SUNDAY，JULY28-Karaiticametoaskforarepetitionofthe’phantoms’-thiswastheacceptedword-and，havingreceivedapromise，turnedandleftmyhumbleroofwithouttheshadowofasalutation。Ifeltitimpolitetohavetheleastappearanceofpocketingaslight；thetimeshadbeentoodifficult，andwerestilltoodoubtful；andQueenVictoria’ssonwasboundtomaintainthehonourofhishouse。KaraitiwasaccordinglysummonedthateveningtotheRicks，whereMrs。Rickfellfoulofhiminwords，andQueenVictoria’ssonassailedhimwithindignantlooks。Iwastheasswiththelion’sskin；IcouldnotroarinthelanguageoftheGilbertIslands；butIcouldstare。Karaitideclaredhehadmeantnooffence；apologisedinasound，hearty，gentlemanlymanner；andbecameatonceathisease。Hehadinadaggertoexamine，andannouncedhewouldcometopriceitonthemorrow，to-
daybeingSunday；thisnicetyinaheathenwitheightwivessurprisedme。Thedaggerwas’goodforkillingfish，’hesaidroguishly；andwassupposedtohavehiseyeuponfishupontwolegs。ItisatleastoddthatinEasternPolynesiafishwastheacceptedeuphemismforthehumansacrifice。Askedastothepopulationofhisisland，Karaiticalledouttohisvassalswhosatwaitinghimoutsidethedoor，andtheyputitatfourhundredandfifty；butaddedKaraitijoviallytherewillsoonbeplentymore，forallthewomenareinthefamilyway。LongbeforeweseparatedIhadquiteforgottenhisoffence。He，however，stillboreitinmind；andwithaverycourteousinspirationreturnedearlyonthenextday，paidusalongvisit，andpunctiliouslysaidfarewellwhenhedeparted。
MONDAY，JULY29-Thegreatdaycameroundatlast。InthefirsthoursthenightwasstartledbythesoundofclappinghandsandthechantofNeiKamaunava；itsmelancholy，slow，andsomewhatmenacingmeasuresbrokenatintervalsbyaformidableshout。Thelittlemorselofhumanitythuscelebratedinthedarkhourswasobservedatmiddayplayingonthegreenentirelynaked，andequallyunobservedandunconcerned。
Thesummerparlouronitsartificialislet，relievedagainsttheshimmeringlagoon，andshimmeringitselfwithsunandtinnediron，wasalldaycrowdedaboutbyeagermenandwomen。Within，itwasboxedfullofislanders，ofanyageandsize，andineverydegreeofnudityandfinery。Soclosewesquatted，thatatonetimeIhadamightyhandsomewomanonmyknees，twolittlenakedurchinshavingtheirfeetagainstmyback。TheremightbeadameinfullattireofHOLOKUandhatandflowers；andhernextneighbourmightthenextmomentstripsomelittleragofashiftfromherfatshouldersandcomeoutamonumentofflesh，paintedratherthancoveredbythehairbreadthRIDI。Littleladieswhothoughtthemselvestoogreattoappearundrapeduponsohighafestivalwereseentopauseoutsideinthebrightsunshine，theirminiatureridisintheirhand；amomentmoreandtheywerefull-dressedandenteredtheconcert-room。
Ateitherendstooduptosing，orsatdowntorest，thealternatecompaniesofsingers；KumaandLittleMakinonthenorth，Butaritarianditsconjuncthamletsonthesouth；bothgroupsconspicuousinbarbaricbravery。Inthemidst，betweentheserivalcampsoftroubadours，abenchwasplaced；andherethekingandqueenthronedit，sometwoorthreefeetabovethecrowdedaudienceonthefloor-Tebureimoaasusualinhisstripedpyjamaswithasatchelstrappedacrossoneshoulder，doubtlessintheislandfashiontocontainhispistols；thequeeninapurpleHOLOKU，herabundanthairletdown，afaninherhand。Thebenchwasturnedfacingtothestrangers，apieceofwell-consideredcivility；andwhenitwastheturnofButaritaritosing，thepairmusttwistroundonthebench，leantheirelbowsontherail，andturntousthespectacleoftheirbroadbacks。Theroyalcoupleoccasionallysolacedthemselveswithaclaypipe；andthepompofstatewasfurtherheightenedbytheriflesofapicketoftheguard。
Withthiskinglycountenance，andourselvessquattedontheground，weheardseveralsongsfromonesideortheother。Thenroyaltyanditsguardswithdrew，andQueenVictoria’ssonanddaughter-in-
lawweresummonedbyacclamationtothevacantthrone。Ourpridewasperhapsalittlemodifiedwhenwewerejoinedonourhighplacesbyacertainthriftlessloaferofawhite；andyetIwasgladtoo，forthemanhadasmatteringofnative，andcouldgivemesomeideaofthesubjectofthesongs。Onewaspatriotic，anddaredTembinok’ofApemama，theterrorofthegroup，toaninvasion。Onemixedtheplantingoftaroandtheharvest-home。
Somewerehistorical，andcommemoratedkingsandtheillustriouschancesoftheirtime，suchasaboutofdrinkingorawar。One，atleast，wasadramaofdomesticinterest，excellentlyplayedbythetroopfromMakin。Ittoldthestoryofamanwhohaslosthiswife，atfirstbewailsherloss，thenseeksanother：theearlierstrainsoractsareplayedexclusivelybymen；buttowardstheendawomanappears，whohasjustlostherhusband；andIsupposethepairconsoleeachother，forthefinaleseemedofhappyomen。
Ofsomeofthesongsmyinformanttoldmebrieflytheywere’likeabouttheWEEMEN’；thisIcouldhaveguessedmyself。EachsideI
shouldhavesaidwasstrengthenedbyoneortwowomen。Theywereallsoloists，didnotveryoftenjoinintheperformance，butstooddisengagedatthebackpartofthestage，andlookedinRIDI，necklace，anddressedhairforalltheworldlikeEuropeanballet-
dancers。Whenthesongwasanywaybroadtheseladiescameparticularlytothefront；anditwassingulartoseethat，aftereachentry，thePREMIEREDANSEUSEpretendedtobeovercomebyshame，asthoughledonbeyondwhatshehadmeant，andhermaleassistantsmadeafeintofdrivingherawaylikeonewhohaddisgracedherself。SimilaraffectationsaccompanycertaintrulyobscenedancesofSamoa，wheretheyareverywellinplace。Hereitwasdifferent。Thewords，perhaps，inthisfree-spokenworld，weregrossenoughtomakeacarterblush；andthemostsuggestivefeaturewasthisfeintofshame。Forsuchpartsthewomenshowedsomedisposition；theywerepert，theywereneat，theywereacrobatic，theywereattimesreallyamusing，andsomeofthemwerepretty。Butthisisnottheartist’sfield；thereisthewholewidthofheavenbetweensuchcaperingandogling，andthestrangerhythmicgestures，andstrange，rapturous，frenziedfaceswithwhichthebestofthemaledancersheldusspellboundthroughaGilbertIslandballet。
Almostfromthefirstitwasapparentthatthepeopleofthecityweredefeated。Imighthavethoughtthemevengood，onlyIhadtheothertroopbeforemyeyestocorrectmystandard，andremindmecontinuallyof’thelittlemore，andhowmuchitis。’Perceivingthemselvesworsted，thechoirofButaritarigrewconfused，blundered，andbrokedown；amidthishubbubofunfamiliarintervalsIshouldnotmyselfhaverecognisedtheslip，buttheaudiencewerequicktocatchit，andtojeer。Tocrownall，theMakincompanybeganadanceoftrulysuperlativemerit。Iknownotwhatitwasabout，Iwastoomuchabsorbedtoask。Inoneactapartofthechorus，squealinginsomestrangefalsetto，producedverymuchtheeffectofourorchestra；inanother，thedancers，leapinglikejumping-jacks，witharmsextended，passedthroughandthrougheachother’srankswithextraordinaryspeed，neatness，andhumour。A
morelaughableeffectIneversaw；inanyEuropeantheatreitwouldhavebroughtthehousedown，andtheislandaudienceroaredwithlaughterandapplause。Thisfilledupthemeasurefortherivalcompany，andtheyforgotthemselvesanddecency。Aftereachactorfigureoftheballet，theperformerspauseamomentstanding，andthenextisintroducedbytheclappingofhandsintriplets。Notuntiltheendofthewholeballetdotheysitdown，whichisthesignalfortherivalstostandup。Butnowallrulesweretobebroken。Duringtheintervalfollowingonthisgreatapplause，thecompanyofButaritarileapedsuddenlytotheirfeetandmostunhandsomelybeganaperformanceoftheirown。ItwasstrangetoseethemenofMakinstaring；IhaveseenatenorinEuropestarewiththesameblankdignityintoahissingtheatre；butpresently，tomysurprise，theysobereddown，gaveuptheunsungremainderoftheirballet，resumedtheirseats，andsufferedtheirungallantadversariestogoonandfinish。Nothingwouldsuffice。Again，atthefirstinterval，Butaritariunhandsomelycutin；Makin，irritatedinturn，followedtheexample；andthetwocompaniesofdancersremainedpermanentlystanding，continuouslyclappinghands，andregularlycuttingacrosseachotherateachpause。Iexpectedblowstobeginwithanymoment；andourpositioninthemidstwashighlyunstrategical。ButtheMakinpeoplehadabetterthought；
anduponafreshinterruptionturnedandtroopedoutofthehouse。
Wefollowedthem，firstbecausetheseweretheartists，secondbecausetheywereguestsandhadbeenscurvilyill-used。Alargepopulationofourneighboursdidthesame，sothatthecausewaywasfilledfromendtoendbytheprocessionofdeserters；andtheButaritarichoirwaslefttosingforitsownpleasureinanemptyhouse，havinggainedthepointandlosttheaudience。Itwassurelyfortunatethattherewasnoonedrunk；but，drunkorsober，whereelsewouldascenesoirritatinghaveconcludedwithoutblows?
Thelaststageandgloryofthisauspiciousdaywasofourownproviding-thesecondandpositivelythelastappearanceofthephantoms。Allroundthechurch，groupssatoutside，inthenight，wheretheycouldseenothing；perhapsashamedtoenter，certainlyfindingsomeshadowypleasureinthemereproximity。Within，aboutone-halfofthegreatshedwasdenselypackedwithpeople。Inthemidst，ontheroyaldais，thelanternluminouslysmoked；chanceraysoflightstruckouttheearnestcountenanceofourChinamangrindingthehand-organ；afainterglimmershowedofftheraftersandtheirshadowsinthehollowoftheroof；thepicturesshoneandvanishedonthescreen；andaseachappeared，therewouldrunahush，awhisper，astrongshudderingrustle，andachorusofsmallcriesamongthecrowd。Theresatbymethemateofawreckedschooner。’TheywouldthinkthisastrangesightinEuropeortheStates，’saidhe，’goingoninabuildinglikethis，alltiedwithbitsofstring。’
CHAPTERVII-HUSBANDANDWIFE
THEtraderaccustomedtothemannersofEasternPolynesiahasalessontolearnamongtheGilberts。TheRIDIisbutaspareattire；aslateasthirtyyearsbackthewomenwentnakeduntilmarriage；withintenyearsthecustomlingered；andthesefacts，aboveallwhenheardindescription，conveyedaveryfalseideaofthemannersofthegroup。Averyintelligentmissionarydescribeditinitsformerstateasa’Paradiseofnakedwomen’fortheresidentwhites。ItwasatleastaplatonicParadise，whereLotharioventuredathisperil。Since1860，fourteenwhiteshaveperishedonasingleisland，allforthesamecause，allfoundwheretheyhadnobusiness，andspearedbysomeindignantfatherofafamily；thefigurewasgivenmebyoneoftheircontemporarieswhohadbeenmoreprudentandsurvived。Thestrangepersistenceofthesefourteenmartyrsmightseemtopointtomonomaniaoraseriesofromanticpassions；ginisthemorelikelykey。Thepoorbuzzardssataloneintheirhousesbyanopencase；theydrank；
theirbrainwasfired；theystumbledtowardsthenearesthousesonchance；andthedartwentthroughtheirliver。InplaceofaParadisethetraderfoundanarchipelagooffiercehusbandsandofvirtuouswomen。’Ofcourseifyouwishtomakelovetothem，it’sthesameasanywhereelse，’observedatraderinnocently；butheandhiscompanionsrarelysochoose。
Thetradermustbecreditedwithavirtue：heoftenmakesakindandloyalhusband。SomeoftheworstbeachcombersinthePacific，someofthelastoftheoldschool，havefalleninmypath，andsomeofthemwereadmirabletotheirnativewives，andonemadeadespairingwidower。Thepositionofatrader’swifeintheGilbertsis，besides，unusuallyenviable。Shesharestheimmunitiesofherhusband。CurfewinButaritarisoundsforherinvain。Longafterthebellisrungandthegreatislandladiesareconfinedforthenighttotheirownroof，thischarteredlibertinemayscamperandgigglethroughthedesertedstreetsorgodowntobatheinthedark。Theresourcesofthestoreareatherhand；shegoesarrayedlikeaqueen，andfeastsdelicatelyeverydayupontinnedmeats。Andshewhowasperhapsofnoregardorstationamongnativessitswithcaptains，andisentertainedonboardofschooners。Fiveoftheseprivilegeddamesweresometimeourneighbours。Fourwerehandsomeskittishlasses，gamesomelikechildren，andlikechildrenliabletofitsofpouting。Theyworedressesbyday，buttherewasatendencyafterdarktostriptheselendingsandtocareerandsquallaboutthecompoundintheaboriginalRIDI。Gamesofcardswerecontinuallyplayed，withshellsforcounters；theircoursewasmuchmarredbycheating；andtheendofaroundaboveallifamanwasofthepartyresolveditselfintoascrimmageforthecounters。Thefifthwasamatron。