the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第11章

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her　great…grandmother；　Paahaothe　Princess　Paahao；　for　she　came　of　

the　royal　line。　　Stella　Allendale's　great…grandfather　had　been　a　

Captain　Blunt；　an　English　adventurer　who　took　service　under　

Kamehameha　I　and　was　made　a　tabu　chief　himself。　　Her　grandfather　had　

been　a　New　Bedford　whaling　captain；　while　through　her　own　father　had　

been　introduced　a　remote　blend　of　Italian　and　Portuguese　which　had　

been　grafted　upon　his　own　English　stock。　　Legally　a　Hawaiian；　Ah　

Chun's　spouse　was　more　of　any　one　of　three　other　nationalities。



And　into　this　conglomerate　of　the　races；　Ah　Chun　introduced　the　

Mongolian　mixture。　　Thus；　his　children　by　Mrs。　Ah　Chun　were　one　

thirty…second　Polynesian；　one…sixteenth　Italian；　one　sixteenth　

Portuguese；　one…half　Chinese；　and　eleven　thirty…seconds　English　and　

American。　　It　might　well　be　that　Ah　Chun　would　have　refrained　from　

matrimony　could　he　have　foreseen　the　wonderful　family　that　was　to　

spring　from　this　union。　　It　was　wonderful　in　many　ways。　　First；　

there　was　its　size。　　There　were　fifteen　sons　and　daughters；　mostly　

daughters。　　The　sons　had　come　first；　three　of　them；　and　then　had　

followed；　in　unswerving　sequence；　a　round　dozen　of　girls。　　The　blend　

of　the　race　was　excellent。　　Not　alone　fruitful　did　it　prove；　for　the　

progeny；　without　exception；　was　healthy　and　without　blemish。　　But　

the　most　amazing　thing　about　the　family　was　its　beauty。　　All　the　

girls　were　beautifuldelicately；　ethereally　beautiful。　　Mamma　Ah　

Chun's　rotund　lines　seemed　to　modify　papa　Ah　Chun's　lean　angles；　so　

that　the　daughters　were　willowy　without　being　lathy；　round…muscled　

without　being　chubby。　　In　every　feature　of　every　face　were　haunting　

reminiscences　of　Asia；　all　manipulated　over　and　disguised　by　Old　

England；　New　England；　and　South　of　Europe。　　No　observer；　without　

information；　would　have　guessed；　the　heavy　Chinese　strain　in　their　

veins；　nor　could　any　observer；　after　being　informed；　fail　to　note　

immediately　the　Chinese　traces。



As　beauties；　the　Ah　Chun　girls　were　something　new。　　Nothing　like　

them　had　been　seen　before。　　They　resembled　nothing　so　much　as　they　

resembled　one　another；　and　yet　each　girl　was　sharply　individual。　　

There　was　no　mistaking　one　for　another。　　On　the　other　hand；　Maud；　

who　was　blue…eyed　and　yellow…haired；　would　remind　one　instantly　of　

Henrietta；　an　olive　brunette　with　large；　languishing　dark　eyes　and　

hair　that　was　blue…black。　　The　hint　of　resemblance　that　ran　through　

them　all；　reconciling　every　differentiation；　was　Ah　Chun's　

contribution。　　He　had　furnished　the　groundwork　upon　which　had　been　

traced　the　blended　patterns　of　the　races。　　He　had　furnished　the　

slim…boned　Chinese　frame；　upon　which　had　been　builded　the　delicacies　

and　subtleties　of　Saxon；　Latin；　and　Polynesian　flesh。



Mrs。　Ah　Chun　had　ideas　of　her　own　to　which　Ah　Chun　gave　credence；　

though　never　permitting　them　expression　when　they　conflicted　with　

his　own　philosophic　calm。　　She　had　been　used　all　her　life　to　living　

in　European　fashion。　　Very　well。　　Ah　Chun　gave　her　a　European　

mansion。　　Later；　as　his　sons　and　daughters　grew　able　to　advise；　he　

built　a　bungalow；　a　spacious；　rambling　affair；　as　unpretentious　as　

it　was　magnificent。　　Also；　as　time　went　by；　there　arose　a　mountain　

house　on　Tantalus；　to　which　the　family　could　flee　when　the　〃sick　

wind〃　blew　from　the　south。　　And　at　Waikiki　he　built　a　beach　

residence　on　an　extensive　site　so　well　chosen　that　later　on；　when　

the　United　States　government　condemned　it　for　fortification　

purposes；　an　immense　sum　accompanied　the　condemnation。　　In　all　his　

houses　were　billiard　and　smoking　rooms　and　guest　rooms　galore；　for　

Ah　Chun's　wonderful　progeny　was　given　to　lavish　entertainment。　　The　

furnishing　was　extravagantly　simple。　　Kings'　ransoms　were　expended　

without　displaythanks　to　the　educated　tastes　of　the　progeny。



Ah　Chun　had　been　liberal　in　the　matter　of　education。　　〃Never　mind　

expense；〃　he　had　argued　in　the　old　days　with　Parkinson　when　that　

slack　mariner　could　see　no　reason　for　making　the　Vega　seaworthy；　

〃you　sail　the　schooner；　I　pay　the　bills。〃　　And　so　with　his　sons　and　

daughters。　　It　had　been　for　them　to　get　the　education　and　never　mind　

the　expense。　　Harold；　the　eldest…born；　had　gone　to　Harvard　and　

Oxford；　Albert　and　Charles　had　gone　through　Yale　in　the　same　

classes。　　And　the　daughters；　from　the　eldest　down；　had　undergone　

their　preparation　at　Mills　Seminary　in　California　and　passed　on　to　

Vassar；　Wellesley；　or　Bryn　Mawr。　　Several；　having　so　desired；　had　

had　the　finishing　touches　put　on　in　Europe。　　And　from　all　the　world　

Ah　Chun's　sons　and　daughters　returned　to　him　to　suggest　and　advise　

in　the　garnishment　of　the　chaste　magnificence　of　his　residences。　　Ah　

Chun　himself　preferred　the　voluptuous　glitter　of　Oriental　display；　

but　he　was　a　philosopher；　and　he　clearly　saw　that　his　children's　

tastes　were　correct　according　to　Western　standards。



Of　course；　his　children　were　not　known　as　the　Ah　Chun　children。　　As　

he　had　evolved　from　a　coolie　labourer　to　a　multi…millionaire；　so　had　

his　name　evolved。　　Mamma　Ah　Chun　had　spelled　it　A'Chun；　but　her　

wiser　offspring　had　elided　the　apostrophe　and　spelled　it　Achun。　　Ah　

Chun　did　not　object。　　The　spelling　of　his　name　interfered　no　whit　

with　his　comfort　nor　his　philosophic　calm。　　Besides；　he　was　not　

proud。　　But　when　his　children　arose　to　the　height　of　a　starched　

shirt；　a　stiff　collar；　and　a　frock　coat；　they　did　interfere　with　his　

comfort　and　calm。　　Ah　Chun　would　have　none　of　it。　　He　preferred　the　

loose…flowing　robes　of　China；　and　neither　could　they　cajole　nor　

bully　him　into　making　the　change。　　They　tried　both　courses；　and　in　

the　latter　one　failed　especially　disastrously。　　They　had　not　been　to　

America　for　nothing。　　They　had　learned　the　virtues　of　the　boycott　as　

employed　by　organized　labour；　and　he；　their　father；　Chun　Ah　Chun；　

they　boycotted　in　his　own　house；　Mamma　Achun　aiding　and　abetting。　　

But　Ah　Chun　himself；　while　unversed　in　Western　culture；　was　

thoroughly　conversant　with　Western　labour　conditions。　　An　extensive　

employer　of　labour　himself；　he　knew　how　to　cope　with　its　tactics。　　

Promptly　he　imposed　a　lockout　on　his　rebellious　progeny　and　erring　

spouse。　　He　discharged　his　scores　of　servants；　locked　up　his　

stables；　closed　his　houses；　and　went　to　live　in　the　Royal　Hawaiian　

Hotel；　in　which　enterprise　he　happened　to　be　the　heaviest　

stockholder。　　The　family　fluttered　distractedly　on　visits　about　with　

friends；　while　Ah　Chun　calmly　managed　his　many　affairs；　smoked　his　

long　pipe　with　the　tiny　silver　bowl；　and　pondered　the　problem　of　his　

wonderful　progeny。



This　problem　did　not　disturb　his　calm。　　He　knew　in　his　philosopher's　

soul　that　when　it　was　ripe　he　would　solve　it。　　In　the　meantime　he　

enforced　the　lesson　that　complacent　as　he　might　be；　he　was　

nevertheless　the　absolute　dictator　of　the　Achun　destinies。　　The　

family　held　out　for　a　week；　then　returned；　along　with　Ah　Chun　and　

the　many　servants；　to　occupy　the　bungalow　once　more。　　And　thereafter　

no　question　was　raised　when　Ah　Chun　elected　to　enter　his　brilliant　

drawing…room　in　blue　silk　robe；　wadded　slippers；　and　black　silk　

skull…cap　with　red　button　peak；　or　when　he　chose　to　draw　at　his　

slender…stemmed　silver…bowled　pipe　among　the　cigarette…　and　cigar…

smoking　officers　and　civilians　on　the　broad　verandas　or　in　the　

smoking　room。



Ah　Chun　occupied　a　unique　position　in　Honolulu。　　Though　he　did　not　

appear　in　society；　he　was　eligible　anywhere。　　Except　among　the　

Chinese　merchants　of　the　city；　he　never　went　out；　but　he　received；　

and　he　always　was　the　centre　of　his　household　and　the　head　of　his　

table。　　Himself　peasant；　born　Chinese；　he　presided　over　an　

atmosphere　of　culture　and　refinement　second　to　none　in　all　the　

islands。　　Nor　were　there　any　in　all　the　islands　too　proud　to　cross　

his　threshold　and　enjoy　his　hospitality。　　First　of　all；　the　Achun　

bungalow　was　of　irreproachable　tone。　　Next；　Ah　Chun　was　a　power。　　

And　finally；　Ah　Chun　was　a　moral　paragon　and　an　honest　business　man。　　

Despite　the　fact　that　business　morality　was　higher　than　on　the　

mainland；　Ah　Chun　outshone　the　business　men　of　Honolulu　in　the　

scrupulous　rigidity　of　his　honesty。　　It　was　a　saying　that　his　word　

was　as　good　as　his　bond。　　His　signature　was　never　needed　to　bind　

him。　　He　never　broke　his　word。　　Twenty　years　after　Hotchkiss；　of　

Hotchkiss；　Morterson　Company；　died；　they　found　among　mislaid　papers　

a　memorandum　of　a　loan　of　thirty　thousand　dollars　to　Ah　Chun。　　It　

had　been　incurred　when　Ah　Chun　was　Privy　Councillor　to　Kamehameha　

II。　　In　the　bustle　and　confusion　of　those　heyday；　money…making　

times；　the　affair　had　slipped　Ah　Chun's　mind。　　There　was　no　note；　no　

legal　claim　against　him；　but　he　settled　in　full　with　the　Hotchkiss'　

Estate；　voluntarily　paying　a　compound　interest　that　dwarfed　the　

principal。　　Likewise；　when　he　verbally　guaranteed　the　disastrous　

Kakiku　Ditch　Scheme；　at　a　time　when　the　least　sanguine　did　not　dream　

a　guarantee　necessary〃Signed　his　cheque　for　two　hundred　thousand　

without　a　quiver；　gentlemen；　without　a　quiver；〃　was　the　report　of　

the　secretary　of　the　defunct　enterprise；　who　had　been　sent　on　the　

forlorn　hope　of　finding　out　Ah　Chun's　intentions。　　And　on　top　of　the　

many　similar　actions　that　were　true　of　his　word；　there　was　scarcely　

a　man　of　repute　in　the　islands　that　at　one　time　or　another　had　not　

experienced　the　helping　financial　hand　of　Ah　Chun。



So　it　was　that　Honolulu　watched　his　wonderful　family　grow　up　into　a　

perplexing　problem　and　secretly　sympathized　with　him；　for　it　was　

beyond　any　of　them　to　imagine　what　he　was　going　to　do　with　it。　　But　

Ah　Chun　saw　the　problem　more　clearly　than　they。　　No　one　knew　as　he　

knew　the　extent　to　which　he　was　an　alien　in　his　family。　　His　own　

family　did　not　guess　it。　　He　saw　that　there　was　no　place　for　him　

amongst　this　marvellous　seed　of　his　loins；　and　he　looked　forward　to　

his　declining　years　and　knew　that　he　would　grow　more　and　more　alien。　　

He　did　not　understand　his　children。　　Their　conversation　was　of　

things　that　did　not　interest　him　and　about　which　he　knew　nothing。　　

The　culture　of　the　West　had　passed　him　by。　　He　was　Asiatic　to　the　

last　fibre；　which　meant　that　he　was　heathen。　　Their　Christianity　was　

to　him　so　much　nonsense。　　But　all　this　he　would　have　ignored　as　

extraneous　and　irrelevant；　could　he　have　but　understood　the　young　

people　themselves。　　When　Maud；　for　instance；　told　him　that　the　

housekeeping　bills　for　the　month　were　thirty　thousandthat　he　

understood；　as　he　understood　Albert's　request　for　five　thousand　with　

which　to　buy　the　schooner　yacht　Muriel　and　become　a　member　of　the　

Hawaiian　Yacht　Club。　　But　it　was　their　remoter；　complicated　desires　

and　mental　processes　that　obfuscated　him。　　He　was　not　slow　in　

learning　that　the　mind　of　each　son　and　daughter　was　a　secret　

labyrinth　which　he　could　never　hope　to　tread。　　Always　he　ca