第10章

RAJ，governmentwillcollapseandceaselikeanoverlaininfant，withoutashotfired。Theyhavenowbeenmonthshereontheirbigsalaries-andCedarcrantz，whomIspeciallylikeasaman，hasdonenearlynothing，andtheBaron，whoiswell-meaning，hasdoneworse。Theyhavetheselargesalaries，andtheyhaveallthetaxes；theyhavemadescarceafootofroad；theyhavenotgivenasinglenativeaposition-alltowhitemen；theyhavescarcelaidoutapennyonApia，andscarceapennyontheKing；theyhaveforgottheywereinSamoa，orthatsuchathingasSamoansexisted，andhadeyesandsomeintelligence。TheChiefJusticehasrefusedtopayhiscustoms！ThePresidentproposedtohaveanexpensivehousebuiltforhimself，whiletheKing，hismaster，hasnone！Ihadstoodaside，andbeenaloyal，and，aboveall，asilentsubject，uptothen；butnowIsnapmyfingersattheirMALO。Itisdamned，andI’mdamnedgladofit。Andthisisnotall。Last’WAINIU，’whenIsentFannyofftoFiji，IhearthewonderfulnewsthattheChiefJusticeisgoingtoFijiandtheColoniestoimprovehismind。Ishowedmywayofthoughttohisguest，CountWachtmeister，whomIhavesenttoyouwithaletter-hewilltellyouallthenews。Well，theChiefJusticestayed，buttheysaidhewastoleaveyesterday。Ihadintendedtogodown，andseeandwarnhim！ButthePresident’shousehadcomeupinthemeanwhile，andIletthemgototheirdoom，whichIamonlyanxioustoseeswiftlyand(ifitmaybe)

bloodlesslyfall。

ThusIhaveinawaywithdrawnmyunrewardedloyalty。Lloydisdownto-daywithMoorstocallonMataafa；thenewsoftheexcursionmadeaconsiderablerowinApia，andboththeGermanandtheEnglishconsulsbesoughtLloydnottogo。Buthestucktohispurpose，andwithmyapproval。It’sapoorthingifpeoplearetogiveupapleasurepartyforaMALO

thathasneverdoneanythingforusbutdrawtaxes，andisgoingtogopop，andleaveusatthemercyoftheidenticalMataafa，whomIhavenotvisitedformorethanayear，andwhoisprobablyfurious。

Thesenseofmyhelplessnessherehasbeenratherbitter；I

feelitwretchedtoseethisdanceoffollyandinjusticeandunconsciousrapacitygoforwardfromdaytoday，andtobeimpotent。Iwasnotconsulted-oronlybyoneman，andthatonparticularpoints；Ididnotchoosetovolunteeradvicetillsomepressingoccasion；Ihavenotevenavote，forIamnotamemberofthemunicipality。

Whatailsyou，miserableman，totalkofsavingmaterial？I

haveawholeworldinmyhead，awholenewsocietytowork，butIaminnohurry；youwillshortlymaketheacquaintanceoftheIslandofUlufanua，onwhichImeantolayseveralstories；theBLOODYWEDDING，possiblytheHIGHWOODS-(O，it’ssogood，theHighWoods，butthestoryiscraziness；

that’sthetrouble，)-apoliticalstory，theLABOURSLAVE，etc。Ulufanuaisanimaginaryisland；thenameisabeautifulSamoanwordfortheTOPofaforest；ulu-leavesorhair，fanua=land。Thegroundorcountryoftheleaves。

’Ulufanuatheisleofthesea，’readthatversedactylicallyandyougetthebeat；theu’sarelikeourdoubleoo；dideveryouhearaprettierword？

IdonotfeelinclinedtomakeavolumeofEssays，butifI

did，andperhapstheideaisgood-andanyideaisbetterthanSouthSeas-herewouldbemychoiceoftheScribnerarticles:DREAMS，BEGGARS，LANTERN-BEARERS，RANDOMMEMORIES。

TherewasapapercalledtheOLDPACIFICCAPITALinFraser，inTulloch’stime，whichhadmerit；thereweretwoonFontainebleauintheMAGAZINEOFARTinHenley’stime。I

havenoideaifthey’reanygood；thenthere’stheEMIGRANT

TRAIN。PULVISETUMBRAisinadifferentkey，andwouldn’thangonwiththerest。

IhavejustinterruptedmyletterandreadthroughthechapteroftheHIGHWOODSthatiswritten，achapterandabit，somesixteenpages，reallyveryfetching，butwhatdoyouwish？thestoryissowilful，sosteep，sosilly-it’sahallucinationIhaveoutlived，andyetIneverdidabetterpieceofwork，horrid，andpleasing，andextraordinarilyTRUE；it’ssixteenpagesoftheSouthSeas；theiressence。

WhatamItodo？Losethislittlegem-forI’llbebold，andthat’swhatIthinkit-orgoonwiththerest，whichI

don’tbelievein，anddon’tlike，andwhichcannevermakeaughtbutasillyyarn？Makeanotherendtoit？Ah，yes，butthat’snotthewayIwrite；thewholetaleisimplied；I

neveruseaneffect，whenIcanhelpit，unlessitpreparestheeffectsthataretofollow；that’swhatastoryconsistsin。Tomakeanotherend，thatistomakethebeginningallwrong。Thedenouementofalongstoryisnothing；itisjusta’fullclose，’whichyoumayapproachandaccompanyasyouplease-itisacoda，notanessentialmemberintherhythm；

butthebodyandendofashortstoryisboneoftheboneandbloodofthebloodofthebeginning。Well，Ishallendbyfinishingitagainstmyjudgment；thatfragmentismyDelilah。Golly，it’sgood。Iamnotshiningbymodesty；butIdojustlovethecolourandmovementofthatpiecesofarasitgoes。

Iwassurprisedtohearofyourfishing。Andyousawthe’Pharos，’thricefortunateman；IwishIdaredgohome，I

wouldasktheCommissionerstotakemeroundforoldsake’ssake，andseeallmyfamilypicturesoncemorefromtheMullofGallowaytoUnst。However，allisarrangedforourmeetinginCeylon，exceptthedateandthebloomingpounds。

Ihaveheardofanexquisitehotelinthecountry，airy，largerooms，goodcookery，notdear；weshallhaveacoupleofmonthsthere，ifwecanmakeitout，andconverseor-asmygrandfatheralwayssaid-’commune。’’CommuningswithMr。

KennedyastoLighthouseRepairs。’Hewasafineoldfellow，butadroll。

Lloydhasreturned。Peaceandwarwereplayedbeforehiseyesatheadsortails。AGermanwasstoppedwithlevelledguns；heraisedhiswhip；haditfallen，wemighthavebeennowinwar。ExcusesweremadebyMataafahimself。Doubtlessthethingwasdone-ImeanthestoppingoftheGerman-alittletoshowoffbeforeLloyd。Meanwhile-wasuphere，tellinghowtheChiefJusticewasreallygoneforfiveoreightweeks，andbeggingmetowritetotheTIMESanddenouncethestateofaffairs；manystrongreasonsheadvanced；andLloydandIhavebeensincehisarrivaland-’sdeparture，nearhalfanhour，debatingwhatshouldbedone。

Cedarcrantzisgone；itisnotmyfault；heknowsmyviewsonthatpoint-aloneofallpoints；-heleavesmewithmymouthsealed。Yetthisisanicethingthatbecauseheisguiltyofafreshoffence-hisflight-themouthoftheonlypossibleinfluentialwitnessshouldbeclosed？Idonotlikethisargument。Ilooklikeacad，ifIdointheman’sabsencewhatIcouldhavedoneinamoremanlymannerinhispresence。True；butwhydidhego？Itishislastsin。AndI，wholikethemanextremely-thatistheword-Ilovehissociety-heisintelligent，pleasant，evenwitty，agentleman-andyouknowhowthatattaches-Iloathetoseemtoplayabasepart；butthepoornatives-whoarelikeotherfolk，falseenough，lazyenough，notheroes，notsaints-ordinarymendamnablymisused-aretheytosufferbecauseIlikeCedarcrantz，andCedarcrantzhascuthislucky？Thisisalittletragedy，observewell-atragedy！Imayberight，Imaybewronginmyjudgment，butIamintreatywithmyhonour。Iknownothowitwillseemto-morrow。Lloydthoughtthebarrierofhonourinsurmountable，anditisanuglyobstacle。He(Cedarcrantz)willlikelymeetmywifethreedaysfromnow，maytravelbackwithher，willbecharmingifhedoes；supposethis，andsupposehimtoarriveandfindthatIhavesprungamine-orthenearestapproachtoitIcouldfind-behindhisback？Mypositionispretty。

Yes，Iamanaristocrat。Ihavetheoldpetty，personalviewofhonour？IshouldblushtillIdieifIdothis；yetitisonthecardsthatImaydoit。SomuchIhavewrittenyouinbed，asamanwrites，ortalks，inaBITTREWAHL。NowI

shallsleep，andseeifIammoreclear。Iwillconsultthemissionariesatleast-IplacesomerelianceinM。also-orIshouldifhewerenotapartisan；butapartisanheis。

There’sthepity。Tosleep！Afundofwisdomintheprostratebodyandthefedbrain。KindlyobserveR。L。S。inthetalonsofpolitics！’Tisfunny-’tissad。Nobodybutthesecursedidiotscouldhavesodrivenme；Icannotbearidiots。

MydearColvin，Imustgotosleep；itislongpastten-adreadfulhourforme。AndhereamIlingering(soIfeel)inthedining-roomattheMonument，talkingtoyouacrossthetable，bothonourfeet，andonlythetwostairstomount，andgettobed，andsleep，andbewakedbydearoldGeorge-

towhomIwishmykindestremembrances-nextmorning。I

lookround，andthereismyblueroom，andmylonglinesofshelves，andthedoorgapingonamoonlessnight，andnowordofS。C。buthistwaportraitsonthewall。Good-bye，mydearfellow，andgoodnight。Queerplacetheworld！

Noclearnessofmindwiththemorning；IhavenoguesswhatI

shoulddo。’Tiseasytosaythatthepublicdutyshouldbrushasidetheselittleconsiderationsofpersonaldignity；

soitisthatpoliticiansbegin，andinamonthyoufindthemratandflatterandintriguewithbrowsofbrass。Iamratheroftheoldview，thataman’sfirstdutyistotheselittlelaws；thebighedoesnot，heneverwill，understand；

ImaybewrongabouttheChiefJusticeandtheBaronandthestateofSamoa；IcannotbewrongaboutthevileattitudeI

putmyselfinifIblowthegaffonCedarcrantzbehindhisback。