the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第13章

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had　been　occupied　in　taking　possession　of　the　statistics　of　the　

island　territory。　　She　was　too　gentle　to　tyrannize　over　her　

playfellow；　yet　she　had　ruled　him　abjectly；　except　when　in　canoe；　or　

on　horse　or　surf…board；　at　which　times　he　had　taken　charge　and　she　

had　rendered　obedience。　　And　now；　with　this　last　singing　of　the　

song；　as　the　lines　were　cast　off　and　the　big　transport　began　backing　

slowly　out　from　the　dock；　she　knew　that　Steve　was　something　more　to　

her　than　playfellow。



Five　thousand　voices　were　singing　〃Aloha　Oe；〃〃MY　LOVE　BE　WITH　YOU　

TILL　WE　MEET　AGAIN；〃and　in　that　first　moment　of　known　love　she　

realized　that　she　and　Steve　were　being　torn　apart。　　When　would　they　

ever　meet　again？　　He　had　taught　her　those　words　himself。　　She　

remembered　listening　as　he　sang　them　over　and　over　under　the　hau　

tree　at　Waikiki。　　Had　it　been　prophecy？　　And　she　had　admired　his　

singing；　had　told　him　that　he　sang　with　such　expression。　　She　

laughed　aloud；　hysterically；　at　the　recollection。　　With　such　

expression！when　he　had　been　pouring　his　heart　out　in　his　voice。　　

She　knew　now；　and　it　was　too　late。　　Why　had　he　not　spoken？　　Then　she　

realized　that　girls　of　her　age　did　not　marry。　　But　girls　of　her　age　

did　marryin　Hawaiiwas　her　instant　thought。　　Hawaii　had　ripened　

herHawaii；　where　flesh　is　golden　and　where　all　women　are　ripe　and　

sun…kissed。



Vainly　she　scanned　the　packed　multitude　on　the　dock。　　What　had　

become　of　him？　　She　felt　she　could　pay　any　price　for　one　more　

glimpse　of　him；　and　she　almost　hoped　that　some　mortal　sickness　would　

strike　the　lonely　captain　on　the　bridge　and　delay　departure。　　For　

the　first　time　in　her　life　she　looked　at　her　father　with　a　

calculating　eye；　and　as　she　did　she　noted　with　newborn　fear　the　

lines　of　will　and　determination。　　It　would　be　terrible　to　oppose　

him。　　And　what　chance　would　she　have　in　such　a　struggle？　　But　why　

had　Steve　not　spoken？　　Now　it　was　too　late。　　Why　had　he　not　spoken　

under　the　hau　tree　at　Waikiki？



And　then；　with　a　great　sinking　of　the　heart；　it　came　to　her　that　she　

knew　why。　　What　was　it　she　had　heard　one　day？　　Oh；　yes；　it　was　at　

Mrs。　Stanton's　tea；　that　afternoon　when　the　ladies　of　the　

〃Missionary　Crowd〃　had　entertained　the　ladies　of　the　Senatorial　

party。　　It　was　Mrs。　Hodgkins；　the　tall　blonde　woman；　who　had　asked　

the　question。　　The　scene　came　back　to　her　vividlythe　broad　lanai；　

the　tropic　flowers；　the　noiseless　Asiatic　attendants；　the　hum　of　the　

voices　of　the　many　women　and　the　question　Mrs。　Hodgkins　had　asked　in　

the　group　next　to　her。　　Mrs。　Hodgkins　had　been　away　on　the　mainland　

for　years；　and　was　evidently　inquiring　after　old　island　friends　of　

her　maiden　days。　　〃What　has　become　of　Susie　Maydwell？〃　was　the　

question　she　had　asked。　　〃Oh；　we　never　see　her　any　more；　she　married　

Willie　Kupele；〃　another　island　woman　answered。　　And　Senator　

Behrend's　wife　laughed　and　wanted　to　know　why　matrimony　had　affected　

Susie　Maydwell's　friendships。



〃Hapa…haole；〃　was　the　answer；　〃he　was　a　half…caste；　you　know；　and　we　

of　the　Islands　have　to　think　about　our　children。〃



Dorothy　turned　to　her　father；　resolved　to　put　it　to　the　test。



〃Papa；　if　Steve　ever　comes　to　the　United　States；　mayn't　he　come　and　

see　us　some　time？〃



〃Who？　　Steve？〃



〃Yes；　Stephen　Knightyou　know　him。　　You　said　good…bye　to　him　not　

five　minutes　ago。　　Mayn't　he；　if　he　happens　to　be　in　the　United　

States　some　time；　come　and　see　us？〃



〃Certainly　not；〃　Jeremy　Sambrooke　answered　shortly。　　〃Stephen　Knight　

is　a　hapa…haole　and　you　know　what　that　means。〃



〃Oh；〃　Dorothy　said　faintly；　while　she　felt　a　numb　despair　creep　into　

her　heart。



Steve　was　not　a　hapa…haoleshe　knew　that；　but　she　did　not　know　that　

a　quarter…strain　of　tropic　sunshine　streamed　in　his　veins；　and　she　

knew　that　that　was　sufficient　to　put　him　outside　the　marriage　pale。　　

It　was　a　strange　world。　　There　was　the　Honourable　A。　S。　Cleghorn；　

who　had　married　a　dusky　princess　of　the　Kamehameha　blood；　yet　men　

considered　it　an　honour　to　know　him；　and　the　most　exclusive　women　of　

the　ultra…exclusive　〃Missionary　Crowd〃　were　to　be　seen　at　his　

afternoon　teas。　　And　there　was　Steve。　　No　one　had　disapproved　of　his　

teaching　her　to　ride　a　surf…board；　nor　of　his　leading　her　by　the　

hand　through　the　perilous　places　of　the　crater　of　Kilauea。　　He　could　

have　dinner　with　her　and　her　father；　dance　with　her；　and　be　a　member　

of　the　entertainment　committee；　but　because　there　was　tropic　

sunshine　in　his　veins　he　could　not　marry　her。



And　he　didn't　show　it。　　One　had　to　be　told　to　know。　　And　he　was　so　

good…looking。　　The　picture　of　him　limned　itself　on　her　inner　vision；　

and　before　she　was　aware　she　was　pleasuring　in　the　memory　of　the　

grace　of　his　magnificent　body；　of　his　splendid　shoulders；　of　the　

power　in　him　that　tossed　her　lightly　on　a　horse；　bore　her　safely　

through　the　thundering　breakers；　or　towed　her　at　the　end　of　an　

alpenstock　up　the　stern　lava　crest　of　the　House　of　the　Sun。　　There　

was　something　subtler　and　mysterious　that　she　remembered；　and　that　

she　was　even　then　just　beginning　to　understandthe　aura　of　the　male　

creature　that　is　man；　all　man；　masculine　man。　　She　came　to　herself　

with　a　shock　of　shame　at　the　thoughts　she　had　been　thinking。　　Her　

cheeks　were　dyed　with　the　hot　blood　which　quickly　receded　and　left　

them　pale　at　the　thought　that　she　would　never　see　him　again。　　The　

stem　of　the　transport　was　already　out　in　the　stream；　and　the　

promenade　deck　was　passing　abreast　of　the　end　of　the　dock。



〃There's　Steve　now；〃　her　father　said。　　〃Wave　good…bye　to　him；　

Dorothy。〃



Steve　was　looking　up　at　her　with　eager　eyes；　and　he　saw　in　her　face　

what　he　had　not　seen　before。　　By　the　rush　of　gladness　into　his　own　

face　she　knew　that　he　knew。　　The　air　was　throbbing　with　the　song　…





My　love　to　you。

My　love　be　with　you　till　we　meet　again。





There　was　no　need　for　speech　to　tell　their　story。　　About　her；　

passengers　were　flinging　their　garlands　to　their　friends　on　the　

dock。　　Steve　held　up　his　hands　and　his　eyes　pleaded。　　She　slipped　

her　own　garland　over　her　head；　but　it　had　become　entangled　in　the　

string　of　Oriental　pearls　that　Mervin；　an　elderly　sugar　king；　had　

placed　around　her　neck　when　he　drove　her　and　her　father　down　to　the　

steamer。



She　fought　with　the　pearls　that　clung　to　the　flowers。　　The　transport　

was　moving　steadily　on。　　Steve　was　already　beneath　her。　　This　was　

the　moment。　　The　next　moment　and　he　would　be　past。　　She　sobbed；　and　

Jeremy　Sambrooke　glanced　at　her　inquiringly。



〃Dorothy！〃　he　cried　sharply。



She　deliberately　snapped　the　string；　and；　amid　a　shower　of　pearls；　

the　flowers　fell　to　the　waiting　lover。　　She　gazed　at　him　until　the　

tears　blinded　her　and　she　buried　her　face　on　the　shoulder　of　Jeremy　

Sambrooke；　who　forgot　his　beloved　statistics　in　wonderment　at　girl　

babies　that　insisted　on　growing　up。　　The　crowd　sang　on；　the　song　

growing　fainter　in　the　distance；　but　still　melting　with　the　sensuous　

love…languor　of　Hawaii；　the　words　biting　into　her　heart　like　acid　

because　of　their　untruth。





Aloha　oe；　Aloha　oe；　e　ke　onaona　no　ho　ika　lipo；

A　fond　embrace；　ahoi　ae　au；　until　we　meet　again。







CHUN　AH　CHUN







There　was　nothing　striking　in　the　appearance　of　Chun　Ah　Chun。　　He　

was　rather　undersized；　as　Chinese　go；　and　the　Chinese　narrow　

shoulders　and　spareness　of　flesh　were　his。　　The　average　tourist；　

casually　glimpsing　him　on　the　streets　of　Honolulu；　would　have　

concluded　that　he　was　a　good…natured　little　Chinese；　probably　the　

proprietor　of　a　prosperous　laundry　or　tailorshop。　　In　so　far　as　good　

nature　and　prosperity　went；　the　judgment　would　be　correct；　though　

beneath　the　mark；　for　Ah　Chun　was　as　good…natured　as　he　was　

prosperous；　and　of　the　latter　no　man　knew　a　tithe　the　tale。　　It　was　

well　known　that　he　was　enormously　wealthy；　but　in　his　case　

〃enormous〃　was　merely　the　symbol　for　the　unknown。



Ah