ItwasapicturetoseehersailtochurchonaSunday，aparasolinhand，anursemaidfollowing，andthebabyburiedinatradehatandarmedwithapatentfeeding-bottle。Theservicewasenlivenedbyhercontinualsupervisionandcorrectionofthemaid。Itwasimpossiblenottofancythebabywasadoll，andthechurchsomeEuropeanplayroom。Allthesewomenwerelegitimatelymarried。Itistruethatthecertificateofone，whensheproudlyshowedit，provedtorunthus，thatshewas’marriedforonenight，’andhergraciouspartnerwasatlibertyto’sendhertohell’thenextmorning；butshewasnonethewiserortheworseforthedastardlytrick。Another，Iheard，wasmarriedonaworkofmineinapiratededition；itansweredthepurposeaswellasaHallBible。
Notwithstandingalltheseallurementsofsocialdistinction，rarefoodandraiment，acomparativevacationfromtoil，andlegitimatemarriagecontractedonapiratededition，thetradermustsometimesseeklongbeforehecanbemated。WhileIwasinthegrouponehadbeeneightmonthsonthequest，andhewasstillabachelor。
Withinstrictlynativesocietytheoldlawsandpracticeswereharsh，butnotwithoutacertainstampofhigh-mindedness。
Stealthyadulterywaspunishedwithdeath；openelopementwasproperlyconsideredvirtueincomparison，andcompoundedforafineinland。Themaleadultereraloneseemstohavebeenpunished。Itiscorrectmannersforajealousmantohanghimself；ajealouswomanhasadifferentremedy-shebitesherrival。Tenortwentyyearsagoitwasacapitaloffencetoraiseawoman’sRIDI；tothisdayitisstillpunishedwithaheavyfine；andthegarmentitselfisstillsymbolicallysacred。SupposeapieceoflandtobedisputedinButaritari，theclaimantwhoshallfirsthangaRIDIonthetapu-posthasgainedhiscause，sincenoonecanremoveortouchitbuthimself。
TheRIDIwasthebadgenotofthewomanbutthewife，themarknotofhersexbutofherstation。Itwasthecollarontheslave’sneck，thebrandonmerchandise。Theadulterouswomanseemstohavebeenspared；werethehusbandoffended，itwouldbeapoorconsolationtosendhisdraughtcattletotheshambles。Karaiti，tothisday，callshiseightwives’hishorses，’sometraderhavingexplainedtohimtheemploymentoftheseanimalsonfarms；andNanteiteihiredouthiswivestodomason-work。Husbands，atleastwhenofhighrank，hadthepoweroflifeanddeath；evenwhitesseemtohavepossessedit；andtheirwives，whentheyhadtransgressedbeyondforgiveness，madehastetopronouncetheformulaofdeprecation-IKANAKIM。Thisformofwordshadsomuchvirtuethatacondemnedcriminalrepeatingitonaparticulardaytothekingwhohadcondemnedhim，mustbeinstantlyreleased。