peak either to me, or to one another? Am I a
corpse that is dressed for the funeral rites?'

Then one of them, named Taneo, his foster-brother, answered, and bent
his head as he spoke,--

'Oh, Narue, son of Mahua, and mine own brother, hast thou not heard of
the dream of Milli?'

At the name of Milli, the hot blood leapt into the face of the chief's
son; but he answered quickly,--

'Nay, naught have I heard, and how can the dream of a slave girl concern
me on such a day as this?'

'Oh, Narue!' replied Taneo, ''tis more than a dream; for the god Oro hath
spoken to her, and shown her things that concern thee and all of thy
father's people.' And with that the young men arose and left him without
further speech.

Little did Narue know that scarce a stone's throw away from where he
stood, Milli, with love in her eyes, was watching him from behind a
clump of plantain trees. She, too, was arrayed as if for a dance or
a marriage, and behind her were a number of women, who were crouched
together and spoke only in whispers.

As they stood, the sounds of the drums and flutes and conches came from
the village, and then Narue went forth from the little house, and walked
towards it through the palm grove.

* * * * *

As he stepped proudly along the shaded path he heard his name called in
a low voice, and Milli the Slave stood before him with downcast eyes,
and barred his path.

Now, Narue, bold as he was, feared to meet this girl, and so for some
moments no words came to him, and Milli, looking quickly up, saw that he
had placed his right hand over his eyes. Then she spoke,--

'See, Narue, I do but come to thee to speak some little words; so turn
thy face to me once more; for from this day thou shalt never again see
Milli the Slave.'

But Narue, still keeping his hand to his eyes, turned aside, and leaning
his forehead against the trunk of a palm-tree, kept silence awhile. Then
he said, in a low voice,--

'Oh, Milli, be not too hard! This woman Laea hath bewitched me--and
then--thou art but a slave.'

'Aye,' answered the girl, softly, 'I am but a slave, and this Laea is
very beautiful and the daughter of a great chief. So for that do I come
to say farewell, and to ask thee to drink with me this bowl of orange
juice. 'Tis all I have to offer, for I am poor and have no wedding gift
to give thee; and yet with this mean offering do I for ever give thee
the hot love of my heart--ay, and m