e if you can let a little daylight in."

"Is it long?" he asked.

"Yes," I cried; "it's a goodish bit of a yarn!"

"Well, I'll give you all the time I can spare," says he, looking at his
watch. "But I must tell you fairly, I haven't eaten since five this
morning, and, unless you can let me have something, I am not likely to
eat again before seven or eight to-night."

"By God, we'll give you dinner!" I cried.

I was a little caught up at my swearing, just when all was going
straight; and so was the missionary, I suppose, but he made believe to
look out of the window, and thanked us.

So we ran him up a bit of a meal. I was bound to let the old lady have a
hand in it, to show off, so I deputised her to brew the tea. I don't
think I ever met such tea as she turned out. But that was not the worst,
for she got round with the salt-box, which she considered an extra
European touch, and turned my stew into sea-water. Altogether, Mr.
Tarleton had a devil of a dinner of it; but he had plenty entertainment
by the way, for all the while that we were cooking, and afterwards, when
he was making believe to eat, I kept posting him up on Master Case and
the beach of Falesa, and he putting questions that showed he was
following close.

"Well," said he at last, "I am afraid you have a dangerous enemy. This
man Case is very clever, and seems really wicked. I must tell you I have
had my eye on him for nearly a year, and have rather had the worst of
our encounters. About the time when the last representative of your
firm ran so suddenly away, I had a letter from Namu, the native pastor,
begging me to come to Falesa at my earliest convenience, as his flock
were all 'adopting Catholic practices.' I had great confidence in Namu;
I fear it only shows how easily we are deceived. No one could hear him
preach and not be persuaded he was a man of extraordinary parts. All our
islanders easily acquire a kind of eloquence, and can roll out and
illustrate, with a great deal of vigour and fancy, second-hand sermons;
but Namu's sermons are his own, and I cannot deny that I have found them
means of grace. Moreover, he has a keen curiosity in secular things,
does not fear work, is clever at carpentering, and has made himself so
much respected among the neighbouring pastors that we call him, in a
jest which is half serious, the Bishop of the East. In short, I was
proud of the man; all the more puzzled by his letter, and took an
occasion to come this