the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第15节

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saw　take　shape　the　face　and　figure　of　Toy　ShueyToy　Shuey；　the　maid　

of　all　work　in　his　uncle's　house　in　the　Cantonese　village；　whose　

work　was　never　done　and　who　received　for　a　whole　year's　work　one　

dollar。　　And　he　saw　his　youthful　self　arise　in　the　curling　smoke；　

his　youthful　self　who　had　toiled　eighteen　years　in　his　uncle's　field　

for　little　more。　　And　now　he；　Ah　Chun；　the　peasant；　dowered　his　

daughter　with　three　hundred　thousand　years　of　such　toil。　　And　she　

was　but　one　daughter　of　a　dozen。　　He　was　not　elated　at　the　thought。　　

It　struck　him　that　it　was　a　funny；　whimsical　world；　and　he　chuckled　

aloud　and　startled　Mamma　Achun　from　a　revery　which　he　knew　lay　deep　

in　the　hidden　crypts　of　her　being　where　he　had　never　penetrated。



But　Ah　Chun's　word　went　forth；　as　a　whisper；　and　Captain　Higginson　

forgot　his　rear…admiralship　and　his　high　family　and　took　to　wife　

three　hundred　thousand　dollars　and　a　refined　and　cultured　girl　who　

was　one　thirty…second　Polynesian；　one…sixteenth　Italian；　one…

sixteenth　Portuguese；　eleven　thirty…seconds　English　and　Yankee；　and　

one…half　Chinese。



Ah　Chun's　munificence　had　its　effect。　　His　daughters　became　suddenly　

eligible　and　desirable。　　Clara　was　the　next；　but　when　the　Secretary　

of　the　Territory　formally　proposed　for　her；　Ah　Chun　informed　him　

that　he　must　wait　his　turn；　that　Maud　was　the　oldest　and　that　she　

must　be　married　first。　　It　was　shrewd　policy。　　The　whole　family　was　

made　vitally　interested　in　marrying　off　Maud；　which　it　did　in　three　

months；　to　Ned　Humphreys；　the　United　States　immigration　

commissioner。　　Both　he　and　Maud　complained；　for　the　dowry　was　only　

two　hundred　thousand。　　Ah　Chun　explained　that　his　initial　generosity　

had　been　to　break　the　ice；　and　that　after　that　his　daughters　could　

not　expect　otherwise　than　to　go　more　cheaply。



Clara　followed　Maud；　and　thereafter；　for　a　space　of　two　years；　there　

was　a　continuous　round　of　weddings　in　the　bungalow。　　In　the　meantime　

Ah　Chun　had　not　been　idle。　　Investment　after　investment　was　called　

in。　　He　sold　out　his　interests　in　a　score　of　enterprises；　and　step　

by　step；　so　as　not　to　cause　a　slump　in　the　market；　he　disposed　of　

his　large　holdings　in　real　estate。　　Toward　the　last　he　did　

precipitate　a　slump　and　sold　at　sacrifice。　　What　caused　this　haste　

were　the　squalls　he　saw　already　rising　above　the　horizon。　　By　the　

time　Lucille　was　married；　echoes　of　bickerings　and　jealousies　were　

already　rumbling　in　his　ears。　　The　air　was　thick　with　schemes　and　

counter…schemes　to　gain　his　favour　and　to　prejudice　him　against　one　

or　another　or　all　but　one　of　his　sons…in…law。　　All　of　which　was　not　

conducive　to　the　peace　and　repose　he　had　planned　for　his　old　age。



He　hastened　his　efforts。　　For　a　long　time　he　had　been　in　

correspondence　with　the　chief　banks　in　Shanghai　and　Macao。　　Every　

steamer　for　several　years　had　carried　away　drafts　drawn　in　favour　of　

one；　Chun　Ah　Chun；　for　deposit　in　those　Far　Eastern　banks。　　The　

drafts　now　became　heavier。　　His　two　youngest　daughters　were　not　yet　

married。　　He　did　not　wait；　but　dowered　them　with　a　hundred　thousand　

each；　which　sums　lay　in　the　Bank　of　Hawaii；　drawing　interest　and　

awaiting　their　wedding　day。　　Albert　took　over　the　business　of　the　

firm　of　Ah　Chun　and　Ah　Yung；　Harold；　the　eldest；　having　elected　to　

take　a　quarter　of　a　million　and　go　to　England　to　live。　　Charles；　the　

youngest；　took　a　hundred　thousand；　a　legal　guardian；　and　a　course　in　

a　Keeley　institute。　　To　Mamma　Achun　was　given　the　bungalow；　the　

mountain　House　on　Tantalus；　and　a　new　seaside　residence　in　place　of　

the　one　Ah　Chun　sold　to　the　government。　　Also；　to　Mamma　Achun　was　

given　half　a　million　in　money　well　invested。



Ah　Chun　was　now　ready　to　crack　the　nut　of　the　problem。　　One　fine　

morning　when　the　family　was　at　breakfasthe　had　seen　to　it　that　all　

his　sons…in…law　and　their　wives　were　presenthe　announced　that　he　

was　returning　to　his　ancestral　soil。　　In　a　neat　little　homily　he　

explained　that　he　had　made　ample　provision　for　his　family；　and　he　

laid　down　various　maxims　that　he　was　sure；　he　said；　would　enable　

them　to　dwell　together　in　peace　and　harmony。　　Also；　he　gave　business　

advice　to　his　sons…in…law；　preached　the　virtues　of　temperate　living　

and　safe　investments；　and　gave　them　the　benefit　of　his　encyclopedic　

knowledge　of　industrial　and　business　conditions　in　Hawaii。　　Then　he　

called　for　his　carriage；　and；　in　the　company　of　the　weeping　Mamma　

Achun；　was　driven　down　to　the　Pacific　Mail　steamer；　leaving　behind　

him　a　panic　in　the　bungalow。　　Captain　Higginson　clamoured　wildly　for　

an　injunction。　　The　daughters　shed　copious　tears。　　One　of　their　

husbands；　an　ex…Federal　judge；　questioned　Ah　Chun's　sanity；　and　

hastened　to　the　proper　authorities　to　inquire　into　it。　　He　returned　

with　the　information　that　Ah　Chun　had　appeared　before　the　commission　

the　day　before；　demanded　an　examination；　and　passed　with　flying　

colours。　　There　was　nothing　to　be　done；　so　they　went　down　and　said　

good…bye　to　the　little　old　man；　who　waved　farewell　from　the　

promenade　deck　as　the　big　steamer　poked　her　nose　seaward　through　the　

coral　reef。



But　the　little　old　man　was　not　bound　for　Canton。　　He　knew　his　own　

country　too　well；　and　the　squeeze　of　the　Mandarins；　to　venture　into　

it　with　the　tidy　bulk　of　wealth　that　remained　to　him。　　He　went　to　

Macao。　　Now　Ah　Chun　had　long　exercised　the　power　of　a　king　and　he　

was　as　imperious　as　a　king。　　When　he　landed　at　Macao　and　went　into　

the　office　of　the　biggest　European　hotel　to　register；　the　clerk　

closed　the　book　on　him。　　Chinese　were　not　permitted。　　Ah　Chun　called　

for　the　manager　and　was　treated　with　contumely。　　He　drove　away；　but　

in　two　hours　he　was　back　again。　　He　called　the　clerk　and　manager　in；　

gave　them　a　month's　salary；　and　discharged　them。　　He　had　made　

himself　the　owner　of　the　hotel；　and　in　the　finest　suite　he　settled　

down　during　the　many　months　the　gorgeous　palace　in　the　suburbs　was　

building　for　him。　　In　the　meantime；　with　the　inevitable　ability　that　

was　his；　he　increased　the　earnings　of　his　big　hotel　from　three　per　

cent　to　thirty。



The　troubles　Ah　Chun　had　flown　began　early。　　There　were　sons…in…law　

that　made　bad　investments；　others　that　played　ducks　and　drakes　with　

the　Achun　dowries。　　Ah　Chun　being　out　of　it；　they　looked　at　Mamma　Ah　

Chun　and　her　half　million；　and；　looking；　engendered　not　the　best　of　

feeling　toward　one　another。　　Lawyers　waxed　fat　in　the　striving　to　

ascertain　the　construction　of　trust　deeds。　　Suits；　cross…suits；　and　

counter…suits　cluttered　the　Hawaiian　courts。　　Nor　did　the　police　

courts　escape。　　There　were　angry　encounters　in　which　harsh　words　and　

harsher　blows　were　struck。　　There　were　such　things　as　flower　pots　

being　thrown　to　add　emphasis　to　winged　words。　　And　suits　for　libel　

arose　that　dragged　their　way　through　the　courts　and　kept　Honolulu　

agog　with　excitement　over　the　revelations　of　the　witnesses。



In　his　palace；　surrounded　by　all　dear　delights　of　the　Orient；　Ah　

Chun　smokes　his　placid　pipe　and　listens　to　the　turmoil　overseas。　　By　

each　mail　steamer；　in　faultless　English；　typewritten　on　an　American　

machine；　a　letter　goes　from　Macao　to　Honolulu；　in　which；　by　

admirable　texts　and　precepts；　Ah　Chun　advises　his　family　to　live　in　

unity　and　harmony。　　As　for　himself；　he　is　out　of　it　all；　and　well　

content。　　He　has　won　to　peace　and　repose。　　At　times　he　chuckles　and　

rubs　his　hands；　and　his　slant　little　black　eyes　twinkle　merrily　at　

the　thought　of　the　funny　world。　　For　out　of　all　his　living　and　

philosophizing；　that　remains　to　himthe　conviction　that　it　is　a　

very　funny　world。







THE　SHERIFF　OF　KONA







〃You　cannot　escape　liking　the　climate；〃　Cudworth　said；　in　reply　to　

my　panegyric　on　the　Kona　coast。　　〃I　was　a　young　fellow；　just　out　of　

college；　when　I　came　here　eighteen　years　ago。　　I　never　went　back；　

except；　of　course；　to　visit。　　And　I　warn　you；　if　you　have　some　spot　

dear　to　you　on　earth；　not　to　linger　here　too　long；　else　you　will　

find　this　dearer。〃



We　had　finished　dinner；　which　had　been　served　on　the　big　lanai；　the　

one　with　a　northerly　exposure；　though　exposure　is　indeed　a　misnomer　

in　so　delectable　a　climate。



The　candles　had　been　put　out；　and　a　slim；　white…clad　Japanese　

slipped　like　a　ghost　through　the　silvery　moonlight；　presented　us　

with　cigars；　and　faded　away　into　the　darkness　of　the　bungalow。　　I　

looked　through　a　screen　of　banana　and　lehua　trees；　and　down　across　

the　guava　scrub　to　the　quiet　sea　a　thousand　feet　beneath。　　For　a　

week；　ever　since　I　had　landed　from　the　tiny　coasting…steamer；　I　had　

been　stopping　with　Cudworth；　and　during　that　time　no　wind　had　

ruffled　that　unvexed　sea。　　True；　there　had　been　breezes；　but　they　

were　the　gentlest　zephyrs　that　ever　blew　through　summer　isles。　　They　

were　not　winds；　they　were　sighslong；　balmy　sighs　of　a　world　at　

rest。



〃A　lotus　land；〃　I　said。



〃Where　each　day　is　like　every