THUSallthingsontheisland，eventhepriestsofthegods，obeythewordofTembinok’。Hecangiveandtake，andslay，andallaythescruplesoftheconscientious，anddoallthingsapparently
　　butinterfereinthecookeryofaturtle。’Igotpower’ishisfavouriteword；itinterlardshisconversation；thethoughthauntshimandiseverfresh；andwhenbehasaskedandmeditatesofforeigncountries，helooksupwithasmileandremindsyou，’IgotPOWER。’Norishisdelightonlyinthepossession，butintheexercise。Herejoicesinthecrookedandviolentpathsofkingshiplikeastrongmantorunarace，orlikeanartistinhisart。Tofeel，tousehispower，toembellishhisislandandthepictureoftheislandlifeafteraprivateideal，tomilktheislandvigorously，toextendhissingularmuseum-theseemploydelightfullythesumofhisabilities。Ineversawamanmorepatentlyintherighttrade。
　　Itwouldbenaturaltosupposethismonarchyinheritedintactthroughgenerations。Andsofarfromthat，itisathingofyesterday。IwasalreadyaboyatschoolwhileApemamawasyetrepublican，ruledbyanoisycouncilofOldMen，andtornwithincurablefeuds。AndTembinok’isnoBourbon；ratherthesonofaNapoleon。Ofcourseheiswell-born。NomanneedaspirehighintheislesofthePacificunlesshispedigreebelongandintheupperregionsmythical。Andourkingcountscousinshipwithmostofthehighfamiliesinthearchipelago，andtraceshisdescenttoasharkandaheroicwoman。Directedbyanoracle，sheswambeyondsightoflandtomeetherrevoltingparamour，andreceivedatseatheseedofapredestinedfamily。’Ithinklie，’istheking’semphaticcommentary；yetheisproudofthelegend。Fromthisillustriousbeginningthefortunesoftheracemusthavedeclined；
　　andTenkoruti，thegrandfatherofTembinok’，wasthechiefofavillageatthenorthendoftheisland。KuriaandAranukawereyetindependent；Apemamaitselfthearenaofdevastatingfeuds。
　　ThroughthisperturbedperiodofhistorythefigureofTenkorutistalksmemorable。Inwarhewasswiftandbloody；severaltownsfelltohisspear，andtheinhabitantswerebutcheredtoaman。Incivillifethisarrogancewasunheardof。WhenthecouncilofOldMenwassummoned，hewenttotheSpeakHouse，deliveredhismind，andleftwithoutwaitingtobeanswered。Wisdomhadspoken：letothersopineaccordingtotheirfolly。Hewasfearedandhated，andthiswashispleasure。Hewasnopoet；hecarednotforartsorknowledge。’Mygran’pathaonethingsavvy，savvypight，’
　　observedtheking。InsomelulloftheirowndisputestheOldMenofApemamaadventuredontheconquestofApemama；andthisunlickedCaiusMarciuswaselectedgeneraloftheunitedtroops。Successattendedhim；theislandswerereduced，andTenkorutireturnedtohisowngovernment，gloriousanddetested。Hediedabout1860，intheseventiethyearofhisageandthefullodourofunpopularity。
　　Hewastallandlean，sayshisgrandson，lookedextremelyold，and’walkedallthesameyoungman。’Thesameobservergavemeasignificantdetail。Thesurvivorsofthatroughepochwerealldefacedwithspearmarks；therewasnoneonthebodyofthisskilfulfighter。’Iseeoldman，nogotaspear，’saidtheking。
　　Tenkorutilefttwosons，TembaitakeandTembinatake。Tembaitake，ourking’sfather，wasshort，middlingstout，apoet，agoodgenealogist，andsomethingofafighter；itseemshetookhimselfseriously，andwasperhapsscarceconsciousthathewasinallthingsthecreatureandnurslingofhisbrother。Therewasnoshadowofdisputebetweenthepair：thegreatermanfilledwithalacrityandcontentthesecondplace；heldthebreachinwar，andalltheportfoliosinthetimeofpeace；and，whenhisbrotherratedhim，listenedinsilence，lookingontheground。LikeTenkoruti，hewastallandleanandaswifttalker-araretraitintheislands。Hepossessedeveryaccomplishment。Heknewsorcery，hewasthebestgenealogistofhisday，hewasapoet，hecoulddanceandmakecanoesandarmour；andthefamousmastofApemama，whichranonejointhigherthanthemainmastofafull-
　　riggedship，wasofhisconceptionanddesign。Butthesewereavocations，andtheman’stradewaswar。’Whenmyunclegomakewa’，helaugh，’saidTembinok’。Heforbadetheuseoffieldfortification，thatprotractorofnativehostilities；hismenmustfightintheopen，andwinorbebeatenoutofhand；hisownactivityinspiredhisfollowers；andtheswiftnessofhisblowsbeatdown，inonelifetime，theresistanceofthreeislands。Hemadehisbrothersovereign，helefthisnephewabsolute。’Myunclemakeallsmooth，’saidTembinok’。’Imo’kingthanmypatha：I
　　gotpower，’hesaid，withformidablerelish。
　　Suchistheportraitoftheuncledrawnbythenephew。Icansetbesideitanotherbyadifferentartist，whohasoften-Imaysayalways-delightedmewithhisromantictasteinnarrative，butnotalways-andImaysaynotoften-persuadedmeofhisexactitude。
　　Ihavealreadydeniedmyselftheuseofsomuchexcellentmatterfromthesamesource，thatIbegintothinkittimetorewardgoodresolution；andhisaccountofTembinatakeagreessowellwiththeking’s，thatitmayverywellbewhatIhopeitistherecordofafact，andnotwhatIsuspectthepleasingexerciseofanimaginationmorethansailorly。A。，forsoIhadperhapsbettercallhim，waswalkinguptheislandafterdusk，whenhecameonalightedvillageofsomesize，wasdirectedtothechief’shouse，andaskedleavetorestandsmokeapipe。’Youwillsitdown，andsmokeapipe，andwash，andeat，andsleep，’repliedthechief，’andto-morrowyouwillgoagain。’Foodwasbrought，prayerswereheldforthiswasinthebriefdayofChristianity，andthechiefhimselfprayedwitheloquenceandseemingsincerity。AlleveningA。satandadmiredthemanbythefirelight。Hewassixfeethigh，lean，withtheappearanceofmanyyears，andanextraordinaryairofbreedingandcommand。’Helookedlikeamanwhowouldkillyoulaughing，’saidA。，insingularechoofoneoftheking’sexpressions。Andagain：’IhadbeenreadingtheMusketeerbooks，andheremindedmeofAramis。’SuchistheportraitofTembinatake，drawnbyanexpertromancer。
　　Wehadheardmanytalesof’mypatha’；neverawordofmyuncletilltwodaysbeforeweleft。AsthetimeapproachedforourdepartureTembinok’becamegreatlychanged；asofter，amoremelancholy，and，inparticular，amoreconfidentialmanappearedinhisstead。Tomywifehecontrivedlaboriouslytoexplainthatthoughheknewhemustlosehisfatherinthecourseofnature，hehadnotmindednorrealisedittillthemomentcame；andthatnowhewastoloseusherepeatedtheexperience。Weshowedfireworksoneeveningontheterrace。Itwasaheavybusiness；thesenseofseparationwasinallourminds，andthetalklanguished。Thekingwasspeciallyaffected，satdisconsolateonhismat，andoftensighed。Ofasuddenoneofthewivessteppedforthfromacluster，cameandkissedhiminsilence，andsilentlywentagain。Itwasjustsuchacaressaswemightgivetoadisconsolatechild，andthekingreceiveditwithachild’ssimplicity。Presentlyafterwesaidgood-nightandwithdrew；butTembinok’detainedMr。Osbourne，pattingthematbyhissideandsaying：’Sitdown。Ifeelbad，I
　　liketalk。’Osbournesatdownbyhim。’Youlikesomebeer?’saidhe；andoneofthewivesproducedabottle。Thekingdidnotpartake，butsatsighingandsmokingameerschaumpipe。’Iverysorryyougo，’hesaidatlast。’MissStlevenshegoodman，womanhegoodman，boyhegoodman；allgoodman。Womanhesmartallthesameman。Mywoman’glancingtowardshiswives’hegoodwoman，noverysmart。IthinkMissStlevensheischiepallthesamecap’nman-o-wa’。IthinkMissStlevensherichmanallthesameme。Allgoschoona。Iverysorry。Mypathahego，myunclehego，mycutcheonshego，MissStlevenshego：allgo。Younoseekingcrybefore。Kingallthesameman：feelbad，hecry。Iverysorry。’
　　Inthemorningitwasthecommontopicinthevillagethatthekinghadwept。Tomehesaid：’LastnightInocan’peak：toomuchhere，’layinghishanduponhisbosom。’Nowyougoawayallthesamemypamily。Mybrothers，myunclegoaway。Allthesame。’
　　Thiswassaidwithadejectionalmostpassionate。AnditwasthefirsttimeIhadheardhimnamehisuncle，orindeedemploytheword。Thesamedayhesentmeapresentoftwocorselets，madeintheislandfashionofplaitedfibre，heavyandstrong。OnehadbeenwornbyTenkoruti，onebyTembaitake；andthegiftbeinggratefullyreceived，hesentme，onthereturnofhismessengers，athird-thatofTembinatake。Mycuriositywasroused；Ibeggedforinformationastothethreewearers；andthekingenteredwithgustointothedetailsalreadygiven。Herewasastrangething，thatheshouldhavetalkedsomuchofhisfamily，andnotoncementionedthatrelativeofwhomhewasplainlythemostproud。
　　Nay，more：hehadhithertoboastedofhisfather；thenceforthhehadlittletosayofhim；andthequalitiesforwhichhehadpraisedhiminthepastwerenowattributedwheretheyweredue，-
　　totheuncle。Aconfusionmightbenaturalenoughamongislanders，whocallallthesonsoftheirgrandfatherbythecommonnameoffather。ButthiswasnotthecasewithTembinok’。Nowtheicewasbrokenthewordunclewasperpetuallyinhismouth；hewhohadbeensoreadytoconfoundwasnowcarefultodistinguish；andthefathersankgraduallyintoaself-complacentordinaryman，whiletheunclerosetohistruestatureastheheroandfounderoftherace。
　　ThemoreIheardandthemoreIconsidered，themorethismysteryofTembinok’sbehaviourpuzzledandattractedme。Andtheexplanation，whenitcame，wasonetostriketheimaginationofadramatist。Tembinok’hadtwobrothers。One，detectedinprivatetrading，wasbanished，thenforgiven，livestothisdayintheisland，andisthefatheroftheheir-apparent，Paul。Theotherfellbeyondforgiveness。Ihavehearditwasalove-affairwithoneoftheking’swives，andthethingishighlypossibleinthatromanticarchipelago。Warwasattemptedtobelevied；butTembinok’wastooswiftfortherebels，andtheguiltybrotherescapedinacanoe。Hedidnotgoalone。Tembinatakehadahandintherebellion，andthemanwhohadgainedakingdomforaweaklingbrotherwasbanishedbythatbrother’sson。Thefugitivescametoshoreinotherislands，butTembinok’remainstothisdayignorantoftheirfate。
　　Sofarhistory。Andnowamomentforconjecture。Tembinok’
　　confusedhabitually，notonlytheattributesandmeritsofhisfatherandhisuncle，buttheirdiversepersonalappearance。
　　Beforehehadevenspoken，orthoughttospeak，ofTembinatake，hehadtoldmeoftenofatall，leanfather，skilledinwar，andhisownschoolmasteringenealogyandislandarts。Howifbothwerefathers，onenatural，oneadoptive?HowiftheheirofTembaitake，liketheheirofTembinok’himself，werenotason，butanadoptednephew?Howifthefounderofthemonarchy，whileheworkedforhisbrother，workedatthesametimeforthechildofhisloins?
　　HowifonthedeathofTembaitake，thetwostrongernatures，fatherandson，kingandkingmaker，clashed，andTembinok’，whenhedroveouthisuncle，droveouttheauthorofhisdays?Hereisatleastatragedyfour-square。
　　Thekingtookusonboardinhisowngig，dressedfortheoccasioninthenavaluniform。Hehadlittletosay，herefusedrefreshments，shookusbrieflybythehand，andwentashoreagain。
　　Thatnightthepalm-topsofApemamahaddippedbehindthesea，andtheschoonersailedsolitaryunderthestars。
　　End