第25章
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  ThefirstdayafterFayaway’semancipation,Ihadadelightfullittlepartyonthelake-thedamsel,Kory-Kory,andmyself。Myzealousbody-servantbroughtfromthehouseacalabashofpoee-poee,halfadozenyoungcocoa-nuts-strippedoftheirhusks-threepipes,asmanyyams,andmeonhisbackapartoftheway。Somethingofaload;butKory-Korywasaverystrongmanforhissize,andbynomeansbrittleinthespine。Wehadaverypleasantday;mytrustyvaletpliedthepaddleandsweptusgentlyalongthemarginofthewater,beneaththeshadesoftheoverhangingthickets。FayawayandI

  reclinedinthesternofthecanoe,thegentlenymphoccasionallyplacingherpipetoherlip,andexhalingthemildfumesofthetobacco,towhichherrosybreathaddedafreshperfume。Strangeasitmayseem,thereisnothinginwhichayoungandbeautifulfemaleappearstomoreadvantagethanintheactofsmoking。HowcaptivatingisaPeruvianlady,swinginginhergaily-wovenhammockofgrass,extendedbetweentwoorange-trees,andinhalingthefragranceofachoicecigarro!ButFayaway,holdinginherdelicately-formedolivehandthelongyellowreedofherpipe,withitsquaintlycarvedbowl,andeveryfewmomentslanguishinglygivingforthlightwreathsofvapourfromhermouthandnostrils,lookedstillmoreengaging。

  Wefloatedaboutthusforseveralhours,whenIlookeduptothewarm,glowing,tropicalsky,andthendownintothetransparentdepthsbelow;andwhenmyeye,wanderingfromthebewitchingsceneryaround,felluponthegrotesquely-tattooedformofKory-Kory,andfinallyencounteredthepensivegazeofFayaway,IthoughtIhadbeentransportedtosomefairyregion,sounrealdideverythingappear。

  Thislovelypieceofwaterwasthecoolestspotinallthevalley,andInowmadeitaplaceofcontinualresortduringthehottestperiodoftheday。Onesideofitlayneartheterminationofalonggraduallyexpandinggorge,whichmountedtotheheightsthatenvironedthevale。Thestrongtrade-wind,metinitscoursebytheseelevations,circledandeddiedabouttheirsummits,andwassometimesdrivendownthesteepravineandsweptacrossthevalley,rufflinginitspassagetheotherwisetranquilsurfaceofthelake。

  Oneday,afterwehadbeenpaddlingaboutforsometime,I

  disembarkedKory-Kory,andpaddledthecanoetothewindwardsideofthelake。AsIturnedthecanoe,away,whowaswithme,seemedallatoncetobestruckwithsomehappyidea。Withawildexclamationofdelight,shedisengagedfromherpersontheamplerobeoftappawhichwasknottedoverhershoulderforthepurposeofshieldingherfromthesun,andspreadingitoutlikeasail,stooderectwithupraisedarmsintheheadofthecanoe。WeAmericansailorsprideourselvesuponourstraightcleanspars,butaprettierlittlemastthanFayawaymadewasnevershippedaboardofanycraft。

  Inamomentthetappawasdistendedbythebreeze-thelongbrowntressesofFayawaystreamedintheair-andthecanoeglidedrapidlythroughthewater,andshottowardstheshore。Seatedinthestern,Idirecteditscoursewithmypaddleuntilitdashedupthesoftslopingbank,andFayaway,withalightspring,alightedontheground;whilstKory-Kory,whohadwatchedourmanoeuvreswithadmiration,nowclappedhishandsintransport,andshoutedlikeamadman。Manyatimeafterwardswasthisfeatrepeated。

  IfthereaderhavenotobservederethisthatIwasthedeclaredadmirerofMissFayaway,allIcansayis,thatheislittleconversantwithaffairsoftheheart,andIcertainlyshallnottroublemyselftoenlightenhimanyfarther。OutofthecalicoIhadbroughtfromtheshipadresswasmadeforthislovelygirl。Initshelooked,Imustconfess,somethinglikeanopera-dancer。Thedraperyofthelatterdamselgenerallycommencesalittleabovetheelbows,butmyislandbeauty’sbeganatthewaist,andterminatedsufficientlyfarabovethegroundtorevealthemostbewitchingankleintheuniverse。

  ThedaythatFayawayfirstworethisrobewasrenderedmemorablebyanewacquaintancebeingintroducedtome。IntheafternoonIwaslyinginthehouse,whenIheardagreatuproaroutside;butbeingbythistimeprettywellaccustomedtothewildhallooswhichwerealmostcontinuallyringingthroughthevalley,Ipaidlittleattentiontoit,untiloldMarheyo,undertheinfluenceofsomestrangeexcitement,rushedintomypresenceandcommunicatedtheastoundingtidings,“Marnoopemi!“whichbeinginterpreted,impliedthatanindividualbythenameofMarnoowasapproaching。Myworthyoldfriendevidentlyexpectedthatthisintelligencewouldproduceagreateffectuponme,andforatimehestoodearnestlyregardingme,asifcurioustoseehowIshouldconductmyself,butasIremainedperfectlyunmoved,theoldgentlemandartedoutofthehouseagain,inasgreatahurryashehadenteredit。

  “Marnoo,Marnoo,“cogitatedI,“Ihaveneverheardthatnamebefore。Somedistinguishedcharacter,Ipresume,fromtheprodigiousriotthenativesaremaking“;thetumultuousnoisedrawingnearerandnearereverymoment,while“Marnoo!-Marnoo!“wasshoutedbyeverytongue。

  Imadeupmymindthatsomesavagewarriorofconsequence,whohadnotyetenjoyedthehonourofanaudience,wasdesirousofpayinghisrespectsonthepresentoccasion。SovainhadIbecomebythelavishattentiontowhichIhadbeenaccustomed,thatIfelthalfinclined,asapunishmentforsuchneglect,togivethisMarnooacoldreception,whentheexcitedthrongcamewithinview,convoyingoneofthemoststrikingspecimensofhumanitythatIeverbeheld。

  Thestrangercouldnothavebeenmorethantwenty-fiveyearsofage,andwasalittleabovetheordinaryheight;hadhebeenasinglehair’sbreadthtaller,thematchlesssymmetryofhisformwouldhavebeendestroyed。Hisuncladlimbswerebeautifullyformed;

  whilsttheelegantoutlineofhisfigure,togetherwithhisbeardlesscheeks,mighthaveentitledhimtothedistinctionofstandingforthestatueofthePolynesianApollo;andindeedtheovalofhiscountenanceandtheregularityofeveryfeatureremindedmeofanantiquebust。ButthemarblereposeofartwassuppliedbyawarmthandlivelinessofexpressiononlytobeseenintheSouthSeaislanderunderthemostfavourabledevelopmentsofnature。ThehairofMarnoowasarichcurlingbrown,andtwinedabouthistemplesandneckinlittleclosecurlingringlets,whichdancedupanddowncontinuallywhenhewasanimatedinconversation。Hischeekwasofafemininesoftness,andhisfacewasfreefromtheleastblemishoftattooing,althoughtherestofhisbodywasdrawnalloverwithfancifulfigures,which-unliketheunconnectedsketchingusualamongthesenatives-appearedtohavebeenexecutedinconformitywithsomegeneraldesign。

  Thetattooingonhisbackinparticularattractedmyattention。

  Theartistemployedmustindeedhaveexcelledinhisprofession。

  Tracedalongthecourseofthespinewasaccuratelydelineatedtheslender,tapering,anddiamond-checkeredshaftofthebeautiful“artu“

  tree。Branchingfromthestemoneitherside,anddisposedalternately,werethegracefulbranchesdroopingwithleavesallcorrectlydrawn,andelaboratelyfinished。Indeed,thispieceoftattooingwasthebestspecimenoftheFineArtsIhadyetseeninTypee。Arearviewofthestrangermighthavesuggestedtheideaofaspreadingvinetackedagainstagardenwall。Uponhisbreast,arms,andlegs,wereexhibitedaninfinitevarietyoffigures;everyoneofwhich,however,appearedtohavereferencetothegeneraleffectsoughttobeproduced。ThetattooingIhavedescribedwasofthebrightestblue,andwhencontrastedwiththelightolive-colouroftheskin,producedanuniqueandeveneleganteffect。Aslightgirdleofwhitetappa,scarcelytwoinchesinwidth,buthangingbeforeandbehindinspreadingtassels,composedtheentirecostumeofthestranger。

  Headvancedsurroundedbytheislanders,carryingunderonearmasmallrollofthenativecloth,andgraspinginhisotherhandalongandrichly-decoratedspear。Hismannerwasthatofatravellerconsciousthatheisapproachingacomfortablestageinhisjourney。

  Everymomentheturnedgood-humouredlytothethrongaroundhim,andgavesomedashingsortofreplytotheirincessantqueries,whichappearedtoconvulsethemwithuncontrollablemirth。

  Struckbyhisdemeanour,andthepeculiarityofhisappearance,sounlikethatoftheshaven-crownedandface-tattooednativesingeneral,Iinvoluntarilyroseasheenteredthehouse,andprofferedhimaseatonthematsbesideme。Butwithoutdeigningtonoticethecivility,oreventhemoreincontrovertiblefactofmyexistence,thestrangerpassedon,utterlyregardlessofme,andflunghimselfuponthefartherendofthelongcouchthattraversedthesoleapartmentofMarheyo’shabitation。

  Hadthebelleoftheseason,intheprideofherbeautyandpower,beencutinaplaceofpublicresortbysomesuperciliousexquisite,shecouldnothavefeltgreaterindignationthanIdidatthisunexpectedslight。

  Iwasthrownintoutterastonishment。Theconductofthesavageshadpreparedmetoanticipatefromeverynewcomerthesameextravagantexpressionsofcuriosityandregard。Thesingularityofhisconduct,however,onlyrousedmydesiretodiscoverwhothisremarkablepersonagemightbe,whonowengrossedtheattentionofeveryone。

  Tinorplacedbeforehimacalabashofpoee-poee,fromwhichthestrangerregaledhimself,alternatingeverymouthfulwithsomerapidexclamation,whichwaseagerlycaughtupandechoedbythecrowdthatcompletelyfilledthehouse。WhenIobservedthestrikingdevotionofthenativestohim,andtheirtemporarywithdrawalofallattentionfrommyself,Ifeltnotalittlepiqued。ThegloryofTommoisdeparted,thoughtI,andthesoonerheremovesfromthevalleythebetter。Theseweremyfeelingsatthemoment,andtheywerepromptedbythatgloriousprincipleinherentinallheroicnatures-

  thestrong-rooteddeterminationtohavethebiggestshareofthepuddingortogowithoutanyofit。

  Marnoo,thisall-attractivepersonage,havingsatisfiedhishunger,andinhaledafewwhiffsfromapipewhichwashandedtohim,launchedoutintoanharanguewhichcompletelyenchainedtheattentionofhisauditors。

  LittleasIunderstoodofthelanguage,yetfromhisanimatedgesturesandthevaryingexpressionofhisfeatures-reflectedasfromsomanymirrorsinthecountenancesaroundhim,Icouldeasilydiscoverthenatureofthosepassionswhichhesoughttoarouse。

  Fromthefrequentrecurrenceofthewords,“Nukuheva“and“Franee“

  French,andsomeotherswiththemeaningofwhichIwasacquainted,heappearedtoberehearsingtohisauditorseventswhichhadrecentlyoccurredintheneighbouringbays。Buthowhehadgainedtheknowledgeofthesematters,Icouldnotunderstand,unlessitwerethathehadjustcomefromNukuheva,-asuppositionwhichhistravel-stainedappearancenotalittlesupported。But,ifanativeofthatregion,IcouldnotaccountforhisfriendlyreceptionatthehandsoftheTypees。

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