hen she was whipped again by the matrons, and
Billy Hindoo was fined for throwing stones, and Professor No No was
fined yet a second time for stealing away Malamalama's wife, and
Malamalama was fined for leading a life of infamy and riot, and Tanielu
said again from the pulpit, "Hasten, Lord, or Thy servants perish!"

Thus the days passed in unending strife and bitterness, terrible now to
be recalled. When Malamalama took a new wife, the former wife's family
would lie in wait and try to kill him; and other husbands, before
exemplary and well conducted, growing restive to see him so successful
in his unbridled wickedness, took in their turn the pick of the village
maids, propagating hatred and disorder the like of which had never
before been known in Uvea. Then the drought came, and the young nuts
shriveled on the trees, and the sky, as far as one's eye could reach,
remained like shining copper, without a breath. It was plainly seen that
God, in anger, was laying His hand heavily on Uvea; and lo! He spoke
through the pastor Tanielu, saying, "Repent, repent, or else ye perish!"

There was a great meeting of the ancients in the speak-house; and one
ancient spoke for Malamalama, and another ancient spoke for Salesa, and
another ancient spoke for Professor No No, and still another ancient
spoke for Billy Hindoo; and the whole matter was inquired into from the
first day and debated in turn by all the ancients, and a final judgment
at length arrived at. Malamalama was confirmed in his latest marriage,
swearing with his hand on the Holy Book that in future he would cease
his evil and cling to her, giving a fine mat by way of reparation to
each of her predecessors; and Salesa was declared divorced from
Malamalama, and she and Professor No No were ordered to marry themselves
forthwith before the pastor Tanielu; and Billy Hindoo was commanded to
go back to his master and remain within the taboo line under pain of
death, and an ancient was appointed to visit him daily to lash him if he
misbehaved even in the smallest matter; and then the whole meeting
prayed first for rain, and then that God might send a ship.

When the new arrangement was with difficulty explained to the white man,
he was as one crazed, waving his arms and screaming out "No, no!"
without cessation; and he persisted thus, to the scandal of everyone,
until Tanielu, losing patience, struck him like that on the head and
married him immediately to Salesa, whose face s