitohummedandstung。Therewasnoothertracethatnightofman，bird，orinsectintheisle。Themoon，nowthreedaysold，andasyetbutasilvercrescentonastillvisiblesphere，shonethroughthepalmcanopywithvigorousandscatteredlights。Thealleyswherewewalkedweresmoothedandweededlikeaboulevard；hereandtherewereplantssetout；hereandthereduskycottagesclusteredintheshadow，somewithverandahs。Apublicgardenbynight，arichandfashionablewatering-placeinaby-season，offersightsandvistasnotdissimilar。Andstill，ontheoneside，stretchedthelappingmere，andfromtheotherthedeepseastillgrowledinthenight。Butitwasmostofallonboard，inthedeadhours，whenIhadbeenbettersleeping，thatthespellofFakaravaseizedandheldme。Themoonwasdown。Theharbourlanternandtwoofthegreaterplanetsdrewvari-colouredwakesonthelagoon。Fromshorethecheerfulwatch-cryofcocksrangoutatintervalsabovetheorgan-pointofsurf。Andthethoughtofthisdepopulatedcapital，thisprotractedthreadofannularislandwithitscrestofcoco-palmsandfringeofbreakers，andthattranquilinlandseathatstretchedbeforemetillittouchedthestars，raninmyheadforhourswithdelight。
SolongasIstayeduponthatislethesethoughtswereconstant。I
laydowntosleep，andwokeagainwithanunbluntedsenseofmysurroundings。Iwasneverwearyofcallinguptheimageofthatnarrowcauseway，onwhichIhadmydwelling，lyingcoiledlikeaserpent，tailtomouth，intheoutrageousocean，andIwasneverwearyofpassing-amerequarter-deckparade-fromtheonesidetotheother，fromtheshady，habitableshoresofthelagoontotheblindingdesertanduproariousbreakersoftheoppositebeach。Thesenseofinsecurityinsuchathreadofresidenceismorethanfanciful。Hurricanesandtidalwavesover-leapthesehumbleobstacles；Oceanusremembershisstrength，and，wherehousesstoodandpalmsflourished，shakeshiswhitebeardagainoverthebarrencoral。Fakaravaitselfhassuffered；thetreesimmediatelybeyondmyhousewereallofrecentreplantation；andAnaaisonlynowrecoveredfromaheavierstroke。Iknewonewhowasthendwellingintheisle。Hetoldmethatheandtwoshipcaptainswalkedtotheseabeach。Thereforawhiletheyviewedtheon-comingbreakers，tilloneofthecaptainsclappedsuddenlyhishandbeforehiseyesandcriedaloudthathecouldendurenolongertobeholdthem。Thiswasintheafternoon；inthedarkhoursofthenighttheseaburstupontheislandlikeaflood；thesettlementwasrazedallbutthechurchandpresbytery；and，whendayreturned，thesurvivorssawthemselvesclinginginanabattisofuprootedcoco-palmsandruinedhouses。
Dangerisbutasmallconsideration。Butmenaremorenicelysensibleofadiscomfort；andtheatollisadiscomfortablehome。