the red one-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　my　soul　before　God　and　kept　my　hands　…

I　had　two　then　…　off　the　ribald　crew　of　the　beach　when　it　laughed

at　this；　my　latest　antic；　and　wanted　to　know　what　was　my　game。



〃I　tell　you　I　reformed；　and　gave　myself　in　passion　and　sincerity　to

a　religious　experience　that　has　made　me　tolerant　of　all　religion

ever　since。　　I　discharged　my　best　captain　for　immorality。　　So　did　I

my　cook；　and　a　better　never　boiled　water　in　Manatomana。　　For　the

same　reason　I　discharged　my　chief　clerk。　　And　for　the　first　time　in

the　history　of　trading　my　schooners　to　the　westward　carried　Bibles

in　their　stock。　　I　built　a　little　anchorite　bungalow　up　town　on　a

mango…lined　street　squarely　alongside　the　little　house　occupied　by

Ebenezer　Naismith。　　And　I　made　him　my　pal　and　comrade；　and　found

him　a　veritable　honey　pot　of　sweetnesses　and　goodnesses。　　And　he

was　a　man；　through　and　through　a　man。　　And　he　died　long　after　like

a　man；　which　I　would　like　to　tell　you　about；　were　the　tale　of　it

not　so　deservedly　long。



〃It　was　the　Princess；　more　than　the　missionary；　who　was　responsible

for　my　expressing　my　faith　in　works；　and　especially　in　that

crowning　work；　the　New　Church；　Our　Church；　the　Queen…mother's

church。



〃'Our　poor　church；'　she　said　to　me；　one　night　after　prayer…meeting。

I　had　been　converted　only　a　fortnight。　　'It　is　so　small　its

congregation　can　never　grow。　　And　the　roof　leaks。　　And　King　John；

my　hard…hearted　father；　will　not　contribute　a　penny。　　Yet　he　has　a

big　balance　in　the　treasury。　　And　Manatomana　is　not　poor。　　Much

money　is　made　and　squandered；　I　know。　　I　hear　the　gossip　of　the

wild　ways　of　the　beach。　　Less　than　a　month　ago　you　lost　more　in　one

night；　gambling　at　cards；　than　the　cost　of　the　upkeep　of　our　poor

church　for　a　year。'



〃And　I　told　her　it　was　true；　but　that　it　was　before　I　had　seen　the

light。　　（I'd　had　an　infernal　run　of　bad　luck。）　　I　told　her　I　had

not　tasted　liquor　since；　nor　turned　a　card。　　I　told　her　that　the

roof　would　be　repaired　at　once；　by　Christian　carpenters　selected　by

her　from　the　congregation。　　But　she　was　filled　with　the　thought　of

a　great　revival　that　Ebenezer　Naismith　could　preach　…　she　was　a

dear　saint　…　and　she　spoke　of　a　great　church；　saying：



〃'You　are　rich。　　You　have　many　schooners；　and　traders　in　far

islands；　and　I　have　heard　of　a　great　contract　you　have　signed　to

recruit　labour　for　the　German　plantations　of　Upolu。　　They　say；　next

to　Sweitzer；　you　are　the　richest　trader　here。　　I　should　love　to　see

some　use　of　all　this　money　placed　to　the　glory　of　God。　　It　would　be

a　noble　thing　to　do；　and　I　should　be　proud　to　know　the　man　who

would　do　it。'



〃I　told　her　that　Ebenezer　Naismith　would　preach　the　revival；　and

that　I　would　build　a　church　great　enough　in　which　to　house　it。



〃'As　big　as　the　Catholic　church？'　she　asked。



〃This　was　the　ruined　cathedral；　built　at　the　time　when　the　entire

population　was　converted；　and　it　was　a　large　order；　but　I　was　afire

with　love；　and　I　told　her　that　the　church　I　would　build　would　be

even　bigger。



〃'But　it　will　take　money；'　I　explained。　　'And　it　takes　time　to　make

money。'



〃'You　have　much；'　she　said。　　'Some　say　you　have　more　money　than　my

father；　the　King。



〃'I　have　more　credit；'　I　explained。　　'But　you　do　not　understand

money。　　It　takes　money　to　have　credit。　　So；　with　the　money　I　have；

and　the　credit　I　have；　I　will　work　to　make　more　money　and　credit；

and　the　church　shall　be　built。'



〃Work！　　I　was　a　surprise　to　myself。　　It　is　an　amazement；　the　amount

of　time　a　man　finds　on　his　hands　after　he's　given　up　carousing；　and

gambling；　and　all　the　time…eating　diversions　of　the　beach。　　And　I

didn't　waste　a　second　of　all　my　new…found　time。　　Instead　I　worked

it　overtime。　　I　did　the　work　of　half　a　dozen　men。　　I　became　a

driver。　　My　captains　made　faster　runs　than　ever　and　earned　bigger

bonuses；　as　did　my　supercargoes；　who　saw　to　it　that　my　schooners

did　not　loaf　and　dawdle　along　the　way。　　And　I　saw　to　it　that　my

supercargoes　did　see　to　it。



〃And　good！　　By　the　Lord　Harry　I　was　so　good　it　hurt。　　My　conscience

got　so　expansive　and　fine…strung　it　lamed　me　across　the　shoulders

to　carry　it　around　with　me。　　Why；　I　even　went　back　over　my　accounts

and　paid　Sweitzer　fifty　quid　I'd　jiggered　him　out　of　in　a　deal　in

Fiji　three　years　before。　　And　I　compounded　the　interest　as　well。



〃Work！　　I　planted　sugar　cane　…　the　first　commercial　planting　on

Manatomana。　　I　ran　in　cargoes　of　kinky…heads　from　Malaita；　which　is

in　the　Solomons；　till　I　had　twelve　hundred　of　the　blackbirds

putting　in　cane。　　And　I　sent　a　schooner　clear　to　Hawaii　to　bring

back　a　dismantled　sugar　mill　and　a　German　who　said　he　knew　the

field…end　of　cane。　　And　he　did；　and　he　charged　me　three　hundred

dollars　screw　a　month；　and　I　took　hold　of　the　mill…end。　　I

installed　the　mill　myself；　with　the　help　of　several　mechanics　I

brought　up　from　Queensland。



〃Of　course　there　was　a　rival。　　His　name　was　Motomoe。　　He　was　the

very　highest　chief　blood　next　to　King　John's。　　He　was　full　native；

a　strapping；　handsome　man；　with　a　glowering　way　of　showing　his

dislikes。　　He　certainly　glowered　at　me　when　I　began　hanging　around

the　palace。　　He　went　back　in　my　history　and　circulated　the　blackest

tales　about　me。　　The　worst　of　it　was　that　most　of　them　were　true。

He　even　made　a　voyage　to　Apia　to　find　things　out　…　as　if　he

couldn't　find　a　plenty　right　there　on　the　beach　of　Manatomana！　　And

he　sneered　at　my　failing　for　religion；　and　at　my　going　to　prayer…

meeting；　and；　most　of　all；　at　my　sugar…planting。　　He　challenged　me

to　fight；　and　I　kept　off　of　him。　　He　threatened　me；　and　I　learned

in　the　nick　of　time　of　his　plan　to　have　me　knocked　on　the　head。

You　see；　he　wanted　the　Princess　just　as　much　as　I　did；　and　I　wanted

her　more。



〃She　used　to　play　the　piano。　　So　did　I；　once。　　But　I　never　let　her

know　after　I'd　heard　her　play　the　first　time。　　And　she　thought　her

playing　was　wonderful；　th