Stay。’Hewassometwentyminutesdying，andhismurdererssatwithhimthewhile：asceneforShakespeare。Allthestagesofaviolentdeath，theblood，thefailingvoice，thedecomposingfeatures，thechangedhue，arethuspresentinthememoryofMr。
Corpse；andsincehestudiedtheminthebrotherhebetrayed，hehassomereasontoreflectonthepossibilitiesoftreachery。I
wasnevermoresureofanythingthanthetragicqualityoftheking’sthoughts；andyetIhadbuttheonesightofhimatunawares。Ihadonceanerrandforhisear。Itwasoncemorethehourofthesiesta；buttherewereloiterersabroad，andthesedirectedustoaclosedhouseonthebankofthecanalwhereTebureimoalayunguarded。Weenteredwithoutceremony，beinginsomehaste。Helayontheflooruponabedofmats，readinginhisGilbertIslandBiblewithcompunction。Onoursuddenentrancetheunwieldymanrearedhimselfhalf-sittingsothattheBiblerolledonthefloor，staredonusamomentwithblankeyes，and，havingrecognisedhisvisitors，sankagainuponthemats。SoEglonlookedonEhud。
Thejusticeoffactsisstrange，andstrangelyjust；Nakaeia，theauthorofthesedeeds，diedatpeacediscoursingonthecraftofkings；histoolsuffersdailydeathforhisenforcedcomplicity。
Notthenature，butthecongruityofmen’sdeedsandcircumstancesdamnandsavethem；andTebureimoafromthefirsthasbeenincongruouslyplaced。Athome，inaquietbystreetofavillage，themanhadbeenaworthycarpenter，and，evenbedevilledasheis，heshowssomeprivatevirtues。Hehasnolands，onlytheuseofsuchasareimpignorateforfines；hecannotenrichhimselfintheoldwaybymarriages；thriftisthechiefpillarofhisfuture，andheknowsandusesit。Elevenforeigntraderspayhimapatentofahundreddollars，sometwothousandsubjectspaycapitationattherateofadollarforaman，halfadollarforawoman，andashillingforachild：allowingfortheexchange，perhapsatotalofthreehundredpoundsayear。Hehadbeensomeninemonthsonthethrone：hadboughthiswifeasilkdressandhat，figureunknown，andhimselfauniformatthreehundreddollars；hadsenthisbrother’sphotographtobeenlargedinSanFranciscoattwohundredandfiftydollars；hadgreatlyreducedthatbrother’slegacyofdebtandhadstillsovereignsinhispocket。Anaffectionatebrother，agoodeconomist；hewasbesidesahandycarpenter，andcobbledoccasionallyonthewoodworkofthepalace。
ItisnotwonderfulthatMr。Corpsehasvirtues；thatTebureimoashouldhaveadiversionfilledmewithsurprise。
CHAPTERIII-AROUNDOURHOUSE
WHENweleftthepalacewewerestillbutseafarersashore；andwithinthehourwehadinstalledourgoodsinoneofthesixforeignhousesofButaritari，namely，thatusuallyoccupiedbyMaka，theHawaiianmissionary。TwoSanFranciscofirmsarehereestablished，Messrs。CrawfordandMessrs。WightmanBrothers；thefirsthardbythepalaceofthemidtown，thesecondatthenorthentry；eachwithastoreandbar-room。OurhousewasintheWightmancompound，betwixtthestoreandbar，withinafencedenclosure。Acrosstheroadafewnativehousesnestledinthemarginofthebush，andthegreenwallofpalmsrosesolid，shuttingoutthebreeze。Alittlesandycoveofthelagoonraninbehind，shelteredbyaverandahpier，thelabourofqueens’hands。
Here，whenthetidewashigh，sailedboatslaytobeloaded；whenthetidewaslow，theboatstookgroundsomehalfamileaway，andanendlessseriesofnativesdescendedthepierstair，tailedacrossthesandinstringsandclusters，wadedtothewaistwiththebagsofcopra，andloiteredbackwardtorenewtheircharge。
Themysteryofthecopratradetormentedme，asIsatandwatchedtheprofitsdriponthestairandthesands。
Infront，fromshortlyafterfourinthemorninguntilnineatnight，thefolkofthetownstreamedbyusintermittinglyalongtheroad：familiesgoinguptheislandtomakecopraontheirlands；
womenboundforthebushtogatherflowersagainsttheeveningtoilet；and，twiceaday，thetoddy-cutters，eachwithhisknifeandshell。Inthefirstgreyofthemorning，andagainlateintheafternoon，thesewouldstragglepastabouttheirtree-topbusiness，strikeoffhereandthereintothebush，andvanishfromthefaceoftheearth。Ataboutthesamehour，ifthetidebelowinthelagoon，youarelikelytobeboundyourselfacrosstheislandforabath，andmayentercloseattheirheelsalleysofthepalmwood。
Rightinfront，althoughthesunisnotyetrisen，theeastisalreadylightedwithpreparatoryfires，andthehugeaccumulationsofthetrade-windcloudglowwithandheliographthecomingday。
Thebreezeisinyourface；overheadinthetopsofthepalms，itsplaythings，itmaintainsalivelybustle；lookwhereyouwill，aboveorbelow，thereisnohumanpresence，onlytheearthandshakenforest。Andrightoverheadthesongofaninvisiblesingerbreaksfromthethickleaves；fromfartheronasecondtree-topanswers；andbeyondagain，inthebosomofthewoods，astillmoredistantminstrelperchesandswaysandsings。So，allroundtheisle，thetoddy-cutterssitonhigh，andarerockedbythetrade，andhaveaviewfartoseaward，wheretheykeepwatchforsails，andlikehugebirdsuttertheirsongsinthemorning。TheysingwithacertainlustinessandBacchicglee；thevolumeofsoundandthearticulatemelodyfallunexpectedfromthetree-top，whenceweanticipatethechatteringoffowls。Andyetinasensethesesongsalsoarebutchatter；thewordsareancient，obsolete，andsacred；
fewcomprehendthem，perhapsnooneperfectly；butitwasunderstoodthecutters’prayedtohavegoodtoddy，andsangoftheiroldwars。’Theprayerisatleastanswered；andwhenthefoamingshellisbroughttoyourdoor，youhaveabeveragewell’worthyofagrace。’Allforenoonyoumayreturnandtaste；itonlysparkles，andsharpens，andgrowstobeanewdrink，notlessdelicious；butwiththeprogressofthedaythefermentationquickensandgrowsacid；intwelvehoursitwillbeyeastforbread，intwodaysmoreadevilishintoxicant，thecounsellorofcrime。
ThemenareofamarkedArabiancastoffeatures，oftenbeardedandmustached，oftengailydressed，somewithbraceletsandanklets，allstalkinghidalgo-like，andacceptingsalutationswithahaughtylip。Thehairwiththedandiesofeithersexiswornturban-wiseinafrizzledbush；andlikethedaggersoftheJapaneseapointedstickusedforacombisthrustgallantlyamongthecurls。Thewomenfromthisbushofhairlookforthenticingly：theracecannotbecomparedwiththeTahitianforfemalebeauty；Idoubteveniftheaveragebehigh；butsomeoftheprettiestgirls，andoneofthehandsomestwomenIeversaw，wereGilbertines。
Butaritari，beingthecommercialcentreofthegroup，isEuropeanised；thecolouredsacqueorthewhiteshiftarecommonwear，thelatterfortheevening；thetradehat，loadedwithflowers，fruit，andribbons，isunfortunatelynotunknown；andthecharacteristicfemaledressoftheGilbertsnolongeruniversal。
TheRIDIisitsname：acuttypetticoatorfringeofthesmokedfibreofcocoa-nutleaf，notunliketarrystring：theloweredgenotreachingthemid-thigh，theupperadjustedsolowuponthehaunchesthatitseemstoclingbyaccident。Asneeze，youthink，andtheladymustsurelybeleftdestitute。’Theperilous，hairbreadthridi’wasourwordforit；andintheconflictthatragesoverwomen’sdressithasthemisfortunetopleaseneitherside，theprudishcondemningitasinsufficient，themorefrivolousfindingitunlovelyinitself。YetifaprettyGilbertinewouldlookherbest，thatmustbehercostume。Inthatandnakedotherwise，shemoveswithanincomparablelibertyandgraceandlife，thatmarksthepoetryofMicronesia。Bundleherinagown，thecharmisfled，andshewriggleslikeanEnglishwoman。
Towardsduskthepassers-bybecamemoregorgeous。Themenbrokeoutinallthecoloursoftherainbow-oratleastofthetrade-
room，-andbothmenandwomenbegantobeadornedandscentedwithnewflowers。Asmallwhiteblossomisthefavourite，sometimessownsinglyinawoman’shairlikelittlestars，nowcomposedinathickwreath。Withthenight，thecrowdsometimesthickenedintheroad，andthepaddingandbrushingofbarefeetbecamecontinuous；
thepromenadesmostlygrave，thesilenceonlyinterruptedbysomegigglingandscamperingofgirls；eventhechildrenquiet。Atnine，bed-timestruckonabellfromthecathedral，andthelifeofthetownceased。Atfourthenextmorningthesignalisrepeatedinthedarkness，andtheinnocentprisonerssetfree；butforsevenhoursallmustlie-Iwasabouttosaywithindoors，ofaplacewheredoors，andevenwalls，areanexception-housed，atleast，undertheirairyroofsandclusteredinthetentsofthemosquito-
nets。Supposeanecessaryerrandtooccur，supposeitimperativetosendabroad，themessengermustthengoopenly，advertisinghimselftothepolicewithahugebrandofcocoa-nut，whichflaresfromhousetohouselikeamovingbonfire。Onlythepolicethemselvesgodarkling，andgropeinthenightformisdemeanants。
Iusedtohatetheirtreacherouspresence；theircaptaininparticular，acraftyoldmaninwhite，lurkednightlyaboutmypremisestillIcouldhavefounditinmyhearttobeathim。Buttheroguewasprivileged。
Notoneoftheelevenresidenttraderscametotown，nocaptaincastanchorinthelagoon，butwesawhimerethehourwasout。
Thiswasowingtoourpositionbetweenthestoreandthebar-theSANSSOUCI，asthelastwascalled。Mr。RickwasnotonlyMessrs。
Wightman’smanager，butconsularagentfortheStates；Mrs。Rickwastheonlywhitewomanontheisland，andoneoftheonlytwointhearchipelago；theirhousebesides，withitscoolverandahs，itsbookshelves，itscomfortablefurniture，couldnotberivallednearerthanJaluitorHonolulu。Everyonecalledinconsequence，savesuchasmightbeprosecutingaSouthSeaquarrel，hingeingonthepriceofcopraandtheoddcent，orperhapsadifferenceaboutpoultry。Eventhese，iftheydidnotappearuponthenorth，wouldbepresentlyvisibletothesouthward，theSANSSOUCIdrawingthemaswithcords。Inanislandwithatotalpopulationoftwelvewhitepersons，oneofthetwodrinking-shopsmightseemsuperfluous：buteverybullethasitsbillet，andthedoubleaccommodationofButaritariisfoundinpracticehighlyconvenientbythecaptainsandthecrewsofships：THELANDWELIVEINbeingtacitlyresignedtotheforecastle，theSANSSOUCItacitlyreservedfortheafterguard。Soaristocraticweremyhabits，socommandingwasmyfearofMr。Williams，thatIhavenevervisitedthefirst；
butintheother，whichwasthecluborratherthecasinooftheisland，Iregularlypassedmyevenings。Itwassmall，butneatlyfitted，andatnightwhenthelampwaslitsparkledwithglassandglowedwithcolouredpictureslikeatheatreatChristmas。Thepictureswereadvertisements，theglasscoarseenough，thecarpentryamateur；buttheeffect，inthatincongruousisle，wasofunbridledluxuryandinestimableexpense。Heresongsweresung，talestold，tricksperformed，gamesplayed。TheRicks，ourselves，NorwegianTomthebar-keeper，acaptainortwofromtheships，andperhapsthreeorfourtraderscomedowntheislandintheirboatsorbytheroadonfoot，madeuptheusualcompany。Thetraders，allbredtothesea，takeahumorousprideintheirnewbusiness；