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'Art thou satisfied now? said Matte to his wife. 'I should be quite satisfied, said his wife, 'if only I had two servants to help, and if I had some finer clothes. Don't you know that I am addressed as Madam? 'Well, well, said her husband. So Maie got several servants, and clothes fit for a great lady. 'Everything would now be perfect if only we had a little better dwelling for summer.
'What's the name of this little stone in the middle of the ocean? asked one of them. 'Ahtola, answered the old man. 'Well, you should want for nothing when you live in the Sea King's dominion. Matte did not understand. 'Ahti, said they, 'is a mighty king who lives in his dominion of Ahtola, and has a rock at the bottom of the sea, and possesses besides a treasury of good things.
Her skin was matte, her mouth crimson, and curved, the teeth perfect, and her heavily-lashed eyes of so deep a purple as to appear black. She was slim and supple, unencumbered by anything more confining than a suspender-belt, a fortnight off her eighteenth birthday and entirely lovable in looks, ways and temperament in the eyes of all mankind, which includes women.
But neither Matte nor Maie could sleep a wink; the one thought of how he had profaned Sunday, and the other of Ahti's cow. About midnight the fisherman sat up, and said to his wife: 'Dost thou hear anything? 'No, said she. 'I think the twirling of the weathercock on the roof bodes ill, said he; 'we shall have a storm. 'Oh, it is nothing but your fancy, said his wife.
There sat Matte in his ragged grey jacket, quite alone, on the steps of the old hut, mending a net. 'Heavens, mother, said he, 'where are you coming from at such a whirlwind pace, and what makes you in such a dripping condition? Maie looked around her amazed, and said, 'Where is our two-story house? 'What house? asked her husband.
'But there are streaks in the north-western sky, and Prince was eating grass this evening, said the old man. 'Surely he has not eaten my garlic, exclaimed the old woman. 'No; but there will be rough weather by to-morrow at sunset, rejoined Matte.
Matte and Maie were industrious, hard-working folk, happy and contented in their poor hut, and they thought themselves rich when they were able to salt as many casks of fish as they required for winter and yet have some left over with which to buy tobacco for the old man, and a pound or two of coffee for his wife, with plenty of burned corn and chicory in it to give it a flavour.
Mahlos Mahdoo, therefore, is in every respect in so intermediate a condition, that it may be considered either as a single atoll nearly dissevered into three portions, or as three atolls almost perfect and intimately connected. This is an instance of a very early stage of the apparent disseverment of an atoll, but a still earlier one in many respects is exhibited at Tilla-dou- Matte.
The fisherman and his wife stood aghast on the doorstep, holding on fast by the doorpost, while the foam splashed over their faces. 'Did I not tell thee that there is no luck in Sunday fishing? said Matte sulkily; and his wife was so frightened that she never even once thought of Ahti's cows. As there was nothing to be done, they went in.
The summer night was as dark as if it had been October, the weathercock creaked, and the storm was raging in every direction. As they went out the sea lay around them as white as snow, and the spray was dashing right over the fisher-hut. In all his life Matte had never remembered such a night. To launch the boat and put to sea to rescue the net was a thing not to be thought of.
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