Meanwhile inside the luminous pictures brightened and faded.  I stood for some while unobserved in the rear of the spectators, when I could hear just in front of me a pair of lovers following the show with interest, the male playing the part of interpreter and (like Adam) mingling caresses with his lecture.  The wild animals, a tiger in particular, and that old school-treat favourite, the sleeper and the mouse, were hailed with joy; but the chief marvel and delight was in the gospel series.  Maka, in the opinion of his aggrieved wife, did not properly rise to the occasion.  ’What is the matter with the man?  Why can’t he talk?’ she cried.  The matter with the man, I think, was the greatness of the opportunity; he reeled under his good fortune; and whether he did ill or well, the exposure of these pious ‘phantoms’ did as a matter of fact silence in all that part of the island the voice of the scoffer.  ‘Why then,’ the word went round, ‘why then, the Bible is true!’ And on our return afterwards we were told the impression was yet lively, and those who had seen might be heard telling those who had not, ’O yes, it is all true; these things all happened, we have seen the pictures.’  The argument is not so childish as it seems; for I doubt if these islanders are acquainted with any other mode of representation but photography; so that the picture of an event (on the old melodrama principle that ’the camera cannot lie, Joseph,’) would appear strong proof of its occurrence.  The fact amused us the more because our slides were some of them ludicrously silly, and one (Christ before Pilate) was received with shouts of merriment, in which even Maka was constrained to join.

Sunday, July 28.—­Karaiti came to ask for a repetition of the ’phantoms’—­this was the accepted word—­and, having received a promise, turned and left my humble roof without the shadow of a salutation.  I felt it impolite to have the least appearance of pocketing a slight; the times had been too difficult, and were still too doubtful; and Queen Victoria’s son was bound to maintain the honour of his house.  Karaiti was accordingly summoned that evening to the Ricks, where Mrs. Rick fell foul of him in words, and Queen Victoria’s son assailed him with indignant looks.  I was the ass with the lion’s skin; I could not roar in the language of the Gilbert Islands; but I could stare.  Karaiti declared he had meant no offence; apologised in a sound, hearty, gentlemanly manner; and became at once at his ease.  He had in a dagger to examine, and announced he would come to price it on the morrow, to-day being Sunday; this nicety in a heathen with eight wives surprised me.  The dagger was ‘good for killing fish,’ he said roguishly; and was supposed to have his eye upon fish upon two legs.  It is at least odd that in Eastern Polynesia fish was the accepted euphemism for the human sacrifice.  Asked as to the population of his island, Karaiti called out to his vassals who sat waiting him outside the door, and they put it at four hundred and fifty; but (added Karaiti jovially) there will soon be plenty more, for all the women are in the family way.  Long before we separated I had quite forgotten his offence.  He, however, still bore it in mind; and with a very courteous inspiration returned early on the next day, paid us a long visit, and punctiliously said farewell when he departed.