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The Chinaman listened, and listened; he called up the house to Keawe to ask if all were well, and Keawe answered him "Yes," and bade him go to bed; but there was no more singing in the Bright House; and all night long the Chinaman heard his master's feet go round and round the balconies without repose.
“I have fifty dollars,” said Keawe; “but a house like this will cost more than fifty dollars.” The man made a computation. “I am sorry you have no more,” said he, “for it may raise you trouble in the future; but it shall be yours at fifty dollars.” “The house?” asked Keawe. “No, not the house,” replied the man; “but the bottle.
For I have a thought in my mind, and if you knew who I was, you might have heard of me, and would not give me a true answer. But tell me, first of all, one thing: Are you married?" At this Kokua laughed out aloud. "It is you who ask questions," she said. "Are you married yourself?" "Indeed, Kokua, I am not," replied Keawe, "and never thought to be until this hour. But here is the plain truth.
“Well, I observe two things,” said Keawe. “All the time you keep sighing like a maid in love, that is one; and, for the other, you sell this bottle very cheap.” “I have told you already why I sigh,” said the man. “It is because I fear my health is breaking up; and, as you said yourself, to die and go to the devil is a pity for anyone.
It was long ere slumber came to them, and, if either dozed off, it would be to wake and find the other silently weeping in the dark, or, perhaps, to wake alone, the other having fled from the house and the neighbourhood of that bottle, to pace under the bananas in the little garden, or to wander on the beach by moonlight. One night it was so when Kokua awoke. Keawe was gone.
When they had viewed all, Keawe and Lopaka sat on the porch. "Well," asked Lopaka, "is it all as you designed?" "Words cannot utter it," said Keawe. "It is better than I dreamed, and I am sick with satisfaction." "There is but one thing to consider," said Lopaka; "all this may be quite natural, and the bottle imp have nothing whatever to say to it.
"Hold on," said Keawe, "I don't want any more of this fun. Here, take your bottle back." "You have bought it for less than I paid for it," replied the man, rubbing his hands. "It is yours now; and, for my part, I am only concerned to see the back of you." And with that he rang for his Chinese servant, and had Keawe shown out of the house.
But Lopaka was thinking to himself, and presently, when Keawe’s grief was a little abated, “I have been thinking,” said Lopaka. “Had not your uncle lands in Hawaii, in the district of Kau?” “No,” said Keawe, “not in Kau; they are on the mountain-side—a little way south of Hookena.” “These lands will now be yours?” asked Lopaka.
But, then, there is France; they have a small coin there which they call a centime, and these go five to the cent or there-about. We could not do better. Come, Keawe, let us go to the French islands; let us go to Tahiti, as fast as ships can bear us. There we have four centimes, three centimes, two centimes, one centime; four possible sales to come and go on; and two of us to push the bargain.
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.”
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