that it was too far; that her aunt would miss her services; and "if she should die,”—and so forth.

My Namesake had never realised the difficulty of inducing them to let the first girl go. Nor had I.

The next morning the message we sent was: the money, and we will look after some one else."

"Send back

My heart's quick beatings, and the gloomy thoughts of my darkening soul, did not break the silence; neither did my tongue.

The money was sent back, and we went down again to my Rota, Mr. Wakefield nearly breaking his neck down the steep, rocky path, crossed and recrossed with twisted roots; for moonlight is misleading.

But you must not think (any more than we did) that the whole affair was broken off. No such thing. It was merely one more move in the game; and a good one too.

Next morning our spirits were cheered by Diara telling us that our side had increased their offer by the addition of Mr. Wakefield's Happy Island treasure, and that Pélua was nearly overcome by the display of wealth; had nearly consented to Noni going for one year.

Another important step in the proceedings was then taken; for that very evening while we were at tea, a loud and prolonged wailing was heard, which Percy thought must be the "wailing for the dead." But, on the contrary, it was the leading forth of Noni from the house of Pélua to that of Marévo. Poor Noni! There were my friends tugging away at one of her arms and pulling her this way, and there were her relatives, including her aunt, tugging away at the other and dragging her that way. It was a ceremonial display of reluctance to part with her, but none the less real on the part of Pélua, who continued to send up this loud, quavering, dismal lament :

"Daléngoo-oo-oo-oö!" etc., etc. "O, my child! my child! O, daughter! darling child!" as if the girl were dead, or was being led away to the slaughter.

ין

Arthur Rogani was rather hard upon her, and said: “If it were my daughter I should put a necklace about her neck and a petticoat round her loins, and bid her go of her own free will."

So general, indeed, was the condemnation of the poor, howling aunt, whom they abused for being old, which was not her fault, that Mr. Wakefield took her part warmly, and said:

I should very much wonder if she didn't cry. I should say 'it is not her daughter, but some foundling.'

This turned the tide, and they all said: "True! true! Is one's daughter a crumb ?"

After tea again, Mr. Wakefield, Arthur, and I (Kiukilu properly declined) went over the way to see the "young woman," as Percy called her.

"This Rota-in-the-Middle is quite a city," says my friend. "The houses are arranged street-fashion, their gables looking on to the street; and being larger and better finished than is common, the effect is very good. A row of trees down the middle of the street adds to its completeness."

We were not asked inside; but, as at Pélua's, we sat on the log verandah in the neatly swept yard between that and the next house, which was spread with new mats. Percy remarks upon the cleanliness and tidiness of everything. First came food, and then Noni. It was contrary to our custom for people in our predicament to be outwardly conscious of each other's existence; but my heart beat considerably faster as I beheld her close to me-just on the other side of Percystanding in the moonlight. My friend says that in spite of the misty light he could see that she had grown much and improved-which I thought impossible. "But," as he adds, "my dear boy Percy loves her, and that is the main thing."

One thing became clear to me at that moment—that I was not going back with them to Uri on the morrow.

Beyond that, nothing was clear.

CHAPTER XXXI.

TELLS ITS OWN TALE.

THEY got back to Uri with some trouble; for Kiukilu was not much of an oarsman, lacking the strength; so Percy and Rogani had to pull almost the whole way to Lévuna, where a breeze sprang up which carried them flying home.

We, from our high look-out, beheld the Aurora sail by for Uri a few days afterwards, and a note was sent by Taorémbé, who had come to live with Tila, half way between us and Lévuna, which told me to expect the vessel on the third morning, and to be ready, "with Noni," to start as soon as possible.

The meantime I spent in looking at Noni, our customs not allowing us to do much more, except, of course, think about her.

How grand I should be in Happy Island with a young lady of my own! I should be up at Mrs. Selby's oftener than ever. And then, when we came back here--what glory! what magnificence! what envy and jealousy would gnaw the hearts of Toroa's women! How all the Mrs. Malagais would bow down to my robed and rainbowed Noni! All my cow-money should be spent in her adornment; she would mend and wash my clothes, and I should begin indeed to feel myself a Chief. I was enchanted with her face, her figure, her manner; and I could see that she knew that I was admiring her, and liked it. I wanted nothing more than to be at leisure to sit and watch her. I became the terror of all the youths in the neighbourhood, and would have none of them about the house. Only one thing could have quite satisfied me in this respect-to have been the only young man in all the world.

But so far from anything being satisfactory, I was in the most unsatisfactory position possible. At the very time that

DRIFTING.

133 my pleasure was most intense, and my eyes and heart were filled with Noni, there would come a bitter sickening doubt— but how if the women will not let her go? For I, the person most concerned, knew nothing and was nobody, as before. Those women scarcely condescended to speak to me; even Siama didn't seem mistress of her own tongue, and Pélua was altogether too frequent a visitor to Noni to please me. So things went on, until I may be said to have loved the young men in comparison with the feelings I indulged in towards the old women.

Moreover, I was afraid to ask questions, for fear of hearing an answer which I felt I could not bear. Diara tried to console me by saying that he believed they would let her go; but his words sounded hollow and unmeaning to my doubt-stricken mind, and I stared him so keenly and searchingly in the face that the assurance of his tone died out.

At last our outlookers announced one morning that the Aurora, which had gone on to Surakana, had reached Uri and was working up the coast towards us. This news intensified my doubts and fears to such an extent that after the first hour I ceased to feel at all. I became, as it were, benumbed; and time and events bore me along at their will. It was almost a relief to think that time and events would bear me along, without requiring any assistance on my part, and that something must happen soon.

The woman-world was much excited by the announcement, especially its tongue; and I had apprehensions that should I ever get Noni she would be stone deaf.

For myself, I went about without knowing where or why, with my sad eyes bent upon the ground. If anyone spoke to me, I got up and walked away.

66

They have thrown down the boat!" was the first cry which really startled me. It seemed so awfully near then.

Down we all went--Noni, Pélua, and all the host of women -to await the white party on the shore. The women,

with Noni, remained aside, by a well in the bush. The tide was low, and the boat grounded a long way out. I walked out to meet Percy, who was the only one who came ashore (except Rogani), for the walking was bad in the water over the sharp and honey-combed coral.

It was Sunday morning.

Rogani and Mr. Wakefield asked as with one mouth : "Well, Percy, is it all right! Have you got Noni?"

"They are in the bush there," I answered sadly, with a jerk of my head in that direction.

So we walked to where they were waiting, and Percy told them that we were ready to take her on board now. Pélua and Siama, in tears, were holding the frightened and worried girl's arms, and the only answer of any kind we got was a confused wail, as if we had been the girl's most bloody executioners. I doubt if you can realize the helplessness of our situation. Even Rogani seemed powerless over his own sister. As Mr. Wakefield says, "What can you do with a pack of howling women? I would far sooner have a host of Malagais and Toroas to deal with."

There stood Noni, the object of our quest, and yet we were as far away from getting her as if we had been sailing by in the offing.

My friend, anxious to bring matters to an end-for the Bishop was making signals of departure-said he would go to the boat and take thence the beautiful female garments which the Bishop had supplied, as a last and very strong inducement to the women to let the girl go. One was for Noni herself; the other for Pélua. These he brought back and exhibited in the most fascinating and persuasive manner to the assemblage by the well.

"Take it, Pélua, and let her go," said Mr Wakefield. "Directly Pélua releases Noni, Noni puts on this one; and Pélua herself shall be arrayed in this. But be quick and finish your fare