theimaginationreadilyacceptsthem。Itinstinctivelyrejects，onthecontrary，whatevershallcalluptheimageofourraceuponitslowestterms，asthepartnerofbeasts，beastlyitself，dwellingpell-mellandhugger-mugger，hairymanwithhairywoman，inthecavesofold。Andyettobejusttobarbarousislanderswemustnotforgettheslumsanddensofourcities；ImustnotforgetthatIhavepasseddinnerwardthroughSoho，andseenthatwhichcuredmeofmydinner。
CHAPTERV-ATALEOFATAPU-CONTINUED
TUESDAY，JULY16-Itrainedinthenight，suddenandloud，inGilbertIslandfashion。Beforetheday，thecrowingofacockarousedmeandIwanderedinthecompoundandalongthestreet。
Thesquallwasblownby，themoonshonewithincomparablelustre，theairlaydeadasinaroom，andyetalltheislesoundedasunderastrongshower，theeavesthicklypattering，theloftypalmsdrippingatlargerintervalsandwithaloudernote。Inthisboldnocturnallighttheinteriorofthehouseslayinscrutable，onelumpofblackness，savewhenthemoonglintedundertheroof，andmadeabeltofsilver，anddrewtheslantingshadowsofthepillarsonthefloor。Nowhereinallthetownwasanylamporember；notacreaturestirred；IthoughtIwasalonetobeawake；butthepolicewerefaithfultotheirduty；secretlyvigilant，keepingaccountoftime；andalittlelater，thewatchmanstruckslowlyandrepeatedlyonthecathedralbell；fouro’clock，thewarningsignal。Itseemedstrangethat，inatownresignedtodrunkennessandtumult，curfewandreveilleshouldstillbesoundedandstillobeyed。
Thedaycame，andbroughtlittlechange。Theplacestilllaysilent；thepeopleslept，thetownslept。Eventhefewwhowereawake，mostlywomenandchildren，heldtheirpeaceandkeptwithinunderthestrongshadowofthethatch，whereyoumuststopandpeertoseethem。Throughthedesertedstreets，andpastthesleepinghouses，adeputationtookitswayatanearlyhourtothepalace；
thekingwassuddenlyawakened，andmustlistenprobablywithaheadachetounpalatabletruths。Mrs。Rick，beingasufficientmistressofthatdifficulttongue，wasspokeswoman；sheexplainedtothesickmonarchthatIwasanintimatepersonalfriendofQueenVictoria’s；thatimmediatelyonmyreturnIshouldmakeherareportuponButaritari；andthatifmyhouseshouldhavebeenagaininvadedbynatives，aman-of-warwouldbedespatchedtomakereprisals。Itwasscarcethefact-ratherajustandnecessaryparableofthefact，correctedforlatitude；anditcertainlytoldupontheking。Hewasmuchaffected；hehadconceivedthenotionhesaidthatIwasamanofsomeimportance，butnotdreameditwasasbadasthis；andthemissionaryhousewastapu’dunderafineoffiftydollars。
Somuchwasannouncedonthereturnofthedeputation；notanymore；andIgatheredsubsequentlythatmuchmorehadpassed。Theprotectiongainedwaswelcome。Ithadbeenthemostannoyingandnottheleastalarmingfeatureofthedaybefore，thatourhousewasperiodicallyfilledwithtipsynatives，twentyorthirtyatatime，beggingdrink，fingeringourgoods，hardtobedislodged，awkwardtoquarrelwith。QueenVictoria’sfriendwhowassoonpromotedtobehersonwasfreefromtheseintrusions。Notonlymyhouse，butmyneighbourhoodaswell，wasleftinpeace；evenonourwalksabroadwewereguardedandpreparedfor；and，likegreatpersonsvisitingahospital，sawonlythefairside。Forthematterofaweekwewerethussufferedtogooutandinandliveinafool’sparadise，supposingthekingtohavekepthisword，thetaputoberevivedandtheislandoncemoresober。
TUESDAY，JULY23-WedinedunderabaretrelliserectedfortheFourthofJuly；andhereweusedtolingerbylamplightovercoffeeandtobacco。Inthatclimateeveningapproacheswithoutsensiblechill；thewinddiesoutbeforesunset；heavenglowsawhileandfades，anddarkensintothebluenessofthetropicalnight；swiftlyandinsensiblytheshadowsthicken，thestarsmultiplytheirnumber；youlookaroundyouandthedayisgone。ItwasthenthatwewouldseeourChinamandrawnearacrossthecompoundinalurchingsphereoflight，dividedbyhisshadows；andwiththecomingofthelampthenightclosedaboutthetable。Thefacesofthecompany，thesparsofthetrellis，stoodoutsuddenlybrightonagroundofblueandsilver，faintlydesignedwithpalm-topsandthepeakedroofsofhouses。Hereandtheretheglossuponaleaf，orthefractureofastone，returnedanisolatedsparkle。Allelsehadvanished。Wehungthere，illuminatedlikeagalaxyofstarsIN
VACUO；wesat，manifestandblind，amidthegeneralambushofthedarkness；andtheislanders，passingwithlightfootfallsandlowvoicesinthesandoftheroad，lingeredtoobserveus，unseen。
OnTuesdaytheduskhadfallen，thelamphadjustbeenbrought，whenamissilestruckthetablewitharattlingsmackandreboundedpastmyear。Threeinchestoonesideandthispagehadneverbeenwritten；forthethingtravelledlikeacannonball。Itwassupposedatthetimetobeanut，thoughevenatthetimeIthoughtitseemedasmalloneandfellstrangely。
WEDNESDAY，JULY24-Theduskhadfallenoncemore，andthelampbeenjustbroughtout，whenthesamebusinesswasrepeated。Andagainthemissilewhistledpastmyear。OnenutIhadbeenwillingtoaccept；asecond，Irejectedutterly。Acocoa-nutdoesnotcomeslingingalongonawindlessevening，makinganangleofaboutfifteendegreeswiththehorizon；cocoa-nutsdonotfallonsuccessivenightsatthesamehourandspot；inbothcases，besides，aspecificmomentseemedtohavebeenchosen，thatwhenthelampwasjustcarriedout，aspecificpersonthreatened，andthattheheadofthefamily。Imayhavebeenrightorwrong，butI
believedIwasthemarkofsomeintimidation；believedthemissilewasastone，aimednottohit，buttofrighten。
Noideamakesamanmoreangry。Iranintotheroad，wherethenativeswereasusualpromenadinginthedark；Makajoinedmewithalantern；andIranfromonetoanother，glaredinquiteinnocentfaces，putuselessquestions，andprofferedidlethreats。ThenceI
carriedmywrathwhichwasworthythesonofanyqueeninhistory
totheRicks。Theyheardmewithdepression，assuredmethistrickofthrowingastoneintoafamilydinnerwasnotnew；thatitmeantmischief，andwasofapiecewiththealarmingdispositionofthenatives。Andthenthetruth，solongconcealedfromus，cameout。
Thekinghadbrokenhispromise，hehaddefiedthedeputation；thetapuwasstilldormant，THELANDWELIVEINstillsellingdrink，andthatquarterofthetowndisturbedandmenacedbyperpetualbroils。Buttherewasworseahead：afeastwasnowpreparingforthebirthdayofthelittleprincess；andthetributarychiefsofKumaandLittleMakinwereexpecteddaily。Stronginafollowingofnumerousandsomewhatsavageclansmen，eachofthesewasbelieved，likeaDouglasofold，tobeofdoubtfulloyalty。Kumaalittlepot-belliedfellownevervisitedthepalace，neverenteredthetown，butsatonthebeachonamat，hisgunacrosshisknees，paradinghismistrustandscorn；KaraitiofMakin，althoughhewasmorebold，wasnotsupposedtobemorefriendly；andnotonlywerethesevassalsjealousofthethrone，butthefollowersoneithersidesharedintheanimosity。Brawlshadalreadytakenplace；blowshadpassedwhichmightatanymomentberepaidinblood。Someofthestrangerswerealreadyhereandalreadydrinking；ifthedebauchcontinuedafterthebulkofthemhadcome，acollision，perhapsarevolution，wastobeexpected。
Thesaleofdrinkisinthisgroupameasureofthejealousyoftraders；onebegins，theothersareconstrainedtofollow；andtohimwhohasthemostgin，andsellsitthemostrecklessly，thelion’sshareofcopraisassured。Itisfeltbyalltobeanextremeexpedient，neithersafe，decent，nordignified。AtraderonTarawa，heatedbyaneagerrivalry，broughtmanycasesofgin。
Hetoldmehesatafterwardsdayandnightinhishousetillitwasfinished，notdaringtoarrestthesale，notventuringtogoforth，thebushallroundhimfilledwithhowlingdrunkards。Atnight，aboveall，whenhewasafraidtosleep，andheardshotsandvoicesabouthiminthedarkness，hisremorsewasblack。
’MyGod！’hereflected，’ifIwastolosemylifeonsuchawretchedbusiness！’Oftenandoften，inthestoryoftheGilberts，thisscenehasbeenrepeated；andtheremorsefultradersatbesidehislamp，longingfortheday，listeningwithagonyforthesoundofmurder，registeringresolutionsforthefuture。Forthebusinessiseasytobegin，buthazardoustostop。Thenativesareintheirwayajustandlaw-abidingpeople，mindfuloftheirdebts，dociletothevoiceoftheirowninstitutions；whenthetapuisre-
enforcedtheywillceasedrinking；butthewhitewhoseekstoantedatethemovementbyrefusingliquordoessoathisperil。
Hence，insomedegree，theanxietyandhelplessnessofMr。Rick。
HeandTom，alarmedbytherabblementoftheSANSSOUCI，hadstoppedthesale；theyhaddonesowithoutdanger，becauseTHELAND
WELIVEINstillcontinuedselling；itwasclaimed，besides，thattheyhadbeenthefirsttobegin。Whatstepcouldbetaken?CouldMr。RickvisitMr。Mullerwithwhomhewasnotontermsandaddresshimthus：’Iwasgettingaheadofyou，nowyouaregettingaheadofme，andIaskyoutoforegoyourprofit。Igotmyplaceclosedinsafety，thankstoyourcontinuing；butnowIthinkyouhavecontinuedlongenough。Ibegintobealarmed；andbecauseI
amafraidIaskyoutoconfrontacertaindanger’?Itwasnottobethoughtof。Somethingelsehadtobefound；andtherewasonepersonatoneendofthetownwhowasatleastnotinterestedincopra。Therewaslittleelsetobesaidinfavourofmyselfasanambassador。IhadarrivedintheWightmanschooner，IwaslivingintheWightmancompound，IwasthedailyassociateoftheWightmancoterie。ItwasegregiousenoughthatIshouldnowintrudeunaskedintheprivateaffairsofCrawford’sagent，andpressuponhimthesacrificeofhisinterestsandtheventureofhislife。ButbadasImightbe，therewasnonebetter；sincetheaffairofthestoneI
was，besides，sharp-settobedoing，theideaofadelicateinterviewattractedme，andIthoughtitpolicytoshowmyselfabroad。
Thenightwasverydark。Therewasserviceinthechurch，andthebuildingglimmeredthroughallitscreviceslikeadimKirkAllowa’。Isawfewotherlights，butwasindistinctlyawareofmanypeoplestirringinthedarkness，andahumandsputteroflowtalkthatsoundedstealthy。IbelieveintheoldphrasemybeardwassometimesonmyshoulderasIwent。Muller’swasbutpartlylighted，andquitesilent，andthegatewasfastened。Icouldbynomeansmanagetoundothelatch。Nowonder，sinceIfounditafterwardstobefourorfivefeetlong-afortificationinitself。AsIstillfumbled，adogcameontheinsideandsniffedsuspiciouslyatmyhands，sothatIwasreducedtocalling’Houseahoy！’Mr。Mullercamedownandputhischinacrossthepalinginthedark。’Whoisthat?’saidhe，likeonewhohasnomindtowelcomestrangers。
’MynameisStevenson，’saidI。
’O，Mr。Stevens！Ididn’tknowyou。Comeinside。’Westeppedintothedarkstore，whenIleaneduponthecounterandheagainstthewall。Allthelightcamefromthesleeping-room，whereIsawhisfamilybeingputtobed；itstruckfullinmyface，butMr。