the red one-第24章

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Oceania；　to…day　ruled　over　by　a　peasant…born；　unlettered；　colonial

gendarme；　and　。　。　。　〃



He　completed　the　sentence　and　the　tale　by　burying　his　face　in　the

down…tilted　mouth　of　the　condensed　milk　can　and　by　gurgling　the

corrosive　drink　down　his　throat　in　thirsty　gulps。





After　an　appropriate　pause；　Chauncey　Delarouse；　otherwise　Whiskers；

took　up　the　tale。



〃Far　be　it　from　me　to　boast　of　no　matter　what　place　of　birth　I　have


descended　from　to　sit　here　by　this　fire　with　such　as　。　。　。　as

chance　along。　　I　may　say；　however；　that　I；　too；　was　once　a

considerable　figure　of　a　man。　　I　may　add　that　it　was　horses；　plus

parents　too　indulgent；　that　exiled　me　out　over　the　world。　　I　may

still　wonder　to　query：　　'Are　Dover's　cliffs　still　white？'〃



〃Huh！〃　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish　sneered。　　〃Next　you'll　be　asking：

'How　fares　the　old　Lord　Warden？'〃



〃And　I　took　every　liberty；　and　vainly；　with　a　constitution　that　was

iron；〃　Whiskers　hurried　on。　　〃Here　I　am　with　my　three　score　and　ten

behind　me；　and　back　on　that　long　road　have　I　buried　many　a

youngster　that　was　as　rare　and　devilish　as　I；　but　who　could　not

stand　the　pace。　　I　knew　the　worst　too　young。　　And　now　I　know　the

worst　too　old。　　But　there　was　a　time；　alas　all　too　short；　when　I

knew；　the　best。



〃I；　too；　kiss　my　hand　to　the　Princess　of　my　heart。　　She　was　truly　a

princess；　Polynesian；　a　thousand　miles　and　more　away　to　the

eastward　and　the　south　from　Delaney's　Isle　of　Love。　　The　natives　of

all　around　that　part　of　the　South　Seas　called　it　the　Jolly　Island。

Their　own　name；　the　name　of　the　people　who　dwelt　thereon；

translates　delicately　and　justly　into　'The　Island　of　Tranquil

Laughter。'　　On　the　chart　you　will　find　the　erroneous　name　given　to

it　by　the　old　navigators　to　be　Manatomana。　　The　seafaring　gentry

the　round　ocean　around　called　it　the　Adamless　Eden。　　And　the

missionaries　for　a　time　called　it　God's　Witness　…　so　great　had　been

their　success　at　converting　the　inhabitants。　　As　for　me；　it　was；

and　ever　shall　be；　Paradise。



〃It　was　MY　Paradise；　for　it　was　there　my　Princess　lived。　　John

Asibeli　Tungi　was　king。　　He　was　full…blooded　native；　descended　out

of　the　oldest　and　highest　chief…stock　that　traced　back　to　Manua

which　was　the　primeval　sea　home　of　the　race。　　Also　was　he　known　as

John　the　Apostate。　　He　lived　a　long　life　and　apostasized

frequently。　　First　converted　by　the　Catholics；　he　threw　down　the

idols；　broke　the　tabus；　cleaned　out　the　native　priests；　executed　a

few　of　the　recalcitrant　ones；　and　sent　all　his　subjects　to　church。



〃Next　he　fell　for　the　traders；　who　developed　in　him　a　champagne

thirst；　and　he　shipped　off　the　Catholic　priests　to　New　Zealand。

The　great　majority　of　his　subjects　always　followed　his　lead；　and；

having　no　religion　at　all；　ensued　the　time　of　the　Great

Licentiousness；　when　by　all　South　Seas　missionaries　his　island；　in

sermons；　was　spoken　of　as　Babylon。



〃But　the　traders　ruined　his　digestion　with　too　much　champagne；　and

after　several　years　he　fell　for　the　Gospel　according　to　the

Methodists；　sent　his　people　to　church；　and　cleaned　up　the　beach　and

the　trading　crowd　so　spick　and　span　that　he　would　not　permit　them

to　smoke　a　pipe　out　of　doors　on　Sunday；　and；　fined　one　of　the　chief

traders　one　hundred　gold　sovereigns　for　washing　his　schooner's

decks　on　the　Sabbath　morn。



〃That　was　the　time　of　the　Blue　Laws；　but　perhaps　it　was　too

rigorous　for　King　John。　　Off　he　packed　the　Methodists；　one　fine

day；　exiled　several　hundred　of　his　people　to　Samoa　for　sticking　to

Methodism；　and；　of　all　things；　invented　a　religion　of　his　own；　with

himself　the　figure…head　of　worship。　　In　this　he　was　aided　and

abetted　by　a　renegade　Fijian。　　This　lasted　five　years。　　Maybe　he

grew　tired　of　being　God；　or　maybe　it　was　because　the　Fijian

decamped　with　the　six　thousand　pounds　in　the　royal　treasury；　but　at

any　rate　the　Second　Reformed　Wesleyans　got　him；　and　his　entire

kingdom　went　Wesleyan。　　The　pioneer　Wesleyan　missionary　he　actually

made　prime　minister；　and　what　he　did　to　the　trading　crowd　was　a

caution。　　Why；　in　the　end；　King　John's　kingdom　was　blacklisted　and

boycotted　by　the　traders　till　the　revenues　diminished　to　zero；　the

people　went　bankrupt；　and　King　John　couldn't　borrow　a　shilling　from

his　most　powerful　chief。



〃By　this　time　he　was　getting　old；　and　philosophic；　and　tolerant；

and　spiritually　atavistic。　　He　fired　out　the　Second　Reformed

Wesleyans；　called　back　the　exiles　from　Samoa；　invited　in　the

traders；　held　a　general　love…feast；　took　the　lid　off；　proclaimed

religious　liberty　and　high　tariff；　and　as　for　himself　went　back　to

the　worship　of　his　ancestors；　dug　up　the　idols；　reinstated　a　few

octogenarian　priests；　and　observed　the　tabus。　　All　of　which　was

lovely　for　the　traders；　and　prosperity　reigned。　　Of　course；　most　of

his　subjects　followed　him　back　into　heathen　worship。　　Yet　quite　a

sprinkling　of　Catholics；　Methodists　and　Wesleyans　remained　true　to

their　beliefs　and　managed　to　maintain　a　few　squalid；　one…horse

churches。　　But　King　John　didn't　mind；　any　more　than　did　he　the　high

times　of　the　traders　along　the　beach。　　Everything　went；　so　long　as

the　taxes　were　paid。　　Even　when　his　wife；　Queen　Mamare；　elected　to

become　a　Baptist；　and　invited　in　a　little；　weazened；　sweet…

spirited；　club…footed　Baptist　missionary；　King　John　did　not　object。

All　he　insisted　on　was　that　these　wandering　religions　should　be

self…supporting　and　not　feed　a　pennyworth's　out　of　the　royal

coffers。



〃And　now　the　threads　of　my　recital　draw　together　in　the　paragon　of

female　exquisiteness　…　my　Princess。〃



Whiskers　paused；　placed　carefully　on　the　ground　his　half…full

condensed　milk　can　with　which　he　had　been　absently　toying；　and

kissed　the　fingers　of　his　one　hand　audibly　aloft。



〃She　was　the　daughter　of　Queen　Mamare。　　She　was　the　woman

wonderful。　　Unlike　the　Diana　type　of　Polynesian；　she　was　almost

ethereal。　　She　WAS　ethereal；　sublimated　by　purity；　as　shy　and

modest　as　a　violet；　as　fragile…slender　as　a　lily；　and　her　eyes；

luminous　and　shrinking　tender；　were　as　asphodels　on　the　sward　of

heaven。　　She　was　all　flower；　and　fire；　and　dew。　　Hers　was　the

sweetness　of　the　mountain　rose；　the　gentleness　of　the　dove。　　And

she　was　all　of　good　as　well　as　all　of　beauty；　devout　in　her　belief

in　her　mother's　worship；　which　was　the　worship　introduced　by

Ebenezer　Naismith；　the　Baptist　missionary。　　But　make　no　mistake。

She　was　no　mere　sweet　spirit　ripe　for　the　bosom　of　Abraham。　　All　of

exquisite　deliciousness　of　woman　was　she。　　She　was　woman；　all

woman；　to　the　last　sensitive　quivering　atom　of　her　…



〃And　I？　　I　was　a　wastrel　of　the　beach。　　The　wildest　was　not　so　wild

as　I；　the　keenest　not　so　keen；　of　all　that　wild；　keen　trading

crowd。　　It　was　esteemed　I　played　the　stiffest　hand　of　poker。　　I　was

the　only　living　man；　white；　brown；　or　black；　who　dared　run　the

Kuni…kuni　Passage　in　the　dark。　　And　on　a　black　night　I　have　done　it

under　reefs　in　a　gale　of　wind。　　Well；　anyway；　I　had　a　bad

reputation　on　a　beach　where　there　were　no　good　reputations。　　I　was

reckless；　dangerous；　stopped　at　nothing　in　fight　or　frolic；　and　the

trading　captains　used　to　bring　boiler…sheeted　prodigies　from　the

vilest　holes　of　the　South　Pacific　to　try　and　drink　me　under　the

table。　　I　remember　one；　a　calcined　Scotchman　from　the　New　Hebrides。

It　was　a　great　drinking。　　He　died　of　it；　and　we　laded　him　aboard

ship；　pickled　in　a　cask　of　trade　rum；　and　sent　him　back　to　his　own

place。　　A　sample；　a　fair　sample；　of　the　antic　tricks　we　cut　up　on

the　beach　of　Manatomana。



〃And　of　all　unthinkable　things；　what　did　I　up　and　do；　one　day；　but

look　upon　the　Princess　to　find　her　good　and　to　fall　in　love　with

her。　　It　was　the　real　thing。　　I　was　as　mad　as　a　March　hare；　and

after　that　I　got　only　madder。　　I　reformed。　　Think　of　that！　　Think

of　what　a　slip　of　a　woman　can　do　to　a　busy；　roving　man！　…　By　the

Lord　Harry；　it's　true。　　I　reformed。　　I　went　to　church。　　Hear　me！　　I

became　converted。　　I　cleared