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their beliefs and managed to maintain a few squalid； one…horse
churches。 But King John didn't mind； any more than did he the high
times of the traders along the beach。 Everything went； so long as
the taxes were paid。 Even when his wife； Queen Mamare； elected to
become a Baptist； and invited in a little； weazened； sweet…
spirited； club…footed Baptist missionary； King John did not object。
All he insisted on was that these wandering religions should be
self…supporting and not feed a pennyworth's out of the royal
coffers。
〃And now the threads of my recital draw together in the paragon of
female exquisiteness … my Princess。〃
Whiskers paused； placed carefully on the ground his half…full
condensed milk can with which he had been absently toying； and
kissed the fingers of his one hand audibly aloft。
〃She was the daughter of Queen Mamare。 She was the woman
wonderful。 Unlike the Diana type of Polynesian； she was almost
ethereal。 She WAS ethereal； sublimated by purity； as shy and
modest as a violet； as fragile…slender as a lily； and her eyes；
luminous and shrinking tender； were as asphodels on the sward of
heaven。 She was all flower； and fire； and dew。 Hers was the
sweetness of the mountain rose； the gentleness of the dove。 And
she was all of good as well as all of beauty； devout in her belief
in her mother's worship； which was the worship introduced by
Ebenezer Naismith； the Baptist missionary。 But make no mistake。
She was no mere sweet spirit ripe for the bosom of Abraham。 All of
exquisite deliciousness of woman was she。 She was woman； all
woman； to the last sensitive quivering atom of her …
〃And I？ I was a wastrel of the beach。 The wildest was not so wild
as I； the keenest not so keen； of all that wild； keen trading
crowd。 It was esteemed I played the stiffest hand of poker。 I was
the only living man； white； brown； or black； who dared run the
Kuni…kuni Passage in the dark。 And on a black night I have done it
under reefs in a gale of wind。 Well； anyway； I had a bad
reputation on a beach where there were no good reputations。 I was
reckless； dangerous； stopped at nothing in fight or frolic； and the
trading captains used to bring boiler…sheeted prodigies from the
vilest holes of the South Pacific to try and drink me under the
table。 I remember one； a calcined Scotchman from the New Hebrides。
It was a great drinking。 He died of it； and we laded him aboard
ship； pickled in a cask of trade rum； and sent him back to his own
place。 A sample； a fair sample； of the antic tricks we cut up on
the beach of Manatomana。
〃And of all unthinkable things； what did I up and do； one day； but
look upon the Princess to find her good and to fall in love with
her。 It was the real thing。 I was as mad as a March hare； and
after that I got only madder。 I reformed。 Think of that！ Think
of what a slip of a woman can do to a busy； roving man！ … By the
Lord Harry； it's true。 I reformed。 I went to church。 Hear me！ I
became converted。 I cleared my soul before God and kept my hands …
I had two then … off the ribald crew of the beach when it laughed
at this； my latest antic； and wanted to know what was my game。
〃I tell you I reformed； and gave myself in passion and sincerity to
a religious experience that has made me tolerant of all religion
ever since。 I discharged my best captain for immorality。 So did I
my cook； and a better never boiled water in Manatomana。 For the
same reason I discharged my chief clerk。 And for the first time in
the history of trading my schooners to the westward carried Bibles
in their stock。 I built a little anchorite bungalow up town on a
mango…lined street squarely alongside the little house occupied by
Ebenezer Naismith。 And I made him my pal and comrade； and found
him a veritable honey pot of sweetnesses and goodnesses。 And he
was a man； through and through a man。 And he died long after like
a man； which I would like to tell you about； were the tale of it
not so deservedly long。
〃It was the Princess； more than the missionary； who was responsible
for my expressing my faith in works； and especially in that
crowning work； the New Church； Our Church； the Queen…mother's
church。
〃'Our poor church；' she said to me； one night after prayer…meeting。
I had been converted only a fortnight。 'It is so small its
congregation can never grow。 And the roof leaks。 And King John；
my hard…hearted father； will not contribute a penny。 Yet he has a
big balance in the treasury。 And Manatomana is not poor。 Much
money is made and squandered； I know。 I hear the gossip of the
wild ways of the beach。 Less than a month ago you lost more in one
night； gambling at cards； than the cost of the upkeep of our poor
church for a year。'
〃And I told her it was true； but that it was before I had seen the
light。 （I'd had an infernal run of bad luck。） I told her I had
not tasted liquor since； nor turned a card。 I told her that the
roof would be repaired at once； by Christian carpenters selected by
her from the congregation。 But she was filled with the thought of
a great revival that Ebenezer Naismith could preach … she was a
dear saint … and she spoke of a great church； saying：
〃'You are rich。 You have many schooners； and traders in far
islands； and I have heard of a great contract you have signed to
recruit labour for the German plantations of Upolu。 They say； next
to Sweitzer； you are the richest trader here。 I should love to see
some use of all this money placed to the glory of God。 It would be
a noble thing to do； and I should be proud to know the man who
would do it。'
〃I told her that Ebenezer Naismith would preach the revival； and
that I would build a church great enough in which to house it。
〃'As big as the Catholic church？' she asked。
〃This was the ruined cathedral； built at the time when the entire
population was converted； and it was a large order； but I was afire
with love； and I told her that the church I would build would be
even bigger。
〃'But it will take money；' I explained。 'And it takes time to make
money。'
〃'You have much；' she said。 'Some say you have more money than my
father； the King。
〃'I have more credit；' I explained。 'But you do not understand
money。 It takes money to have credit。 So； with the money I have；
and the credit I have； I will work to make more money and credit；
and the church shall be built。'
〃Work！ I was a surprise to myself。 It is an amazement； the amount
of time a man finds on his hands after he's given up carousing； and
gambling； and all the time…eating diversions of the beach。 And I
didn't waste a second of all my new…found time。 Instead I worked
it overtime。 I did the work of half a dozen men。 I became a
driver。 My captains made faster runs than ever and earned bigger
bonuses； as did my supercargoes； who saw to it that my schooners
did not loaf and dawdle along the way。 And I saw