Mystic Isles of the South Seas. Frederick O'Brien

44
interest in anything north of the equator except prices of their
commodities, these unrepressed rebels against the conventions and even
the laws of the Occident must have their fling. On that camphor-wood
chest had sat many a church-going woman and dignified man of Europe or
America, resident for a month or longer in Tahiti, and shuddered at
what they heard--shuddered and listened, eager to hear those curious
incidents and astonishing opinions about life and affairs, and to mark
the difference between this and their own countries. It was without
even comment that people who at home or among the conventions would be
shocked at the subjects or their treatment, in these islands listened
thrilled or chucklingly to stories as naked as the children. Double
entendre is caviar to the average man and woman of Tahiti, who call the
unshrouded spade by its aboriginal name. The Tahitians were ever thus,
and the French have not sought to correct their ways. I heard Atupu,
one of the girls of the hotel, in a Rabelaisian passage of wit the
while she opened Seattle beer for thirsty Britishers, old residents,
traders, and planters. One could not publish the phrases if one could
translate them.
Lovaina, in her bed just off the porch, was laughing at the retorts
of Atupu, who by her native knowledge of the tongue was discomfiting
the roisterers, who spoke it haltingly. I heard an apt interjection
on the part of the proprietress which set them all roaring, and so
lowered their self-esteem that they left summarily.
One day when I was hurrying off to swim in the lagoon, I asked
Lovaina to guard a considerable sum of money in bank-notes. She
assented readily, but when several days later I mentioned the money
she struck her head in alarm. She thought and thought, but could not
remember in what safe place she had hidden the paper francs.
"My God! Brien," she said in desperation, "all time I jus' like that
crazee way. One time one engineer big steamship come here, he ask
me keep two thousan' dollar for him. I busy jus' like always, an'
I throw behin' that couch I sit on. My God! he come back I fore-get
where I put. One day we look hard. I suffer turribil, but the nex'
day I move couch and find money. Was n't that funny?"
I suggested we try the couch again, but though we turned up a number
of lost odds and ends, it was not the cache of my funds. By way
of cheering her, I ordered a rum punch, and when she went to crack