第34章 THE BOTTLE IMP.(9)

Outside it blew high,the great trees of the avenue cried aloud,and the fallen leaves rattled in the verandah.In the midst of this Kokua was aware of another sound;whether of a beast or of a man she could scarce tell,but it was as sad as death,and cut her to the soul.Softly she arose,set the door ajar,and looked forth into the moonlit yard.There,under the bananas,lay Keawe,his mouth in the dust,and as he lay he moaned.

It was Kokua's first thought to run forward and console him;her second potently withheld her.Keawe had borne himself before his wife like a brave man;it became her little in the hour of weakness to intrude upon his shame.With the thought she drew back into the house.

"Heaven!"she thought,"how careless have I been -how weak!It is he,not I,that stands in this eternal peril;it was he,not I,that took the curse upon his soul.It is for my sake,and for the love of a creature of so little worth and such poor help,that he now beholds so close to him the flames of hell -ay,and smells the smoke of it,lying without there in the wind and moonlight.Am Iso dull of spirit that never till now I have surmised my duty,or have I seen it before and turned aside?But now,at least,I take up my soul in both the hands of my affection;now I say farewell to the white steps of heaven and the waiting faces of my friends.Alove for a love,and let mine be equalled with Keawe's!A soul for a soul,and be it mine to perish!"She was a deft woman with her hands,and was soon apparelled.She took in her hands the change -the precious centimes they kept ever at their side;for this coin is little used,and they had made provision at a Government office.When she was forth in the avenue clouds came on the wind,and the moon was blackened.The town slept,and she knew not whither to turn till she heard one coughing in the shadow of the trees.

"Old man,"said Kokua,"what do you here abroad in the cold night?"The old man could scarce express himself for coughing,but she made out that he was old and poor,and a stranger in the island.

"Will you do me a service?"said Kokua."As one stranger to another,and as an old man to a young woman,will you help a daughter of Hawaii?""Ah,"said the old man."So you are the witch from the eight islands,and even my old soul you seek to entangle.But I have heard of you,and defy your wickedness.""Sit down here,"said Kokua,"and let me tell you a tale."And she told him the story of Keawe from the beginning to the end.

"And now,"said she,"I am his wife,whom he bought with his soul's welfare.And what should I do?If I went to him myself and offered to buy it,he would refuse.But if you go,he will sell it eagerly;I will await you here;you will buy it for four centimes,and I will buy it again for three.And the Lord strengthen a poor girl!""If you meant falsely,"said the old man,"I think God would strike you dead.""He would!"cried Kokua."Be sure he would.I could not be so treacherous -God would not suffer it.""Give me the four centimes and await me here,"said the old man.

Now,when Kokua stood alone in the street,her spirit died.The wind roared in the trees,and it seemed to her the rushing of the flames of hell;the shadows tossed in the light of the street lamp,and they seemed to her the snatching hands of evil ones.If she had had the strength,she must have run away,and if she had had the breath she must have screamed aloud;but,in truth,she could do neither,and stood and trembled in the avenue,like an affrighted child.

Then she saw the old man returning,and he had the bottle in his hand.

"I have done your bidding,"said he."I left your husband weeping like a child;to-night he will sleep easy."And he held the bottle forth.

"Before you give it me,"Kokua panted,"take the good with the evil -ask to be delivered from your cough.""I am an old man,"replied the other,"and too near the gate of the grave to take a favour from the devil.But what is this?Why do you not take the bottle?Do you hesitate?""Not hesitate!"cried Kokua."I am only weak.Give me a moment.

It is my hand resists,my flesh shrinks back from the accursed thing.One moment only!"The old man looked upon Kokua kindly."Poor child!"said he,"you fear;your soul misgives you.Well,let me keep it.I am old,and can never more be happy in this world,and as for the next -""Give it me!"gasped Kokua."There is your money.Do you think Iam so base as that?Give me the bottle."

"God bless you,child,"said the old man.

Kokua concealed the bottle under her holoku,said farewell to the old man,and walked off along the avenue,she cared not whither.

For all roads were now the same to her,and led equally to hell.

Sometimes she walked,and sometimes ran;sometimes she screamed out loud in the night,and sometimes lay by the wayside in the dust and wept.All that she had heard of hell came back to her;she saw the flames blaze,and she smelt the smoke,and her flesh withered on the coals.

Near day she came to her mind again,and returned to the house.It was even as the old man said -Keawe slumbered like a child.Kokua stood and gazed upon his face.

"Now,my husband,"said she,"it is your turn to sleep.When you wake it will be your turn to sing and laugh.But for poor Kokua,alas!that meant no evil -for poor Kokua no more sleep,no more singing,no more delight,whether in earth or heaven."With that she lay down in the bed by his side,and her misery was so extreme that she fell in a deep slumber instantly.

Late in the morning her husband woke her and gave her the good news.It seemed he was silly with delight,for he paid no heed to her distress,ill though she dissembled it.The words stuck in her mouth,it mattered not;Keawe did the speaking.She ate not a bite,but who was to observe it?for Keawe cleared the dish.Kokua saw and heard him,like some strange thing in a dream;there were times when she forgot or doubted,and put her hands to her brow;to know herself doomed and hear her husband babble,seemed so monstrous.