(The planter had sent the money to him in Apia with a note saying
that whatever her feelings were towards him, Mrs. Marston would be
additionally aggrieved if he refused to accept a bequest from her late
husband; it would, he said, have the result of making the lady feel that
his rejection of the gift was uncalled-for and discourteous.)

"So that's all right," said Raymond, as he rose to return to the beach.
"I always liked the man, as you have often heard me say. And you really
must not be too angry with him, Mrs. Marston. These Italians--like all
Latins--are a fearfully idiotic people in some things--especially where
women are concerned. Now almost any decent Anglo-Saxon would have taken
his gruelling quietly if a woman told him three times that she didn't
want him. Frohmann thinks that that crack on the head has touched his
brain a bit; and at the same time, you must remember, Mrs. Marston,
that whether you like it or not, you won't be able to prevent men from
falling in love with you--look at me, for instance!"

Marie Raymond threw a reel of cotton at him--

"Be off to your work!"

CHAPTER XVI

A few days later the _Lupetea_ (White Pigeon) ran into the bay and
Raymond boarded her. He greeted Villari in a friendly manner, and tried
to put him at his ease by at once remarking that the ladies would be
very glad to see him again when he had time to come up to the house.
The schooner was loaded with a general cargo for the various traders and
planters on the south side of the island, and that for Raymond consisted
principally of about forty tons of yams for the use of the numerous
local labourers already employed on the plantations.

The _Lupetea_ was a rather handsome little vessel, well-fitted for the
island trade, and carried besides Villari and the mate six hands, all of
whom were Europeans, and Raymond at once recognised several of them
as old _habituee_ of Apia beach--men whose reputation as loafers and
boozers of the first water was pretty well known in Samoa. The mate,
too, was one of the same sort. He was an old man named Hutton, and was
such an incorrigible drunkard that for two years past he had found it
increasingly difficult to get employment. He had in his time been mate
of some large ships, but his intemperate habits had caused him to come
down to taking a berth as mate or second mate on small coastal schooners
whenever he could get the position.

Before he returned to the shore the planter