d declared
it a beautiful room.

"Do not look at the doors and windows," said Mr. Rhys. "I did not make
those--they were sent out framed. I had only the pleasure of putting
them in."

"And how did that agree with all your other work?"

"Well," he said decidedly. "That was my recreation."

"There is the prettiest mixture of wild and tame in this house," said
Eleanor, speaking a little timidly; for she was conscious all the while
how little Mr. Rhys was thinking of anything but herself. "Are these
mats made here?"

"Pure Fijian!"

The one at which Eleanor was looking, her eyes having fallen to the
floor, was both large and elegant. It was very substantially and neatly
made, and had a border fancifully wrought all round it, a few inches in
width. The pattern of the border was made with bits of worsted and
little white feathers. This mat covered all the centre of the room;
under it the whole floor was spread with other and coarser ones; and
others of a still different manufacture lined the walls of the room.

"One need not want a prettier carpet," said Eleanor, keeping her eyes
on the mat. Mr. Rhys put his arm round her and drew her off to one side
of the room, where he made her pause before a large square space which
was sunk a foot deep in the earth and bordered massively with a frame
of logs of hard wood.

"What do you think of that?"

"Mr. Rhys, what is it?"

"You would not take it for a fireplace?" he said with a comical look.

"But is it a fireplace?"

"That is what it is intended for. The Fijians make their fireplaces in
this manner."

"And you are a Fijian, I suppose."

"So are you."

"But Mr. Rhys, can a fireplace of this sort be useful in an English
house?"

"No. But in a Fijian house it may--as I have proved. The natives would
have a wooden frame here, at one side, to hold cooking vessels. You do
not need that, for you have a kitchen."

"With a fireplace like this?"

"Yes," he said, with a smile that had some raillery in it, which
Eleanor would not provoke.

"Suppose you come and look at something that is not Fijian," he went
on. "You must vary your attention."

He drew her before a little unostentatious piece of furniture, that
looked certainly as if it was made out of a good bit of English oak.
What it was, did not appear; it was very plain and rather massively
made. Now Mr. Rhys produced keys, and opened first doors; then a
drawer, which displayed all the characteristic contents an