The palace housed securely its fate. Liliuokolani faltered in the midst
of a confusion utterly beyond her control, much less understanding;
only Kaiuolani was left to counsel courage or excuse neglect, and the
more earnest her admonitions the less effective the appeal, falling
like cold shot upon a hardened conscience.
Gutenborj had faithfully promised the Rifles’s unswerving stand for
established law and universal order, and Aokahameha’s complacency still
bore a misty significance; yet with each distant drumbeat the princess
grew impatient: in some mysterious, forceful way impressed the queen;
who, when the last counsel had departed, crossed the room and looked
out at the beautiful land she knew of right was theirs, beholding in
the foreground yet a loitering band of unmarshalled Guards, the only
defense she could trust.
“I wish I had placed myself at the front; which, after all, is the sole
support of royalty and only effective hope of individualism,” said she,
half meditating, the curious princess staring the while blankly in her
face.
“Never mind, aunty; the constitution may soon be here, and if not
I shall bring it: then you shall proclaim the law. That will put
an end to all our troubles,” promised Kaiuolani, encouragingly, a
secret thought rising to kindle determination and light the fires of
constructive energy.
“There can be no end, dear child, until the conflict is over--and it
shall wage until one or the other is submerged; there is no crossing
of civilizations. Once the channels merge the lesser stream must yield
its course: the walls should have been repaired before the breach grew
hopeless--the constitution will never reach my hand,” sighed the queen,
her heart torn, to bleeding, with regret.
“Oh, yes; it shall. Norton is clever, and--well, I may not have been
heard from, as yet,” replied Kaiuolani, the red blood showing in her
face.
“The fruits of cleverness are but for those who indulge them. Your
security and my fate abide a loftier aim; and, you are only a
woman--Who is yonder courier? What is the commotion? Look, Kaiuolani;
the troops are moving!”
“It is Norton: the Guards load: they fire!” cried the princess, as she
sprang back from the window and ran toward the stairs.
Norton had returned.
Upon leaving the palace she had gone direct to Bender’s quarters,
finding there only Ah Mla, cowered in a corner, waiting and meditating
with stoic indifference. Said he consolingly and with distress, after a
while, having been moved temporarily to rouse from a prolonged stupor:
“Ah Mla pay cash: no catchee opium law. Blender no fetchee
constitution; makee new glovernment; Cole heap much plesident. Melican
minister big fliend: Chinaman no ledress.”
Comprehensive and elusive, Norton elicited from the abused Oriental
further the advice that Cole held himself ready at the chamber of
commerce rooms, while Varnum meandered between that place and Bender;
who marched, as her informant believed, with authority, and in company
with the supposed friend, at the very head and front of the marines,
carrying in his own hand the much abused but sorely coveted document.
Without further ado the by this time thoroughly aroused woman
re-entered her carriage and drove directly to the chamber of commerce
building.
“What in heaven’s name are you doing here, man?” demanded she, of the
startled Cole, having burst in, unexpectedly and unbidden.
“Oh! my good Norton; you came very near starting my back--you see, I
have been under----”
“Instructions, I presume; but, what’s doing?”
“Haven’t done anything, as yet, except to organize----”
“And what are you going to do?”
“Whatever Bender suggests; Varnum says that’s the best way out, now the
thing’s done.”
“And where is Bender?”
“Why, bless you, haven’t you heard? He’s just now in charge of the
marines. They’re on the way to the capitol: Varnum says Harvenoiq’s
going to raise the flag. A great day, this, Norton.”
The wily messenger cut short her stay there, and gathering Isaacs--by
chance an opportune caller--into the carriage hastened toward the front.
“Vat for you mix me und der marines? I haf droubles already enough,”
protested he, as she dragged him along.
“Never mind the trouble; it’s your pocketbook that I shall need,”
replied she, unmindful of the Jew’s contemptible plea.
“Got in himmel, Norton; take mine bloot, but spare der pocketbook!”
“Down, dog!” snarled his impatient drag, throwing open the door, as
they wheeled past the ranks and neared the lead, where Harvenoiq and
Bender still trudged and planned or quarrelled their way long.
“Stop!” yelled she, to the driver,--a native malcontent,--as he swung
into the lines, running Harvenoiq nearly down, startling Bender into
surprise, and bolting a good-sized panic all round.
“Take this! and give me the constitution,” demanded Norton, in
threatening undertones, as she leaped to the ground and in the
confusion thrust Isaacs hard upon Bender.
The speech-stricken minister of finance feigned innocence.
“You have it in your hand: I want it,” scowled she, unmindful of his
predicament.
Bender growled disapproval.
“I am from the palace--Kaiuolani is sponsor,” urged her ladyship, now
doubting the potency of a threat. His frown vanished; an idea moved him.
“Better think well; it’s----” began she, more hopefully.
“Take the laidy, too,” shouted the busy lieutenant, who had now
successfully apprehended both Isaacs and the unruly driver.
“You are a blackguard and a bully,” screamed the editress, snapping her
fingers in the strident man’s sallow-complexioned face.
“Make way for the commodore,” urged a burly escort, the while reining
forward a plunging, halting mount.
“Hie, yeo; do my eyes deceive me? Is it a lady you would accost?
Attention marines; fall back on your lines; salute--make way with your
nonsense; cut it; duck--every one of you; can’t you see it’s I?” roared
the pompous commodore, as he rode his ponderous horse steadily into
their midst.
“I don’t believe I have the honor--madam, may I have the
pleasure--confound it! Is there no one here to introduce me? Fall to;
relieve your commander; the mount--gaping idiots!” gasped the badly
winded American, swinging a dapper boot and daintly proportioned leg
snappily to the ground.
“I am Miss Norton, the queen’s special messenger.”
“Commodore Uhlrix, in command of the Pacific squadron, by grace of her
majesty a visitor in the harbor and--d--n me (aside)--with due respect
a conservator of the--peace and content--throughout--the land. This is
indeed an unexpected pleasure. I trust I may be permitted----”
“To serve. Most agreeably----”
“You have but to mention a wish. I should be only too happy----”
“This man (indicating Bender) has purloined the only draft of her
majesty’s proposed new constitution. He has it now: please compel its
surrender.”
“What? A constitution? I am shocked. Stand to, ready marines; double
up the guard watch; march the culprit hence in haste; deliver the
priceless charge anent the throne.”
Norton dodged behind the carriage, and in the twinkling of an eye
emerged beyond the lines: the commodore blurted away, confusedly, then
turned to pursue a deep-intentioned friendliness--his fair visitor had
flown; no one around cared, or would raise a hand to prevent her going:
pertinacity seemed to merit the indignation, and turning upon his
tormenters, the beaten gallant hissed reproachfully:
“A spy!”
No one answered: Isaacs trembled.
“Who is the Jew? An escort?” demanded Uhlrix, his stub legs scarcely
trudging the huge corpus that now writhed in distress.
“Bray, sir, belief me; I am an unwilling auditor,” humbly pleaded the
sorely conscious Isaacs.
“A hostage, you are. And a healthy one, too; the look of you betrays
somebody’s proper reimbursement. Shackle him, lieutenant, and send
scouts after the spy. Uhlrix is an American, every inch a democrat.”
The scouts, as it were, did not pursue their quest beyond an entrance
to the first saloon. Norton had spied them, nevertheless, and
redoubling the speed soon landed safely, but sorely tried within
reaching distance of the palace guard lines. Here she paused for
reflection. The drumbeats grew louder; the marines were close at
hand: time were a boon, but intuition served better the necessities;
grappling with fate, her conscience by eagerness, Norton ran, with
tatters flying, into the midst of an only defense, screaming:
“To your arms; make haste; the palace is endangered!”
Aokahameha, their sole trust, unmindful of the timely warning, headless
of decisive opportunity, careless of a nation’s destiny, turned from
duty, ignored the call and eschewed privilege to coddle the spirit
that bound him slave.
“Can’t you love me, Ihoas? give me some little encouragement? brighten
with only a smile the tedium of living? It is so little to give, yet
all the world to me. Answer, Ihoas; my hereafter depends upon it,”
pleaded he, over drunk even to the dregs.
Ihoas’s head drooped and her face flushed; she could neither answer nor
comprehend, only whispered:
“So little to give!”
Could this man whom she had hoped to reconcile to a serviceable, more
befitting love--might share the throne--prize so much a thing deemed
of so little consequence? The answer that he would have must crush her
hope, and if mortality be the end, why the sacrifice?
“I am unworthy the repose. Do you not discern the inevitable?
Everywhere around, stalwart men await you: hearken the voice of a
leader. See! They are already tauntingly pressed; shot and laughter
rent the air. Rise, Aokahameha, and bid defiance to conscience.”
“Let them shoot,” replied the heedless general; “I lie content till
Ihoas speaks.”