the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第12章

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down　the　long　gangway　passed　native　princes　and　princesses；　sugar　

kings　and　the　high　officials　of　the　Territory。　　Beyond；　in　long　

lines；　kept　in　order　by　the　native　police；　were　the　carriages　and　

motor…cars　of　the　Honolulu　aristocracy。　　On　the　wharf　the　Royal　

Hawaiian　Band　played　〃Aloha　Oe；〃　and　when　it　finished；　a　stringed　

orchestra　of　native　musicians　on　board　the　transport　took　up　the　

same　sobbing　strains；　the　native　woman　singer's　voice　rising　

birdlike　above　the　instruments　and　the　hubbub　of　departure。　　It　was　

a　silver　reed；　sounding　its　clear；　unmistakable　note　in　the　great　

diapason　of　farewell。



Forward；　on　the　lower　deck；　the　rail　was　lined　six　deep　with　khaki…

clad　young　boys；　whose　bronzed　faces　told　of　three　years'　

campaigning　under　the　sun。　　But　the　farewell　was　not　for　them。　　Nor　

was　it　for　the　white…clad　captain　on　the　lofty　bridge；　remote　as　the　

stars；　gazing　down　upon　the　tumult　beneath　him。　　Nor　was　the　

farewell　for　the　young　officers　farther　aft；　returning　from　the　

Philippines；　nor　for　the　white…faced；　climate…ravaged　women　by　their　

sides。　　Just　aft　the　gangway；　on　the　promenade　deck；　stood　a　score　

of　United　States　Senators　with　their　wives　and　daughtersthe　

Senatorial　junketing　party　that　for　a　month　had　been　dined　and　

wined；　surfeited　with　statistics　and　dragged　up　volcanic　hill　and　

down　lava　dale　to　behold　the　glories　and　resources　of　Hawaii。　　It　

was　for　the　junketing　party　that　the　transport　had　called　in　at　

Honolulu；　and　it　was　to　the　junketing　party　that　Honolulu　was　saying　

good…bye。



The　Senators　were　garlanded　and　bedecked　with　flowers。　　Senator　

Jeremy　Sambrooke's　stout　neck　and　portly　bosom　were　burdened　with　a　

dozen　wreaths。　　Out　of　this　mass　of　bloom　and　blossom　projected　his　

head　and　the　greater　portion　of　his　freshly　sunburned　and　perspiring　

face。　　He　thought　the　flowers　an　abomination；　and　as　he　looked　out　

over　the　multitude　on　the　wharf　it　was　with　a　statistical　eye　that　

saw　none　of　the　beauty；　but　that　peered　into　the　labour　power；　the　

factories；　the　railroads；　and　the　plantations　that　lay　back　of　the　

multitude　and　which　the　multitude　expressed。　　He　saw　resources　and　

thought　development；　and　he　was　too　busy　with　dreams　of　material　

achievement　and　empire　to　notice　his　daughter　at　his　side；　talking　

with　a　young　fellow　in　a　natty　summer　suit　and　straw　hat；　whose　

eager　eyes　seemed　only　for　her　and　never　left　her　face。　　Had　Senator　

Jeremy　had　eyes　for　his　daughter；　he　would　have　seen　that；　in　place　

of　the　young　girl　of　fifteen　he　had　brought　to　Hawaii　a　short　month　

before；　he　was　now　taking　away　with　him　a　woman。



Hawaii　has　a　ripening　climate；　and　Dorothy　Sambrooke　had　been　

exposed　to　it　under　exceptionally　ripening　circumstances。　　Slender；　

pale；　with　blue　eyes　a　trifle　tired　from　poring　over　the　pages　of　

books　and　trying　to　muddle　into　an　understanding　of　lifesuch　she　

had　been　the　month　before。　　But　now　the　eyes　were　warm　instead　of　

tired；　the　cheeks　were　touched　with　the　sun；　and　the　body　gave　the　

first　hint　and　promise　of　swelling　lines。　　During　that　month　she　had　

left　books　alone；　for　she　had　found　greater　joy　in　reading　from　the　

book　of　life。　　She　had　ridden　horses；　climbed　volcanoes；　and　learned　

surf　swimming。　　The　tropics　had　entered　into　her　blood；　and　she　was　

aglow　with　the　warmth　and　colour　and　sunshine。　　And　for　a　month　she　

had　been　in　the　company　of　a　manStephen　Knight；　athlete；　surf…

board　rider；　a　bronzed　god　of　the　sea　who　bitted　the　crashing　

breakers；　leaped　upon　their　backs；　and　rode　them　in　to　shore。



Dorothy　Sambrooke　was　unaware　of　the　change。　　Her　consciousness　was　

still　that　of　a　young　girl；　and　she　was　surprised　and　troubled　by　

Steve's　conduct　in　this　hour　of　saying　good…bye。　　She　had　looked　

upon　him　as　her　playfellow；　and　for　the　month　he　had　been　her　

playfellow；　but　now　he　was　not　parting　like　a　playfellow。　　He　talked　

excitedly　and　disconnectedly；　or　was　silent；　by　fits　and　starts。　　

Sometimes　he　did　not　hear　what　she　was　saying；　or　if　he　did；　failed　

to　respond　in　his　wonted　manner。　　She　was　perturbed　by　the　way　he　

looked　at　her。　　She　had　not　known　before　that　he　had　such　blazing　

eyes。　　There　was　something　in　his　eyes　that　was　terrifying。　　She　

could　not　face　it；　and　her　own　eyes　continually　drooped　before　it。　　

Yet　there　was　something　alluring　about　it；　as　well；　and　she　

continually　returned　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　that　blazing；　imperious；　

yearning　something　that　she　had　never　seen　in　human　eyes　before。　　

And　she　was　herself　strangely　bewildered　and　excited。



The　transport's　huge　whistle　blew　a　deafening　blast；　and　the　flower…

crowned　multitude　surged　closer　to　the　side　of　the　dock。　　Dorothy　

Sambrooke's　fingers　were　pressed　to　her　ears；　and　as　she　made　a　moue　

of　distaste　at　the　outrage　of　sound；　she　noticed　again　the　

imperious；　yearning　blaze　in　Steve's　eyes。　　He　was　not　looking　at　

her；　but　at　her　ears；　delicately　pink　and　transparent　in　the　

slanting　rays　of　the　afternoon　sun。　　Curious　and　fascinated；　she　

gazed　at　that　strange　something　in　his　eyes　until　he　saw　that　he　had　

been　caught。　　She　saw　his　cheeks　flush　darkly　and　heard　him　utter　

inarticulately。　　He　was　embarrassed；　and　she　was　aware　of　

embarrassment　herself。　　Stewards　were　going　about　nervously　begging　

shore…going　persons　to　be　gone。　　Steve　put　out　his　hand。　　When　she　

felt　the　grip　of　the　fingers　that　had　gripped　hers　a　thousand　times　

on　surf…boards　and　lava　slopes；　she　heard　the　words　of　the　song　with　

a　new　understanding　as　they　sobbed　in　the　Hawaiian　woman's　silver　

throat：





〃Ka　halia　ko　aloha　kai　hiki　mai；

Ke　hone　ae　nei　i　ku'u　manawa；

O　oe　no　kan　aloha

A　loko　e　hana　nei。〃





Steve　had　taught　her　air　and　words　and　meaningso　she　had　thought；　

till　this　instant；　and　in　this　instant　of　the　last　finger　clasp　and　

warm　contact　of　palms　she　divined　for　the　first　time　the　real　

meaning　of　the　song。　　She　scarcely　saw　him　go；　nor　could　she　note　

him　on　the　crowded　gangway；　for　she　was　deep　in　a　memory　maze；　

living　over　the　four　weeks　just　past；　rereading　events　in　the　light　

of　revelation。



When　the　Senatorial　party　had　landed；　Steve　had　been　one　of　the　

committee　of　entertainment。　　It　was　he　who　had　given　them　their　

first　exhibition　of　surf　riding；　out　at　Waikiki　Beach；　paddling　his　

narrow　board　seaward　until　he　became　a　disappearing　speck；　and　then；　

suddenly　reappearing；　rising　like　a　sea…god　from　out　of　the　welter　

of　spume　and　churning　whiterising　swiftly　higher　and　higher；　

shoulders　and　chest　and　loins　and　limbs；　until　he　stood　poised　on　

the　smoking　crest　of　a　mighty；　mile…long　billow；　his　feet　buried　in　

the　flying　foam；　hurling　beach…ward　with　the　speed　of　an　express　

train　and　stepping　calmly　ashore　at　their　astounded　feet。　　That　had　

been　her　first　glimpse　of　Steve。　　He　had　been　the　youngest　man　on　

the　committee；　a　youth；　himself；　of　twenty。　　He　had　not　entertained　

by　speechmaking；　nor　had　he　shone　decoratively　at　receptions。　　It　

was　in　the　breakers　at　Waikiki；　in　the　wild　cattle　drive　on　Manna　

Kea；　and　in　the　breaking　yard　of　the　Haleakala　Ranch　that　he　had　

performed　his　share　of　the　entertaining。



She　had　not　cared　for　the　interminable　statistics　and　eternal　

speechmaking　of　the　other　members　of　the　committee。　　Neither　had　

Steve。　　And　it　was　with　Steve　that　she　had　stolen　away　from　the　

open…air　feast　at　Hamakua；　and　from　Abe　Louisson；　the　coffee　

planter；　who　had　talked　coffee；　coffee；　nothing　but　coffee；　for　two　

mortal　hours。　　It　was　then；　as　they　rode　among　the　tree　ferns；　that　

Steve　had　taught　her　the　words　of　〃Aloha　Oe；〃　the　song　that　had　been　

sung　to　the　visiting　Senators　at　every　village；　ranch；　and　

plantation　departure。



Steve　and　she　had　been　much　together　from　the　first。　　He　had　been　

her　playfellow。　　She　had　taken　possession　of　him　while　her　father　

had　been　occupied　in　taking　possession　of　the　statistics　of　the　

islan