the moon and sixpence(月球和六便士)-第41章
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was a man。 He was handsome； six foot three； and when he was drunk
there was no holding him。 I would be black and blue all over for days at
a time。 Oh； I cried when he died。 I thought I should never get over it。
But it wasn't till I married George Rainey that I knew what I'd lost。 You
can never tell what a man is like till you live with him。 I've never been so
deceived in a man as I was in George Rainey。 He was a fine； upstanding
fellow too。 He was nearly as tall as Captain Johnson； and he looked
strong enough。 But it was all on the surface。 He never drank。 He
never raised his hand to me。 He might have been a missionary。 I made
love with the officers of every ship that touched the island； and George
Rainey never saw anything。 At last I was disgusted with him； and I got a
divorce。 What was the good of a husband like that？ It's a terrible thing
the way some men treat women。〃
I condoled with Tiare； and remarked feelingly that men were deceivers
ever； then asked her to go on with her story of Strickland。
〃‘Well；' I said to him； ‘there's no hurry about it。 Take your time and
think it over。 Ata has a very nice room in the annexe。 Live with her for
a month； and see how you like her。 You can have your meals here。 And
at the end of a month； if you decide you want to marry her； you can just go
and settle down on her property。'
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〃Well； he agreed to that。 Ata continued to do the housework； and I
gave him his meals as I said I would。 I taught Ata to make one or two
dishes I knew he was fond of。 He did not paint much。 He wandered
about the hills and bathed in the stream。 And he sat about the front looking
at the lagoon； and at sunset he would go down and look at Murea。 He
used to go fishing on the reef。 He loved to moon about the harbour
talking to the natives。 He was a nice； quiet fellow。 And every evening
after dinner he would go down to the annexe with Ata。 I saw he was
longing to get away to the bush； and at the end of the month I asked him
what he intended to do。 He said if Ata was willing to go； he was willing to
go with her。 So I gave them a wedding dinner。 I cooked it with my own
hands。 I gave them a pea soup and lobster and a curry；
and a cocoa…nut salad you've never had one of my cocoa…nut salads；
have you？ I must make you one before you go and then I made them an
ice。 We had all the champagne we could drink and liqueurs to follow。
Oh； I'd made up my mind to do things well。 And afterwards we danced
in the drawing…room。 I was not so fat； then； and I always loved dancing。〃
The drawing…room at the Hotel de la Fleur was a small room； with a
cottage piano； and a suite of mahogany furniture； covered in stamped
velvet； neatly arranged around the walls。 On round tables were photograph
albums； and on the walls enlarged photographs of Tiare and her first
husband； Captain Johnson。 Still； though Tiare was old and fat； on
occasion we rolled back the Brussels carpet； brought in the maids and one
or two friends of Tiare's； and danced； though now to the wheezy music of
a gramaphone。 On the verandah the air was scented with the heavy
perfume of the tiare； and overhead the Southern Cross shone in a cloudless
sky。
Tiare smiled indulgently as she remembered the gaiety of a time long
passed。
〃We kept it up till three； and when we went to bed I don't think anyone
was very sober。 I had told them they could have my trap to take them as
far as the road went； because after that they had a long walk。 Ata's
property was right away in a fold of the mountain。 They started at dawn；
and the boy I sent with them didn't come back till next day。
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〃Yes； that's how Strickland was married。〃
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The Moon and Sixpence
Chapter LII
I suppose the next three years were the happiest of Strickland's life。
Ata's house stood about eight kilometres from the road that runs round the
island； and you went to it along a winding pathway shaded by the
luxuriant trees of the tropics。 It was a bungalow of unpainted wood；
consisting of two small rooms； and outside was a small shed that served as
a kitchen。 There was no furniture except the mats they used as beds； and
a rocking…chair； which stood on the verandah。 Bananas with their great
ragged leaves； like the tattered habiliments of an empress in adversity；
grew close up to the house。 There was a tree just behind which bore
alligator pears； and all about were the cocoa…nuts which gave the land its
revenue。 Ata's father had planted crotons round his property； and they
grew in coloured profusion； gay and brilliant； they fenced the land with
flame。 A mango grew in front of the house； and at the edge of the
clearing were two flamboyants； twin trees； that challenged the gold of the
cocoa…nuts with their scarlet flowers。
Here Strickland lived； coming seldom to Papeete； on the produce of
the land。 There was a little stream that ran not far away； in which he
bathed； and down this on occasion would come a shoal of fish。 Then the
natives would assemble with spears； and with much shouting would
transfix the great startled things as they hurried down to the sea。
Sometimes Strickland would go down to the reef； and come back with a
basket of small； coloured fish that Ata would fry in cocoa…nut oil； or with a
lobster； and sometimes she would make a savoury dish of the great land…
crabs that scuttled away under your feet。 Up the mountain were wild…
orange trees； and now and then Ata would go with two or three women
from the village and return laden with the green； sweet； luscious fruit。
Then the cocoa…nuts would be ripe for picking； and her cousins （like all
the natives； Ata had a host of relatives） would swarm up the trees and
throw down the big ripe nuts。 They split them open and put them in the
sun to dry。 Then they cut out the copra and put it into sacks； and the
women would carry it down to the trader at the village by the lagoon； and
he would give in exchange for it rice and soap and tinned meat and a little
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money。 Sometimes there would be a feast in the neighbourhood； and a pig
would be killed。 Then they would go and eat themselves sick； and dance；
and sing hymns。
But the house was a long way from the village； and the Tahitians are
lazy。 They love to travel and they love to gossip； but they do not care to
walk； and for weeks at a time Strickland and Ata lived alone。 He painted
and he read； and in the evening； when it was dark； they sat together on the
verandah； smoking and looking at the night。 Then Ata had a baby； and
the old woman who came up to help her through her trouble stayed on。
Presently the granddaughter of the old woman came to stay with her； and
then a youth appeared no one quite knew where from or to whom he
belonged but he settled down with them in a happy…go…lucky way； and
they all lived together；
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Chapter LIII
；〃 said Tiare； one day when I was
fitting together what she could tell me of Strickland。 〃He knew Strickland
well； he visited him at his house。〃
I saw a middle…aged Frenchman with a big black beard； streaked with
gray； a sunburned face； and large； shining eyes。 He was dressed in a neat
suit of ducks。 I had noticed him at luncheon； and Ah Lin； the Chinese
boy； told me he had come from the Paumotus on the boat that had that day
arrived。 Tiare introduced me to him； and he handed me his card； a large
card on which was printed ； and underneath； We were sitting on a little verandah outside the kitchen；
and Tiare was cutting out a dress that she was making for one of the girls
about the house。 He sat down with us。
〃Yes； I knew Strickland well；〃 he said。 〃I am very fond of chess； and
he was always glad of a game。 I come to Tahiti three or four times a year
for my business； and when he was at Papeete he would come here and we
would play。 When he married〃 Captain Brunot smiled and shrugged
his shoulders 〃； when he went to live with the girl that Tiare
gave him； he asked me to go and see him。 I was one of the guests at the
wedding feast。〃 He looked at Tiare； and they both laughed。 〃He did not
come much to Papeete after that； and about a year later it chanced that I
had to go to that part of the island for I forgot what business； and when I
had finished it I said to myself： ‘； why should I not go and
see that poor Strickland？' I asked one or two natives if they knew anything
about him； and I discovered that he lived not more than five kilometres
from where I was。 So I went。 I shall never forget the impression my visit
made on me。 I live on an atoll； a low island； it is a strip of land
surrounding a lagoon； and its beauty is the beauty of the sea and sky and
the varied colour of the lagoon and the grace of the cocoa…nut trees； but
the place where Strickland lived had the beauty of the
