"Jane, you can go," said Brand, turning to the girl. As she left the room he rose and locked the door. "Now, what is it?" he said to Tolai, in the native tongue. "Speak your own tongue, Tolai, else the woman may hear. These walls are not thick!" "Good," replied Tolai, standing like a pupil before Brand, but nevertheless cunningly getting as close as possible to the wall behind which the three were hidden. "I no love the white man's tongue, Misi. I have looked for you these many days. I come from Niga." "Did Niga send you to me?" "Yes, Misi; he sent me to ask about Tera." "But you were with her the other day," said Korah, a trifle suspiciously. "You declared then that you came from Viara." "Oh yes, I know I say so. But you do not understand, Misi. I am clever. Niga wants Tera to die; so he told me to say I came from Viara. Then Tera loves me and wants me always to be with her. Some day I kill her--you see?" "Does Niga want you to kill her?" "Yes, Misi, he does--me or you." Not the least suspicion had Brand that Tolai was lying to him, still less acting a part to which six eager ears were listening--straining to catch every word, in the adjoining room. He answered freely, without so much as lowering his voice, for he felt secure in speaking the Polynesian tongue. "I suppose Niga did send you," he said slowly, "or you would hardly know as much as you do. The girl is not dead yet, as you see; and if there is to be any killing, I had rather you did it. I've had enough of the business." He shuddered slightly. "You are no warrior, Misi. Why did you not obey Niga?" "I did; or at least I thought I did. But it turned out I had made a mistake. Tera had changed clothes with another girl. I strangled that girl in mistake for her!" "Ha! ha! You should have been sure she was the right one, Misi; you should have watched for her!" "I did, Tolai. I watched longer than you would have cared to watch," answered Brand, with some irritation. "I saw that Tera was accustomed to take a walk every evening in the twilight, so I determined to follow her and strangle her. I thought that was the quietest way of settling her. I took a cord, a silk cord, from Misi Johnson's room, and one evening I followed her. But I lost sight of her for a while; some people were about, and I had to take great care not to be seen. When I came up with her--as I thought--again, she was walking along, crying. I crept up behind her, and threw the cord round her neck. She died very quietly, but it was only after she was dead that I discovered she was a gipsy girl, and not Tera. So I have a murder on my soul, and that for nothing!" "Ahoee!" said Tolai. "If you are so afraid, why did you promise to kill Tera?" "Why? Well, you, poor savage, would not understand. But Niga promised me that if Tera died, and he became chief, he would compel all the people of Koiau to become Christians. I sacrificed the girl that the gospel might be spread." "But she is not yet dead!"