d upon Keawe's tongue; he who
bought it could never sell it again, the bottle and the bottle imp must
abide with him until he died, and when he died must carry him to the red
end of hell.

The young man of Beritania Street fell upon his knees. "For God's sake,
buy it!" he cried. "You can have all my fortune in the bargain. I was
mad when I bought it at that price. I had embezzled money at my store; I
was lost else: I must have gone to gaol."

"Poor creature," said Keawe, "you would risk your soul upon so desperate
an adventure, and to avoid the proper punishment of your own disgrace;
and you think I could hesitate with love in front of me. Give me the
bottle and the change which I make sure you have all ready. Here is a
five-cent piece."

It was as Keawe supposed; the young man had the change ready in a
drawer; the bottle changed hands, and Keawe's fingers were no sooner
clasped upon the stalk than he had breathed his wish to be a clean man.
And, sure enough, when he got home to his room, and stripped himself
before a glass, his flesh was whole like an infant's. And here was the
strange thing: he had no sooner seen this miracle than his mind was
changed within him, and he cared naught for the Chinese Evil, and little
enough for Kokua; and had but the one thought, that here he was bound to
the bottle imp for time and for eternity, and had no better hope but to
be a cinder for ever in the flames of hell. Away ahead of him he saw
them blaze with his mind's eye, and his soul shrank, and darkness fell
upon the light.

When Keawe came to himself a little, he was aware it was the night when
the band played at the hotel. Thither he went, because he feared to be
alone; and there, among happy faces, walked to and fro, and heard the
tunes go up and down, and saw Berger beat the measure, and all the while
he heard the flames crackle, and saw the red fire burning in the
bottomless pit. Of a sudden the band played _Hiki-ao-ao_; that was a
song that he had sung with Kokua, and at the strain courage returned to
him.

"It is done now," he thought, "and once more let me take the good along
with the evil."

So it befell that he returned to Hawaii by the first steamer, and as
soon as it could be managed he was wedded to Kokua, and carried her up
the mountain side to the Bright House.

Now it was so with these two, that when they were together, Keawe's
heart was stilled; but so soon as he was alone he fell into a brooding
horror,