CHAPTER XVIII

RACHEL

While these things were taking place in Mr. Johnson's study, Tera, with Tolai in attendance, returned to Farmer Carwell's. As she had promised her guardian to accept his statement as sufficient for the moment, she made no attempt to question Tolai. The conversation was quite impersonal, and dealt generally with island matters. There were friends and relatives to be inquired after: all sorts of things to ask about--the new banana plantations, for instance; if the old priest of Lomangatini was still alive; and what sort of goods Buli was getting from the traders in return for his copra. To all these Tolai replied in the native tongue. In this grey island of the west, these dusky children of the underworld delighted to talk of their tropical home. The girl was sick with nostalgia.

When again would she see the shining spaces of the blue seas, the curve of the white beaches, the lines of brown thatched houses, and the palms bending their graceful heads as the trade-winds hummed in the vault of heaven? Jack and she were going home--yes, to their true home--as soon as he could get the wherewithal from his uncle. But already he had made known to her the difficulty there was in obtaining it; and Tera resolved that if he failed, she would try what her blandishments would do. She was sick with the yearning to fly south to the lands of eternal summer, and it was not by mere want of money she was going to be prevented if she could help it.

"Are you a Christian, Tolai?" asked the girl, as they reached the brow of the hill above Grimleigh: she spoke in their own tongue.

"Yes, I am a Christian. Misi Brand he taught me to pray good."

"Misi Brand is in this town. Have you seen him?"

"No. I wish to see him, too. Viara likes that Misi; she asked me to speak to him about coming back to Koiau."

At this moment Tera raised her eyes, to see a tall black figure trudging towards them in the dust. It was mere coincidence that the figure proved to be that of the very man they were speaking of. She uttered an exclamation of surprise, and this attracted the attention of Korah, who was walking with bent head. As soon as he recognized Tera, he came swooping down like a crow, and held his arms wide as though to embrace her.

"My child! my sister!" he cried in English. "I heard of your wondrous resurrection from the dead. I have just been in quest of you at Farmer Car----" Here his eyes fell on the Polynesian. "Tolai!" he cried, with a sudden note of fear in his voice; "it cannot be Tolai!"

"Yes. He comes from Viara," said Tera; "but speak to him in our own tongue, Misi. He knows little English."

"Tolai," repeated Brand, talking native, "what brings you here, Tolai?"

"Buli and Viara they wish Tera to return," replied the savage. "I come in a big ship for her."

"Did Viara give you a message for me?"

"No. She told me nothing but that you come back to Koiau."

Brand looked at once relieved and disappointed. "What of Niga?" he said, with a glance at Tera.

"Niga fights against the big chief, Misi. Niga is a bad man."

"We must convert him," murmured Brand, rather to himself than to Tolai. "How can we expect a worshipper of blood-stained idols to be godly?" He looked at the dark-skinned native again, and rather uneasily. "I will speak with you again, Tolai," he said, with a gesture of dismissal. Then turning to Tera, "How glad I am to see you are still alive, my child!"

"I am well, Misi," replied Tera, with a toss of her dainty head, "and I am happy. I go soon to Koiau, and Jack with me."

Brand shook his head. "You must not marry that godless sailor."

"I marry Jack!" said Tera, her nostrils dilating; "he is a good man and beautiful. You have no right to speak to me so."

"Let me remind you, child, that I am your guardian."

"Mr. Johnson is my guardian!"

"He was; but your father, Buli, sent me to England to take charge of you. Therefore, I am your guardian now, and I intend to take you with me back to Koiau on the first ship I can get."

"No," said Tera, loudly, "you shall not. I will not go with you. Soon I am to marry Jack in Bethgamul. Mr. Johnson himself will marry us. Then we shall sail away in the _Dayspring_ from Grimleigh."

"You shall not do that if I can help it," said Brand, sternly.

Tera laughed and snapped her fingers. "I care not," she said. "It was from you and Mr. Johnson I ran away. Now you can do nothing; for Mr. Johnson says I am to marry Jack, and Mr. Carwell is quite pleased. If you come between us, Jack will kill you. You talk big! Poof!"

Brand frowned. He knew very well that he had no real power, and, as Tera phrased it, "talked big." Finland was a determined young fellow, and as he had Johnson and Carwell on his side, it would be difficult to prevent his marrying Tera, in spite of all protest. Then, if Brand returned to Koiau, where was his interest? There was nothing to be gained by stern measures. Tera's position was too strong to be shaken; therefore, Korah, with a smile that sat ill on his rugged face, altered his tone considerably.

"You are a wilful girl, Bithiah, and I suppose you must have your way; but what will Buli say to your taking a white husband?"

"The great chief will be pleased," replied Tera, seriously. "He loves the haolis" (white men), "and with Jack I can do great things in Koiau."

"Let us hope so, child. So Captain Shackel is taking his schooner to the island. I will ask him for a passage."

"Oh yes, Misi. Let us all go. Tolai, Jack, you, and I."

"I forgot Tolai for the moment," said Brand, laying his hand on the man's shoulder. "Bithiah, you can return to Brother Carwell. Rachel is expecting you. Tolai, come with me."

"No, Misi. Me go with Tera."

"You can return later. She does not require you now. We are in England, you must remember--she is perfectly safe alone."

"I no savvy that, all e-same, Misi."

Korah looked sharply at Tolai, seeing that there was some reason for this obstinacy. But the Polynesian's face was blank of expression; and the missionary dropped the subject.

"Where are you staying?" he asked.

"Tolai stays with me at Mr. Carwell's," said Tera.

"Brother Carwell is truly hospitable," said Korah; "well may his house be called 'Bethdagon.' Well, I shall see you both soon again. I have many things to say to Tolai about Viara and Buli, but I have no time to talk now. Toefua" (farewell).

"Toefua, Misi."

With a wave of his hand Brand walked in the direction of Grimleigh, while Tera and her escort pursued their way to Bethdagon.

Here the girl found Jack impatiently waiting for her at the gate. They strolled up the path side by side.

"We need not go into the house yet," said Finland, rather disgusted. "Mayne is there, making love to Rachel."

Tera stopped and looked surprised. "Does he love Rachel?"

"I suppose so. He has been hanging after her for the last few months. I suppose it will end in a marriage."

"I am sorry for that, Jack," said Tera, resuming her walk. "I do not like Mr. Mayne. Aué! it will be sad if Rachel goes to his house."

"Why? Mayne isn't a bad sort of fellow."

"I don't like him," persisted the girl. "That is a frozen fact; you like a sailor," said Finland, dismissing the subject with a gay laugh. "Where have you been, Tera?"

"To Mr. Johnson, with Tolai."

"Has he delivered his message?"

"Ioé! But I do not know what it is."

"Trouble in Koiau, I guess," observed Jack, carelessly. "That uncle Niga of yours seems to be raising Cain generally."

"Niga! He big chief," grunted Tolai, catching the name.

"Too big for his boots, if he wore 'em, sonny. But Tera and I will help Buli to put him straight when we get to the seas of the Lina-manu (albatross). I guess I'll settle down as a Kanaka when I reach Koiau; England's too dull and grey for me. I'll become an 'ofa-manu' (blood brother) of some one, and take up the chieftainship when Buli passes in his checks. Then we'll enjoy ourselves, Tera, my girl: ride on the surf boats when the rollers rise high on the reef, walk in the bush, drink Kava, and take the mid-day sleep, which you can't get here. Oh, we'll have a high old time, you bet, my lass!"

Tolai could not follow all that Jack said. But every now and then, as he caught a native word familiar to him, he grunted approval. Tera laughed loud for very joy at the picture her lover was painting, and put her arms round his neck.

"With you I shall always be happy," she whispered; "and let me tell you something, love. Mr. Johnson has promised to marry us at Bethgamul!"

"The deuce he has! Got over his sickness for you, has he?"

"I think so. At least he will marry us, and then we shall sail with Captain Jacob for our dear land."

"We must get the dollars first, Tera. And the old man won't part."

"I can't get the money from him, Jack. You let me talk to your uncle."

"As you please. But he won't part."

"Oh yes. I will make him."

"You're a clever lass if you do. But I don't see how you intend to go about it."

"I will make him," repeated Tera; "that is enough. And now let us go into the house. Tolai is cold, for the sun goes down."

"Mayne is inside," said Jack, hanging back, for he was enjoying the hour too much to shorten it.

"I know," answered Tera, and walked towards the farm. "I want to see Mr. Mayne, and Rachel too."

She spoke rather mysteriously, and Finland could not catch the drift of her meaning. However, she said nothing, and the three of them entered the house together. Tolai bestowed himself in a corner, where he sat cross-legged on the floor, after the fashion of his tribe, keeping his faithful eyes ever fastened on Tera. Mayne and Rachel were seated near the window, chatting, and the conversation had not been uninteresting, to judge from Rachel's high colour and bright eyes. Finland guessed that Herbert Mayne had proposed and been accepted. He nudged Tera with a chuckle, but the girl did not respond to his merriment. Indeed, she looked so severely at Herbert when she greeted him that the young man was quite disconcerted. He did not look well, for his face was colourless and his manner uneasy. Yet if Rachel had accepted him--and there was no reason to believe that she had done otherwise--he should surely have been glowing with happiness.

"I am glad to see you again. Miss Bithiah," said he; "we all mourned you as dead."

"It was a strange mistake, Mr. Mayne."

"Oh, I shouldn't say that. The poor girl who was murdered wore your clothes, and as her body was not found for a month, the face was not recognizable. No one dreamed that the corpse was that of a gipsy girl."

"Did not you, Mr. Mayne?"

"I! No," replied Herbert, with frank surprise. "Why should I?"

"You knew this girl at one time," said Tera, looking keenly at him.

The young man flushed and laughed nervously. "I knew her as one knows those sort of people," he said. "Last year her tribe camped on the common near my farm, and Zara--that was her name, was it not?"

"Yes," rejoined Tera, with some irony, "Zara Lovell was her name."

"Well, Zara came round to my house a good deal, selling things and telling fortunes. I saw her very often; so did Finland, here."

"Oh, I saw her!" struck in Jack. "A pretty girl she was, with a devil of a temper."

"Jack," cried Rachel, in a shocked tone, "how can you!"

"I beg your pardon, cousin. But she had a temper. I shouldn't have liked to be hitched up 'longside her in double harness."

"You mean, I suppose, you would not have liked to marry her. Jack! Jack! what slang you use!"

"I do. Cousin Rachel. I must mend my ways."

"Zara was married," said Tera, shortly; "she told me so. I wish now I had asked her about her husband."

"Why?" asked Mayne, suddenly.

"Because I believe he knows something about this murder."

"Oh, Tera!" cried Rachel, flushing, "you don't think her husband killed her. Poor thing!"

"No, I should be sorry to think that. But I dare say he knows who did."

"I wonder who she married?" said Herbert, reflectively. "Slade, the policeman, was very sweet on her."

"Oh, he can't be her husband!" cried Rachel, vigorously; "why, he has been married almost a year. Herbert, surely you don't think Slade has committed bigamy?"

"I hope not, Rachel. As a policeman he should know the danger of it. Well, interesting as this conversation is, I must be off." And Herbert rose to his feet with a yawn.

"Won't you stay to supper, Herbert?" asked Rachel, with a blush.

"No. You have the house full already. But I may look in after and smoke a pipe with the farmer."

Mayne glanced so significantly at Rachel as he made this remark that Tera felt sure he spoke in the character of an accepted lover. Her belief was strengthened when she saw Rachel go to the door with the young man and return with a heightened colour. Tera drew her dark brows together and seemed displeased. While Rachel set out the supper-table she talked to Jack and Tolai in the most unconcerned manner, but when Rachel was about to go to her bedroom to smarten herself up for the meal, she stopped her.

"I'll come with you, dear, if I may," she said, rising. "I'll leave you. Jack, to talk with Tolai, and wait for Farmer Carwell."

"Right you are," said Jack, lighting his pipe. "Come out for a stroll, Tolai. We have lots to talk about."

Tera drew Rachel into the bedroom and shut the door. Then she looked at her steadily, and kissed her. "Has Mr. Mayne proposed?" she asked.

"Oh, how did you guess?" fluttered Rachel, growing very red. "Yes, dear. He has asked me to be his wife."

"And have you promised to marry him?"

"Well, I love him very much, Bithiah, and he belongs to our congregation, and he has a nice farm, and is good-looking, and----"

"Ah, I see you said yes."

"Oh!" Rachel flung her arms round Tera's neck. "I am so happy."

"Poor dear!" sighed the native girl; "and I am about to make you wretched."

Rachel drew back in amazement. "Make me wretched?" she gasped.

"Yes. Your Herbert Mayne is not what you think him."

"Not what I think him? Why? What do you mean?"

"I mean," said Tera, slowly, "that he has been deceiving you. He has been married already. Zara the gipsy was his wife. I can prove it."