Part 24 (1/2)

The bells of the Cathedral were ringing.

”If you really want to come to the midnight ma.s.s we'd better go along,”

I said.

”Come on.”

We got up and walked along the road. The Cathedral, all white, stood facing the sea not without impressiveness, and beside it the Protestant chapels had the look of meeting-houses. In the road were two or three cars, and a great number of traps, and traps were put up against the walls at the side. People had come from all parts of the island for the service, and through the great open doors we saw that the place was crowded. The high altar was all ablaze with light. There were a few whites and a good many half-castes, but the great majority were natives.

All the men wore trousers, for the Church has decided that the _lava-lava_ is indecent. We found chairs at the back, near the open door, and sat down. Presently, following Lawson's eyes, I saw Ethel come in with a party of half-castes. They were all very much dressed up, the men in high, stiff collars and s.h.i.+ny boots, the women in large, gay hats. Ethel nodded and smiled to her friends as she pa.s.sed up the aisle.

The service began.

When it was over Lawson and I stood on one side for a while to watch the crowd stream out, then he held out his hand.

”Good-night,” he said. ”I hope you'll have a pleasant journey home.”

”Oh, but I shall see you before I go.”

He sn.i.g.g.e.red.

”The question is if you'll see me drunk or sober.”

He turned and left me. I had a recollection of those very large black eyes, s.h.i.+ning wildly under the s.h.a.ggy brows. I paused irresolutely. I did not feel sleepy and I thought I would at all events go along to the club for an hour before turning in. When I got there I found the billiard-room empty, but half-a-dozen men were sitting round a table in the lounge, playing poker. Miller looked up as I came in.

”Sit down and take a hand,” he said.

”All right.”

I bought some chips and began to play. Of course it is the most fascinating game in the world and my hour lengthened out to two, and then to three. The native bar-tender, cheery and wide-awake notwithstanding the time, was at our elbow to supply us with drinks and from somewhere or other he produced a ham and a loaf of bread. We played on. Most of the party had drunk more than was good for them and the play was high and reckless. I played modestly, neither wis.h.i.+ng to win nor anxious to lose, but I watched Miller with a fascinated interest. He drank gla.s.s for gla.s.s with the rest of the company, but remained cool and level-headed. His pile of chips increased in size and he had a neat little paper in front of him on which he had marked various sums lent to players in distress. He beamed amiably at the young men whose money he was taking. He kept up interminably his stream of jest and anecdote, but he never missed a draw, he never let an expression of the face pa.s.s him.

At last the dawn crept into the windows, gently, with a sort of deprecating shyness, as though it had no business there, and then it was day.

”Well,” said Miller, ”I reckon we've seen the old year out in style. Now let's have a round of jackpots and me for my mosquito net. I'm fifty, remember, I can't keep these late hours.”

The morning was beautiful and fresh when we stood on the verandah, and the lagoon was like a sheet of multicoloured gla.s.s. Someone suggested a dip before going to bed, but none cared to bathe in the lagoon, sticky and treacherous to the feet. Miller had his car at the door and he offered to take us down to the pool. We jumped in and drove along the deserted road. When we reached the pool it seemed as though the day had hardly risen there yet. Under the trees the water was all in shadow and the night had the effect of lurking still. We were in great spirits. We had no towels or any costume and in my prudence I wondered how we were going to dry ourselves. None of us had much on and it did not take us long to s.n.a.t.c.h off our clothes. Nelson, the little supercargo, was stripped first.

”I'm going down to the bottom,” he said.

He dived and in a moment another man dived too, but shallow, and was out of the water before him. Then Nelson came up and scrambled to the side.

”I say, get me out,” he said.

”What's up?”

Something was evidently the matter. His face was terrified. Two fellows gave him their hands and he slithered up.

”I say, there's a man down there.”

”Don't be a fool. You're drunk.”

”Well, if there isn't I'm in for D. T's. But I tell you there's a man down there. It just scared me out of my wits.”