CHAPTER XIX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2012, 30 May 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XIX.

Wbil° the other dwellers on the Happy Isle wer" m^t^ing then time in the manner I have c'epn.t'ed. Paranoa and Harry weie only on it in the evening*, and even then they were pome-times absent. Harry had little sympathy with the conversation or occupation ol Arano^b, Ilcibeit, and Ebby. He was essentially an Epicurean. He knew that he need not trouble about study of r.ny kind ; whatever he required in that way he could pay for, and it would be better in quality. He thoroughly believed in the division of labor. The business o! tha majority of humanity was to provide for the wants of others . his business was to enjoy the labor of the world, for he could pay tor it, from the loaf eupplied by the farmer to the etatueg and paintings and writings and inusio of the artists. The only art he studied was pleasure. At a very early age be bad lcsolvcd upon this. At school and college he had paid attention to only one acquirement, language. His object in this was to be able to read all the works in which he delighted in the ancient and modern languages, and to converse in the latter. He was, therefore, a first-class linguist. Whenever he did read he read Aristophanes, Lucian, Juvenal, Tacitus, Ovid, Apreliua, Petronius, and authors of ihat kind, while of modern authors Balzao and the French novelists were his favorites. But his, delicht was in the ancient classics of a certain kind. To him Luoian and Petronium were companions, and the arguments of the destroyer of Paganism he employed with singular dexterity against Christianity. In Paranoa and the islanders he found a new world of sensuous enjoyment: a new book was opened to him. Their simplicity amu3ed him, their morals resembled those of the Grecians and Bomans he bo heartily admired, and whom he frequently declared alone enjoyed life. The cold morals of Christianity and the chains it imposed upon the passions — cloaks he called them— were to him utterly distasteful. He never troubled himself with the reasons for the new morality, or the disagreeable results of Grecian and Boman morals. He asserted the Christian world was in reality far more wicked than that depicted by Tacitus, Juvenal and Luoian, totally ignoring the wonderful purity of the majonty of the English and German world. In fact, from the manner in which he had educated himself and those with whom he had associated, he was unable to comprehend that there existed that great body of men and women which leaven this world and make it fit to live in ; who prevent society falling to pieces. Paranoa, on the other hand, was delighted with his new companion, whoFe mind was so singularly like his own, who opened to him vistas of enjoyment of which he had heretofore never dreamed. He therefore took Harry with him every day when he went to oversee the various works in progress, and give out Aranoah's commands. At night the two young men would take their boat and skim over the lake from settlement to settlement. The natives, like children, were ready to entertain them. The form of amunement was generally dancing. Harry had Been the Hula Hala of the Sandwich Islands and the dances of New Zealand and Tahti, but he had to acknowledge that the dances of these islanders were superior. They were not so grons. Aranoah had thought it right to allow much of. the old dances and spprts to exist, but he had improved and made them artistic. There was one thing the graceless young man regretted— that he had no spirits to give to the. natives. He had spent a month on one of his Queensland jslations, and had, while there, had in the whole of the blacks of the district, and amused himself with getting them drunk. He found that the memory of the lire-water Aranoah's companions had distributed still survived. Many of the old men began a story with : " When I drank the Water of the Hereafter." How wke and good was Aranoah to banish for ever the modern Moloch. During these excursions it did not esoape tha ehaip intellect of Harry that these people, or at least a portion of them, concealed something from him. He often Baw long conferences take place bet Paranoa and some of the old and young men, and frequently he noticed that during stormy discussions he was repeatedly pointed at, and that menacing glances were directed at him. On eucn ocoa3ions Paramoa would appear to be vehemently arguing against some proposition. Several times, too, Harry heard the word "Marambola" used, and it puzzled him to find the name of the dead and gone robal mentioned, for he understood it had been for ever prohibited. " It appears to me," said Harry, one evening after Herbert and himself had retired to rest, "that this is a voleanio island in more than one respect. Paranoa tells me shocks of earthquake are frequent, and he says some time onoof the smaller islets disappear after a more than usually severe Bhock. And it seems to me that the people are just as volcanic as the island. If they could divest themselves of the dread of Aranoah's supernatural powers they would overthrow him to-morrow and go back to their old ways and worship. " It ib not likely they ever will," replied ] Herbert. "As long as ho holds the secrets of science they are powerless. And he has not t3ught Paranoa or Orinora to read, so that he is safe." "Bat when he dies how are Paranoa and Orinora to keep back the long pent up flood ? " " That I can't tell," replied Herbert. " I dare say it iB his intention to wed these two, and then at the proper time he wiil teach them lIP HPPTGI^J "If I wore Aranoah," said Harry, " I wouldn't teach them to Paranoa until I felt I was dying. But Herbert was asleep. The reader will have probably wondered by this time with what feelings Harry regarded Orinora. They will have supposed that a man who had given himself up to enjoyment of a certain kind could not have overlooked the idea of making this pure and beautiful creature minister to his pleasures, nor are they wrong if they entertain these views. Harry was deeply struck with Orinora. He had never met a woman like her, She was something entirely out of his experience. Her freedom was exquisitely piquant, but for all that to him she was hedged round by a maiden purity that he Boon felt was unapproachable. Eve in the garden of Eden before the Fall, could not have lees thoughts of evil than this lovely girl. Had Harry been reBtricted solely to her society as the only female on the island, her influence might have worked a change in him. „ Say what we will, the influence of a pure and good woman is the moat powerful for good in the world. If Harry was inflamed with a passion for Oritfora ho was at the same time well aware that sho was not for him. He had laid it down as an infallible maxim that no risk is too great, no time too long, for a pursuit, provided it is sure of its aim, and that it will baing no consequences which will destroy all the pleaeure. And his clear common sense soon told him that the pursuit o! Orinora would, in the first place, be vain, in the seoond place, fraught with oomequences that were not to bo thought of. From the first, Orinora had kept him at a distance, though gracefully polite and attei.tive, and ho was discerning tnough to see that if he lived with her a thousand years they would not become rnoro intimate. An inseperable bar was the adoring love she entertained towards Herbert •, a love so innocent and artless

that it was evident to a fool — and Hairy ri>i not a fool. But even had it been otherwise Harry would have been deterred. He k'.ew well enough that the man who would injure Aranoah'a child would live but a short tivic : that a terrible death would overtake him; snd Harry did not believe in purchasing a flreting "hour of pleasure or triumph by death. Had a means existed of escape with Orinova, or a successful rebellion, Harry might have pursued the pro3ect to the end. It was when he had come to tho conelu°ion that Oiinora must become Herbeit'o bride, and that he must satibfy him3elf with onr of the du&ky beauties of the island, many of whom already were infatuated with him, and that he must accept a subordinate position, unless esoape could be effected, that Paranoa one day asked him to como on an excurnion of a new character. "You have often wished to see the ocean," said Paranoa. "It is early morning now, and I have had provisions got ready and preparations made for an ascent of the mountains. It will be a long and tedious task, but we are young and strong." Harry consented with alacrity. Accompanied by two young natives, worshippers of Paranoa, they set out on the expedition. The male natives of the island were magnificent animals. Harry oompared them to New Ztalanders, but they were, if anything, more splendid men. Their make was perfect, and they nearly all reached or exceeded bix feet. Their strength was great, when exerted, but they were^generally, like all the natives of moist, warm climates, indolent whenever they were not forced to exertion. LyiDg in the shado of the banana and mango trees was their idea of Paradise. It was no easy task climbing the lava-steeps, through dense undergrowth, for cultivation did not extend to any height, under the shade of the giant trees, whose growth was stimulated by the heat and moisture. Bests had frequently to be takeu, more for the sake of thB joung natives who carried the burdens than Ilarry and Parauoa. At last they reached a small plateau, and at the same moment a cool refreshing breeze blew into their faces— the breath of the eea 1 In a few moments Harry beheld tho vast silvery blue expanse Bleeping in the sun. For a moment his heart stood still. Tuere it was, that glorious sea, over which he was never to sail again. Beyond it lay all he loved, the great, the happy world. No sentimentalist, for the moment he was overpowered. He waa like the wild bird in its cage. Paranoa led him carefully to a spot and ho looked down, down until he beheld, at a dizzy depth, the sea dashing against the rocks of the iron-girt island. He turned back sickened, annihilated. No contrivance that could bo made on that island could ever launch a boat down that terrible depth. And this, Poranoa told him, was the lowest point on the coast. It waT some time before he recovered, and when he did, he removed away from the dreadful place ar.d shut out the view of that slumberous, treacherous ocean. " I never want to see it again," he said to Paranoa, passionately. "The bird may be happy singing on ita perch, but when it oomes to the bars its miserable position maddens it." Paranoa spread the luncheon and tapped tho cocoanuts. Harry drank the refreshing juice but ato nothing. Presently the two reclined under a tree: Harry endeavoring to banish from hiq mind the pain the vision of ocean had caufed ; Paranoa busy with a scheme for unfolding hw plans. "Harry," he said at last, moving oloss to his companion, and putting his arm round his shoulder, " I think you know I am fond of you." "Yea, Paranoa," said Harry, absently. " I never met a man I liked so much," Paranoa said with a touching warmth in his tone. " There is only one other person I love in the world, but at times I hate her." "Orinora?" " Yes," replied tho lad fiercely ; " I love her and I hate her. She has spurned me ; her proud father has spurned me. But, Harry, I will have that girl or I will die. One time I thought it wa<3 all over, and I went out on the lake to find death. I iound life. Ob, Harry, if I open my heart, will you betray mo ?" " No, ' said Harry, who now began to be interested, for something was dawning on his mind. " I know you will not," said Paranoa, affectionately. " Tell me this, Harry, will you always be my friend, no matter what takes place ? I will ever stand your friend ; I will be your protector, no matter what happens." Harry started. The shadowy suspicions in his mind began to take form. "Aranoah," continued hi 1 ? companion, " will not always govern this island. lam of the oldest and noblest blood ; my mother was only daughter of the king and priest of tho island when Aranoah uaurped the government. I will yet bo the ruler and the priest." Paranoa stopped. He oould not now go too far, and he was studying how far he could unbosom himself. Harry did lot reply ; he was thinking how he could le&S the lad on, bo as to understand j what convulsion was being meditated. At last he thought of a way. " No doubt you will be ruler here when you marry Orinora," he said. " When I marry Orinora 1 " cried Paranoa with a furious passion, that startled Harry. " That will never be while Aranoah lives, while your companion ia hero. I have been caat off like an old dress ; I have been rejected with scorn. Orinora detents me ; her father has found a butter husband, one who will raiso up white rulers of this island. She loves Herbert madly; she will be his wife if " He stopped suddenly, for ho was aware he was in danger of destroying his plans. " And how do you propose to prevent this ?" asked Harry, prefeiring a direct question. "That I cannot tell you yet;" replied Paranoa, with some hesitation. •' In time I may. But with whom would you join — Aranoah or me ?" Harry reflected a little. He began to see a rift in the cloud. Perhaps he could make this impassioned, maddened child of nature his tool. He knew well enough Orinora had surrendered herself to Herbert, and a jealous feeling had taken possession of him. How oould he bear to take up a secondary role and to be forced to become the parent of an inferior race? Yet in his way ho did love Herbert, but the love was liko overy passion of his soul, selfish. Herbert's beauty and companionableneas pleasod him— llarry could never bear the plain or tho ugly. But no person must stand in his way. Whon the nut was eaten the kernel must be thrown away. " I would soonor lake your part," ho replied to Paranoa — " that is if I knew what you intended to do and how you would be suooessful." Paranoa clasped his arms round Harry with an exultant cry. "In time," he said, " you will know. But be sure whatever happens you will be Bale. You are my second self. You will not say a word of this to anyone ? " " Not I," answered Hary. "Aml so intimate with them ? I am not in their circle." Nothing more wrh said on the subjeot. Harry was exhausted by the time they reaohed home, and reined to rest. But Paranoa was too excited to feel fatigue. Shortly afterwards he was clearing the lake in his boat to attend the most momentous meeting the rebels had

ufc held, vhioh \.a3 to decide ilie fata o' he island.