Part 10 (1/2)
The parsonage at Wailoa could never have been placed or built by any one of the Reverend Spener's level terievance in the fact that he should have to dwell so far aloft from routine affairs in a spot of the wildest and e itself lay hidden below and to the left, at the mouth of the valley, whence the s track stood his little chapel in a grove of liher terrace of the basalt cliff, like an eyrie--or, perhaps ly, a s's nest--was perched the pastor's hole hts menaced it fro mountain torrent in the ravine besideits peace with musical clamor
That stream should have been indicted for trespass and disorder by the worthy pastor's way of thinking Soe see waters, which were not to be daht lean and toss anything--a passion-flower--into the current and follow it as it danced away down the broken slide, lost here and there ale of lianas snatched at last through a chute and over a sheer outfall, to reappear some minutes later as a spark in the fret of the surf far below
Standing there at the verge of the world, Miss Matilda watched the day's end For a tiates stayed open at the end of an unrolled, fla carpet across the sea, then slowly drew in, i forward--too late With an al they closed, and Miss Matilda drew back, chilled, as the veranda shook to a heavy footfall
”Ah, Captain Gregson--step up, sir!” Her father's voice was unctuous elcome as he hastened to h the dusk ”Happily met, sir You are just in tihter--Matilda?”
It was strange to hear the pastor use such a tone with such a visitor, and stranger still to see the assurance hich Captain Gregson entered the parsonage, where he had never until now set foot
”Evening, Pastor Just a h on a chap who's used--shi+p's deck as much as I have, d'y' see? Very kind, I'hborly And this--Miss Matilda, if I may say so bold
Very proud to know you,a broad straw hat and a billowy handkerchief of tussore silk She found herself answering hi of all--he had properly ensconced himself by the tall astral la a Testa facility
Captain Hull Gregson was one of those men apparently preserved in lard, whose shi+ny, tanned skin seee and to rude usage But if his years were indeterminate, his eyes were as old as blue pebbles By those eyes, as by his slow, forceful speech and rare gesture, as by a certain ruthless jut of jaas revealed the exploiter, the conquering white that has taken the South Pacific for an ordained possession
He had led a varied and more or less picturesque career up and down the warh black Melanesia in the open days; had owned his shi+ps and sailed theo with a price on his head and his life in his hand And now, rich in phosphate shares and plantation partnershi+ps, a sort of comfortable island squire, he had retired to peaceful Wailoa at last as a quiet corner where business was play and the hot roll dropped on time from the breadfruit-tree So much was said of him, and it was not considered the part either of wisdom or of island etiquette to say much more--nor was ht have seemed somewhat out of it now The type does not pervade the parlors of the son turned it off very well Once he had recovered his breath, and a purplish haze had cleared from his face, he co nor forcing the social event, the while that Pastor Spener beaement and smoothed a complacent brow
”It's like I told you to-day, Pastor The notion cahbor There's so few of us marooned here, like I said to et neighborly with those good folks and help along that good work of faith and righteousness Why not, hey--?”
He spoke with an effect of heartiness that delighted the Reverend Spener, and that fell on the ear of the Reverend Spener's daughter as hollow as a drum
”Why not, indeed?” echoed the pastor
”So many places you find a kind of feud betwixt the comson ”Where's the sense of it? I believe in you, Pastor, and your work and your church Yes, and I feel the need of the church myself, and a chance to visit a fine respectable home like this Why shouldn't I have it?”
Miss Matilda carefully avoided looking toward hiile ba that sheit
”And perhaps, by the saht need ht be of some service to the cause, d'y see?”
”Undeniably, Captain,” said the pastor, eagerly ”A man so influential--so experienced as yourself--”
”Could help, hey? It's what I think myself I could Why even now I'll lay I could tell you ht under your nose, so to speak--that you'd hardly drea ht a your own people--at least some of the wild ones that you want to be most careful of They're a devilish bold, sly lot for all their pretty ways--these brown islanders--an astonishi+ng bold lot You'd hardly believe that noould you--?” His voice dragged fatly ”Would you--Miss Matilda?”
Taken aback, she could not speak, could scarcely parry the attack with a vagueand dangerous hted with obscure and sinister limpses of hi across the roo avidly at the fresh whiteness of her there, the precise, slilea toward her, reaching for her with hot and pudgy hands--
But he had ering, Pastor,” he said ”Not this time You stop by ht have some facts that would interest you What I really ca a bit of news”
”News?” blinked the pastor
”You should go below and look to your chapel,” chuckled Gregson ”Iwanted, d'y' see? And so I hts in the porch there ”
”For us! For the church--?”