there they met a man who was getting his canoe ready to sail for Lanai.
When they met the canoe man, Waka said: "Will you let us get into the
canoe with you, and take us to the place where you intend to go?"
Said the canoe man: "I will take you both with me in the canoe; the only
trouble is I have no mate to paddle the canoe."
And as the man spoke this word, "a mate to paddle the canoe," Laieikawai
drew aside the veil that covered her face because of her grandmother's
wish completely to conceal her grandchild from being seen by anyone as
they went on their way to Paliuli; but her grandchild thought otherwise.
When Laieikawai uncovered her face which her grandmother had concealed,
the grandmother shook her head at her grandchild to forbid her showing
it, lest the grandchild's beauty become thereafter nothing but a common
thing.
Now, as Laieikawai uncovered her face, the canoe man saw that Laieikawai
rivaled in beauty all the daughters of the chiefs round about Molokai
and Lanai. And lo! the man was pierced through[9] with longing for the
person he had seen.
Therefore, the man entreated the grandmother and said: "Unloosen the
veil from your grandchild's face, for I see that she is more beautiful
than all the daughters of the chiefs round about Molokai and Lanai."
The grandmother said: "I do not uncover her because she wishes to
conceal herself."
At this answer of Waka to the paddler's entreaties, Laieikawai revealed
herself fully, for she heard Waka say that she wished to conceal
herself, when she had not wanted to at all.
And when the paddler saw Laieikawai clearly, desire came to him afresh.
Then the thought sprang up within him to go and spread the news around
Molokai of this person whom he longed after.
Then the paddler said to Laieikawai and her companion, "Where are you!
live here in the house; everything within is yours, not a single thing
is withholden from you in the house; inside and outside[10] you two are
masters of this place."
When the canoe man had spoken thus, Laieikawai said, "Our host, shall
you be gone long? for it looks from your charge as if you were to be
away for good."
Said the host, "O daughter, not so; I shall not forsake you; but I must
look for a mate to paddle you both to Lanai."
And at these words, Waka said to their host, "If that is the reason for
your going away, leaving us in charge of everything in your house, then
let me say, we can help you paddle."
The man
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