orks. He was by nature a
cook, but church-building occupied his leisure moments, and he prided
himself upon being not only cleverer, but considerably blacker, than the
islanders.

"Now you keep out ob de road, leetil Za." This was addressed to
Zariffa, who, by that time, could not only toddle but trowel, besides
being able to swim like a duck. "Take care, missy Za, dat clumsy feller
wid the big stone--let him fall, and--oh!"

The negro gave vent to a yell, for the accident he feared actually
occurred. The clumsy native let a huge piece of coral-rock fall from
his shoulder, which just missed crushing the brown little girl. It
dropped on a mass of soft lime, which flew up in all directions, making
Zariffa piebald at once, and, what was more serious, sending a lump
straight into Tomeo's face. This was too much for the great man. He
seized the culprit by the neck, and thrust his brown visage down upon
the lime, from which he arose white, leaving a beautiful cast of his
features behind him.

Tomeo was pacified at once. He burst into a loud laugh, while the
guilty man slunk humbly away, not, however, without receiving a salute
from Buttchee's active foot in passing.

At this moment Zeppa came up, holding his son Orlando, a well-grown lad
of fourteen, by the hand. He at once observed the captain of the
schooner, and, going forward, shook hands with him and the mate. He had
made their acquaintance the day before, when the vessel anchored in the
lagoon.

"I have come to say good-bye, Mr Zeppa. We have finished taking in
fresh water sooner than I had expected, and will be ready to sail with
the evening breeze."

"Indeed? I regret this for various reasons" replied Zeppa, in a soft
musical voice, that one scarcely expected to issue from such a capacious
chest. There was about the man an air of gentle urbanity and tenderness
which might have induced a stranger to suppose him effeminate, had not
his manly looks and commanding stature rendered the idea absurd. "In
the first place," he continued, "my wife and I had hoped to show you
some hospitality. You know we seldom have visitors to this
out-of-the-way island. Then we wanted your advice with regard to the
building of our church, which, you see, is progressing rapidly; and
last, but not least, I wished to ask a favour, which it will be
impossible to grant if you sail to-night."

"Perhaps not impossible," said Captain Daniel, whose gruff nature was
irresistib