Timepassed，andwesawnomoreofhim。Theseasonofthefullmooncameround，whenamanthinksshametoliesleeping；andI
　　continueduntillate-perhapstilltwelveoroneinthemorning-
　　towalkonthebrightsandandinthetossingshadowofthepalms。
　　Iplayed，asIwandered，onaflageolet，whichoccupiedmuchofmyattention；thefansoverheadrattledinthewindwithametallicchatter；andabarefootfallsatanyratealmostnoiselessonthatshiftingsoil。YetwhenIgotbacktoEquatorTown，whereallthelightswereout，andmywifewhowasstillawake，andhadbeenlookingforthaskedmewhoitwasthatfollowedme，Ithoughtshespokeinjest。’Notatall，’shesaid。’Isawhimtwiceasyoupassed，walkingcloseatyourheels。Heonlyleftyouatthecornerofthemaniap’；hemustbestillbehindthecook-house。’
　　ThitherIran-likeafool，withoutanyweapon-andcamefacetofacewiththecook。Hewaswithinmytapu-line，whichwasdeathinitself；hecouldhavenobusinessthereatsuchanhourbuteithertostealortokill；guiltmadehimtimorous；andheturnedandfledbeforemeinthenightinsilence。AshewentIkickedhiminthatplacewherehonourlies，andhegavetonguefaintlylikeaninjuredmouse。AtthemomentIdaresayhesupposeditwasadeadlyinstrumentthattouchedhim。
　　Whathadthemanbeenafter?Ihavefoundmymusicbetterqualifiedtoscatterthantocollectanaudience。AmateurasI
　　was，IcouldnotsupposehiminterestedinmyreadingoftheCARNIVALOFVENICE，orthathewoulddenyhimselfhisnaturalresttofollowmyvariationsonTHEPLOUGHBOY。Andwhateverhisdesign，itwasimpossibleIshouldsufferhimtoprowlbynightamongthehouses。Awordtotheking，andthemanwerenot，hiscasebeingfarbeyondpardon。Butitisonethingtokillamanyourself；
　　quiteanothertobeartalesbehindhisbackandhavehimshotbyathirdparty；andIdeterminedtodealwiththefellowinsomemethodofmyown。ItoldAhFuthestory，andbadehimfetchmethecookwheneverheshouldfindhim。Ihadsupposedthiswouldbeamatterofdifficulty；andfarfromthat，hecameofhisownaccord：anactreallyofdesperation，sincehislifehungbymysilence，andthebesthecouldhopewastobeforgotten。Yethecamewithanassuredcountenance，volunteerednoapologyorexplanation，complainedofinjuriesreceived，andpretendedhewasunabletositdown。IsupposeIamtheweakestmanGodmade；Ihadkickedhimintheleastvulnerablepartofhisbigcarcase；myfootwasbare，andIhadnotevenhurtmyfoot。AhFucouldnotcontrolhismerriment。Onmyside，knowingwhatmustbethenatureofhisapprehensions，Ifoundinsomuchimpudenceakindofgallantry，andsecretlyadmiredtheman。ItoldhimIshouldsaynothingofhisnight’sadventuretotheking；thatIshouldstillallowhim，whenhehadanerrand，tocomewithinmytapu-linebyday；butifeverIfoundhimthereafterthesetofthesunIwouldshoothimonthespot；andtotheproofshowedhimarevolver。Hemusthavebeenincrediblyrelieved；butheshowednosignofit，tookhimselfoffwithhisusualdandynonchalance，andwasscarceseenbyusagain。
　　Thesefive，then，withthesubstitutionofthestewardforthecook，cameandwent，andwereouronlyvisitors。Thecircleofthetapuheldatarm’s-lengththeinhabitantsofthevillage。Asfor’mypamily，’theydweltlikenunsintheirenclosure；onlyoncehaveImetoneofthemabroad，andshewastheking’ssister，andtheplaceinwhichIfoundhertheislandinfirmarywasverylikelyprivileged。Thereremainsonlythekingtobeaccountedfor。Hewouldcomestrollingover，alwaysalone，alittlebeforeameal-time，takeachair，andtalkandeatwithuslikeanoldfamilyfriend。Gilbertineetiquetteappearsdefectiveonthepointofleave-taking。ItmayberememberedwehadtroubleinthematterwithKaraiti；andtherewassomethingchildishanddisconcertinginTembinok’sabrupt’Iwantgohomenow，’accompaniedbyakindofduckingrise，andfollowedbyanunadornedretreat。Itwastheonlyblotuponhismanners，whichwereotherwiseplain，decent，sensible，anddignified。Heneverstayedlongnordrankmuch，andcopiedourbehaviourwhereheperceivedittodifferfromhisown。
　　Veryearlyintheday，forinstance，heceasedeatingwithhisknife。Itwasplainhewasdeterminedinallthingstowringprofitfromourvisit，andchieflyuponetiquette。Thequalityofhiswhitevisitorspuzzledandconcernedhim；hewouldbringupnameaftername，andaskifitsbearerwerea’bigchiep，’orevena’chiep’atall-which，assomeweremyexcellentgoodfriends，andnonewereactuallyborninthepurple，becameattimesembarrassing。Hewasstrucktolearnthatourclassesweredistinguishablebytheirspeech，andthatcertainwordsforinstanceweretapuonthequarter-deckofaman-of-war；andhebeggedinconsequencethatweshouldwatchandcorrecthimonthepoint。Wewereabletoassurehimthathewasbeyondcorrection。
　　Hisvocabularyisaptandampletoanextraordinarydegree。Godknowswherehecollectedit，butbysomeinstinctorsomeaccidenthehasavoidedallprofaneorgrossexpressions。’Obliged，’
　　’stabbed，’’gnaw，’’lodge，’’power，’’company，’’slender，’
　　’smooth，’and’wonderful，’areafewoftheunexpectedwordsthatenrichhisdialect。Perhapswhatpleasedhimmostwastohearaboutsalutingthequarter-deckofaman-of-war。Inhisgratitudeforthishinthebecamefulsome。’Schoonercap’nnotellme，’hecried；’Ithinknotavvy！Youtavvytoomuch；tavvy’teama’，tavvyman-a-wa’。Ithinkyoutavvyeverything。’Yethegravelledmeoftenenoughwithhisperpetualquestions；andthefalseMr。BarlowstoodfrequentlyexposedbeforetheroyalSandford。Irememberonceinparticular。Wewereshowingthemagic-lantern；aslideofWindsorCastlewasputin，andItoldhimtherewasthe’outch’ofVictoreea。’Howmanypathomhehigh?’heasked，andIwasdumbbeforehim。Itwasthebuilder，theindefatigablearchitectofpalaces，thatspoke；collectorthoughhewas，hedidnotcollectuselessinformation；andallhisquestionshadapurpose。Afteretiquette，government，law，thepolice，money，andmedicinewerehischiefinterests-thingsvitallyimportanttohimselfasakingandthefatherofhispeople。Itwasmypartnotonlytosupplynewinformation，buttocorrecttheold。’Mypathahetellme，’or’Whitemanhetellme，’wouldbehisconstantbeginning；’Youthinkhelie?’SometimesIthoughthedid。Tembinok’oncebroughtmeadifficultyofthiskind，whichIwaslongofcomprehending。A
　　schoonercaptainhadtoldhimofCaptainCook；thekingwasmuchinterestedinthestory；andturnedformoreinformation-nottoMr。Stephen’sDictionary，nottotheBRITANNICA，buttotheBibleintheGilbertIslandversionwhichconsistschieflyoftheNewTestamentandthePsalms。Herehesoughtlongandearnestly；Paulhefound，andFestusandAlexanderthecoppersmith：nowordofCook。Theinferencewasobvious：theexplorerwasamyth。Soharditis，evenforamanofgreatnaturalpartslikeTembinok’，tograsptheideasofanewsocietyandculture。
　　CHAPTERV-KINGANDCOMMONS
　　WEsawbutlittleofthecommonsoftheisle。Atfirstwemetthematthewell，wheretheywashedtheirlinenandwedrewwaterforthetable。Thecombinationwasdistasteful；and，havingatyrantatcommand，weappliedtothekingandhadtheplaceenclosedinourtapu。ItwasoneofthefewfavourswhichTembinok’visiblyboggledaboutgranting，anditmaybeconceivedhowlittlepopularitmadethestrangers。Manyvillagerspassedusdailygoingafield；buttheyfetchedawidecircuitroundourtapu，andseemedtoaverttheirlooks。Attimeswewentourselvesintothevillage-astrangeplace。Dutchbyitscanals，Orientalbytheheightandsteepnessoftheroofs，whichlookedatduskliketemples；butwewererarelycalledintoahouse：nowelcome，nofriendship，wasofferedus；andofhomelifewehadbuttheoneview：thewakingofacorpse，afrigid，painfulscene：thewidowholdingonherlapthecold，bluishbodyofherhusband，andnowpartakingoftherefreshmentswhichmadetheroundofthecompany，nowweepingandkissingthepalemouth。’Ifearyoufeelthisafflictiondeeply，’
　　saidtheScottishminister。’Eh，sir，andthatIdo！’repliedthewidow。’I’vebeengreetin’a’nicht；an’nooI’mjustgauntosupthisbitparritch，andthenI’llbeginan’greetagain。’InourwalksabroadIhavealwayssupposedtheislandersavoidedus，perhapsfromdistaste，perhapsbyorder；andthosewhomwemetwetookgenerallybysurprise。Thesurfaceoftheisleisdiversifiedwithpalmgroves，thickets，andromanticdinglesfourfeetdeep，relicsofoldtaroplantation；anditisthuspossibletostumbleunawaresonfolkrestingorhidingfromtheirwork。Aboutpistol-
　　shotfromourtownshiptherelayapondinthebottomofajungle；
　　herethemaidsoftheislecametobathe，andwereseveraltimesalarmedbyourintrusion。NotforthemarethebrightcoldriversofTahitiorUpolu，notforthemtosplashandlaughinthehouroftheduskwithavillagefulofgaycompanions；buttostealheresolitary，tocrouchinaplacelikeacow-wallow，andwashifthatcanbecalledwashinginlukewarmmud，brownastheirownskins。
　　Other，butstillrare，encountersoccurtomymemory。Iwasseveraltimesarrestedbyatendersoundinthebushofvoicestalking，softasflutesandwithquietintonations。Hopetoldaflatteringtale；Iputasidetheleaves；andbehold！inplaceoftheexpecteddryads，apairofalltoosolidladiessquattingoveraclaypipeintheungracefulRIDI。Thebeautyofthevoiceandtheeyewasallthatremainedtothosevastdames；butthatofthevoicewasindeedexquisite。ItisstrangeIshouldhaveneverheardamorewinningsoundofspeech，yetthedialectshouldbeoneremarkableforviolent，ugly，andoutlandishvocables；sothatTembinok’himselfdeclareditmadehimweary，andprofessedtofindreposeintalkingEnglish。
　　Thestateofthisfolk，ofwhomIsawsolittle，Icanmerelyguessat。Thekinghimselfexplainsthesituationwithsomeart。’No；I
　　nopaythem，’heoncesaid。’Igivethemtobacco。TheyworkformeALLTHESAMEBROTHERS。’ItistruetherewasabrotheronceinArden！Butweprefertheshorterword。Theybeareveryservilemark，-levitylikeachild’s，incurableidleness，incuriouscontent。Theinsolenceofthecookwasatraitofhisown；notsohislevity，whichhesharedwiththeinnocentUncleParker。Withequalunconcernbothgambolledundertheshadowofthegallows，andtooklibertieswithdeaththatmighthavesurprisedacarelessstudentofman’snature。IwroteofParkerthathebehavedlikeaboyoften：whatwasheelse，beingaslaveofsixty?Hehadpassedallhisyearsinschool，fed，clad，thoughtfor，commanded；
　　andhadgrownfamiliarandcoquettedwiththefearofpunishment。