one was in. She would not move from
her silly standpoint, however; but when Dandy Jack blandly, and with
many elaborate compliments, proceeded to lay our proposal for compromise
before her, she eagerly grasped at it as an escape from the awkwardness
of the situation.

So far that was settled, then; but how the Maori beauties were to be
pacified it passed our understanding to conceive. Old Colonial was at
last discovered behind a flax-bush, deep in a discussion on beet-root
sugar-making with a stranger, and wholly oblivious of the row. He was
instantly dragged forward into the light, and every one turned to him as
the one person who could save our honour and our partners.

When the case had been fully explained to him, Old Colonial's eyes
twinkled with fun. "I see my way to square matters," he said, "but you
must leave me to do it by myself."

He then went down to the beach, where the Tanoa ladies were sitting in a
group in the moonshine, waiting for the tide to turn before they
embarked to return home. He sat down amidst them, and after some
desultory chat, and flirtation perhaps, he brought the talk round to
Miss Cityswell and her proceedings.

"Yes, she's a niceish girl," he drawled meditatively, "rather foolish
and ignorant, though, I think. You see, she is a visitor up here, this
Auckland person; and we are bound to be hospitable and attentive, and to
put up with her whims."

His auditors assented to this, but intimated that _they_ were not bound
to put up with Miss Cityswell's arrogance, and did not intend to.

"Of course not," returned Old Colonial, with a wave of his pipe-hand, as
he reclined at Rakope's feet; "of course not. But then, you see," and
here he glanced cautiously round to make sure that no Pakehas were
within hearing, "she's not worth thinking about, _not being rangatira_."

"Oh!" cried Rakope, with round open eyes; and "Oh!" cried Piha and
Mehere, and all the chorus.

"No," continued he, lazily contemplating a smoke-ring in the moonlight;
"her father and mother were only kukis, or something not far off it, and
she, of course, is not rangatira, not a lady."

"Oh!" cried Rakope and the others briskly, and joyously jumping to their
feet, "that alters the case. We thought she was a lady, and were
offended at what she said; but as she is not, it does not matter--she
knows no better, and what she says is nothing. _We_ are ladies, and
don't mind what common persons say or do."

So, back to the