introduce you--and if you will come with me to my cottage--"

"Cottage!" exclaimed Will.

"Ay, 'tis a good and pretty one, too, notwithstanding the short time we
took to build it. The islanders are smart fellows when they have a mind
to labour, and it is wonderful what an amount can be done when the Lord
prospers the work. These good fellows," added the missionary, casting a
glance at the two natives, "who, as you see, are somewhat confused in
their ideas about dress, have already done me much service in the
building of the church--"

"Church!" echoed Will.

Again the missionary laughed, and, offering his arm to his wife, turned
towards the village, saying--

"Come, Mr Osten--you see I know your name, having heard of you from
your friend Buchanan--come, I will show you what we have been about
while you were absent; but first--tell me--how fares it with your
comrades?"

Will Osten at once entered into a full account of the doings of himself
and his friends, and had just concluded, when he was once more rendered
speechless by the sight of the missionary's cottage. It was almost the
realisation of the waking dream which had captivated him so much on the
evening when the storm arose that proved fatal to the _Foam_. He was
still gazing at it in silent admiration, listening to an enthusiastic
account of the zeal and kindness of the natives who helped to build it,
when a young girl, apparently bordering on seventeen or eighteen years
of age, with nut-brown curls, rosy cheeks, and hazel eyes, sprang out
and hastened to meet them.

"Oh, father," she exclaimed, while the colour of her face came and went
fitfully, "I'm so glad you have come! The natives have been so--so--"

"Not rude to you, Flora, surely?" interrupted the missionary.

"No, not exactly rude, but, but--"

Flora could not explain! The fact turned out to be that, never having
seen any woman so wonderfully and bewitchingly beautiful before, the
natives had crowded uninvited into the cottage, and there, seated on
their hams round the walls, quietly gazed at her to their hearts'
content--utterly ignorant of the fact that they were violating the rules
of polite society!

Will Osten, to his disgrace be it said, violated the same rules in much
the same way, for he continued to gaze at Flora in rapt admiration until
Mr Westwood turned to introduce her to him.

That same evening Bukawanga, accompanied by Thackombau, went to the
mountain-cave, and, having