and rings with which the arms of the young
women were covered, and earrings, etc.,--all of solid gold and
native-made--there were necklaces and collars composed of Spanish and
American dollars and British half-crowns and other coins. In short,
these Sumatran young girls carried much of the wealth of their parents
on their persons, and were entitled to wear it until they should be
relegated to the ranks of the married--the supposed-to-be unfrivolous,
and the evidently unadorned!

As this was a region full of birds, beasts, and insects of many kinds,
it was resolved, for the professor's benefit, that a few days should be
spent in it. Accordingly, the village chief set apart a newly-built
house for the visitors' accommodation, and a youth named Grogo was
appointed to wait on them and act as guide when they wished to traverse
any part of the surrounding forest.

The house was on the outskirts of the village, a matter of satisfaction
to the professor, as it enabled him at once to plunge into his beloved
work unobserved by the youngsters. It also afforded him a better
opportunity of collecting moths, etc., by the simple method of opening
his window at night. A mat or wicker-work screen divided the hut into
two apartments, one of which was entirely given over to the naturalist
and his _materiel_.

"I vil begin at vonce," said the eager man, on taking possession.

And he kept his word by placing his lamp on a table in a conspicuous
position, so that it could be well seen from the outside. Then he threw
his window wide open, as a general invitation to the insect world to
enter!

Moths, flying beetles, and other creatures were not slow to accept the
invitation. They entered by twos, fours, sixes--at last by scores,
insomuch that the room became uninhabitable except by the man himself,
and his comrades soon retired to their own compartment, leaving him to
carry on his work alone.

"You enjoy this sort of thing?" said Nigel, as he was about to retire.

"Enchoy it? yes--it is 'paradise regained'!" He pinned a giant moth at
the moment and gazed triumphant through his blue glasses.

"'Paradise lost' to the moth, anyhow," said Nigel with a nod, as he bade
him good-night, and carefully closed the wicker door to check the
incursions of uncaptured specimens. Being rather tired with the day's
journey, he lay down on a mat beside the hermit, who was already sound
asleep.

But our hero found that sleep was not easily attainable s