the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第11节

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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　

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