use for either, and I went and walked up and down in the house,
and Uma followed me with her eyes, for she was troubled, and small
wonder! But troubled was no word for it with me. I so wanted, and so
feared, to make a clean breast of the sweep that I had been.

And just then there came a sound of singing out of the sea; it sprang up
suddenly clear and near, as the boat turned the headland, and Uma,
running to the window, cried out it was "Misi" come upon his rounds.

I thought it was a strange thing I should be glad to have a missionary;
but, if it was strange, it was still true.

"Uma," said I, "you stop here in this room, and don't budge a foot out
of it till I come back."

CHAPTER III

THE MISSIONARY

As I came out on the verandah, the mission-boat was shooting for the
mouth of the river. She was a long whale-boat painted white; a bit of an
awning astern; a native pastor crouched on the wedge of the poop,
steering; some four-and-twenty paddles flashing and dipping, true to the
boat-song; and the missionary under the awning, in his white clothes,
reading in a book, and set him up! It was pretty to see and hear;
there's no smarter sight in the islands than a missionary boat with a
good crew and a good pipe to them; and I considered it for half a
minute, with a bit of envy perhaps, and then strolled down towards the
river.

From the opposite side there was another man aiming for the same place,
but he ran and got there first. It was Case; doubtless his idea was to
keep me apart from the missionary, who might serve me as interpreter;
but my mind was upon other things. I was thinking how he had jockeyed us
about the marriage, and tried his hand on Uma before, and at the sight
of him rage flew into my nostrils.

"Get out of that, you low swindling thief!" I cried.

"What's that you say?" says he.

I gave him the word again, and rammed it down with a good oath. "And if
ever I catch you within six fathoms of my house," I cried, "I'll clap a
bullet in your measly carcase."

"You must do as you like about your house," said he, "where I told you
I have no thought of going; but this is a public place."

"It's a place where I have private business," said I. "I have no idea of
a hound like you eavesdropping, and I give you notice to clear out."

"I don't take it, though," says Case.

"I'll show you, then," said I.

"We'll have to see about that," said he.

He was quick with his hands, but he had neither