glad he had kept Uma clear of Apia and Papeete and these flash
towns. At last he struck Fale-alii on this island, got some trade
- the Lord knows how! - muddled it all away in the usual style, and
died worth next to nothing, bar a bit of land at Falesa that he had
got for a bad debt, which was what put it in the minds of the
mother and daughter to come there and live. It seems Case
encouraged them all he could, and helped to get their house built.
He was very kind those days, and gave Uma trade, and there is no
doubt he had his eye on her from the beginning. However, they had
scarce settled, when up turned a young man, a native, and wanted to
marry her. He was a small chief, and had some fine mats and old
songs in his family, and was "very pretty," Uma said; and,
altogether, it was an extra-ordinary match for a penniless girl and
an out-islander.

At the first word of this I got downright sick with jealousy.

"And you mean to say you would have married him?" I cried.

"IOE, yes," said she. "I like too much!"

"Well!" I said. "And suppose I had come round after?"

"I like you more better now," said she. "But, suppose I marry
Ioane, I one good wife. I no common Kanaka. Good girl!" says she.

Well, I had to be pleased with that; but I promise you I didn't
care about the business one little bit. And I liked the end of
that yarn no better than the beginning. For it seems this proposal
of marriage was the start of all the trouble. It seems, before