Part 28 (1/2)

”I did,” I answered in a shamed voice ”But how do you know? I never told you so”

”Oh! I know you and therefore guessed”

”Well, what of it, Yva?”

”Nothing, except that you ain, and before I love again I must find him whom I wish to be my husband”

”How can that happen,” I asked, ”when both are dead?”

”How did all that you have seen to-day in Nyo happen?” she replied, laughing softly ”Perhaps you are very blind, Huht will come to us Meanwhile do not be sad Tolish tongue, Huht, Yva I do not love those darkso dead”

”It is fitting, for are they not dead?” she answered, with a little laugh ”So be it Bastin shall teach my father down below, since sun and shade are the saion, and you shall teach me up above”

”I am not so certain about Bastin and of what he thinks,” I said doubtfully ”Also will the Lord Oro permit you to come?”

”Yes, for in such ly, ”he remembers my oath that I ed no man--save one who is dead

Now farewell a while and bid Bastin be here when the sun is three hours high, not before or after”

Then I left her

Chapter XVII Yva Explains

When I reached the rock I was pleased to find Mara the house that we had ordered them to build for our accom in Orofena is a simple business The framework of poles let into palm trunks, since they could not be driven into the rock, had been put together on the further shore and towed over bodily by canoes

The overhanging rock formed one side of the house; the ends were of palm leaves tied to the poles, and the roof was of the same material The other side was left open for the present, which in that equable and bale The whole edifice was about thirty feet long by fifteen deep and divided into two portions, one for sleeping and one for living, by a palm leaf partition Really, it was quite a comfortable abode, cool and rainproof, especially after Bastin had built his hut in which to cook

Marama and his people were very humble in their demeanour and implored us to visit them on the main island I answered that perhaps ould later on, as ished to procure certain things from the wreck Also, he requested Bastin to continue his reatly desired to do But to this proposal I would not allow hiive any direct answer at the moment Indeed, I dared not do so until I was sure of Oro's approval

Towards evening they departed in their canoes, leaving behind them the usual ample store of provisions

We cooked our meal as usual, only to discover that what Yva had said about the Life-water was quite true, since we had but little appetite for solid food, though this returned upon the following day The sa of that water which certainly was afluid Never for years had any of us felt so well as it caused us to do

So we lit our pipes and talked about our experiences though of these, indeed, we scarcely knehat to say Bastin accepted the out of the common, of course, but as facts which admitted of no discussion After all, he said, the Old Testament told much the same story of people called the Sons of God who lived very long lives and ran after the daughters of enitors of a rehter were survivors, especially as they spoke of their family as ”Heaven born” How they came to survive was more than he could understand and really scarcely worth bothering over, since there they were

It was the sah naturally Oro spoke falsely, or, at any rate, grossly exaggerated, when he declared that he had caused this catastrophe, unless indeed he was talking about a totally different deluge, though even then he could not have brought it about It was curious, however, that the people droere said to have been wicked, and Oro had the sah for the matter of that, he could not conceive anyonehe was a ree to a quite suitable alliance, apparently desired by both parties, merely because it offended his faht be unjust to Oro in this particular, since he never told that story; it was only shown in some pictures which very likely were just made up to astonish us

Meanwhile, it was his business to preach to this old sinner down in that hole, and he confessed honestly that he did not like the job Still, it o apart and seek inspiration, which at present see

Thus declaimed Bastin and departed