With a trampled queen doggedly clinging to an unheeded, hinderless
authority and Kaiuolani speeding toward but a conjectured mission
the long sown, potently dormant seed of restlessness quickly, subtly
sprang into a veritable reality. The secretly compelling force of
a self-adapting, all-pervading heterogenesis, however, suddenly
brought out undeniably the new and existant, if undetermined body
politic. Anarchism had supplanted organization, and of necessity more
than prevision the occasion for some sort of provisional government
inalterably arose.
Chaos reigned everywhere and there remained not an effective agency to
stem the tide of disintegration: unrealized purpose stalked gloomily in
the face of apparent disorder, and no man seemed able to marshal the
courage of his convictions.
An abused heir and gauged correctly at the last moment Great Britain’s
probable attitude in the absence of positive instructions; Elmsford’s
slow attempt convinced her of as much,--though she never did guess
rightly his blundering intent,--and if dogged away her escape, even at
the cost of personal indignity, proved as confusing to those who would
build upon her absence as it was gratifying to the admiral who winked
at her going.
Norton had, as Isaacs had good reason to know, seen the Englishman
first--Kaiuolani, Bender, Elmsford, or any other interested individual
to the contrary notwithstanding--and the direction of her immediate
actions more than proved the wisdom of his conclusion. There seemed to
be no prospect of interference in that direction.
The marines had done all that lay within their scope or power and
resting back in camp awaited further developments or speculated upon
the outcome of Young’s forthcoming trial.
Their commander waxed hot with borrowed indignation, but could not
be induced to take a hand at bringing order out of an uncertainty
occasioned for the most part by his own stupid gravity and soggy
temper. Harvenoiq had been restored, it is true, to his questionable
liberties, but shorn of Bender’s support or usage his flabby conscience
scarce ventured so much as an excuse. Here again no prospect gleamed to
insure those whose fortunes tossed and buffeted at sea.
The Rifles and Guards played at hide and seek; Gutenborj awaited
anxiously an opportunity to cling to some one; Varnum slunk at Uhlrix’s
indifference; Young remained a prisoner; Aokahameha lay wounded; and
Bender dogged his pursuers--all were as babes, nursing their feelings
or afraid of any kind of expression, yet Norton boldly but advisedly
published a pretended call requiring those who might to appear on the
morrow, at twelve o’clock noon, in the armory, to answer in person for
the establishment of a temporary government.
It was a first deliberate attempt at wielding public influence, and,
saving Young, no one knew or suspicioned the real purpose of her sudden
activity.
“You shall heed me, though,” growled Norton, in suppressed anger, as
the colonel firmly denied her last request, upon departing his prison
quarters, where she had gained an interview before proceeding to the
editorial rooms, now besieged by anxious inquisitors.
Young made no answer, but stood reflecting the baseness of her proposal
and the probable outcome of his own displacement.
“You shall heed me,” repeated she, more savagely than before, her hand
gripping tightly the knob in the still closed door.
“No; never,” replied he, downcastfully.
“The nomination might change your mind.”
“Not in the face of a constitution.”
“What constitution?”
“The new one.”
“There is none.”
“Bender says there is.”
“Have you seen him?”
“Yes.”
Norton slammed the door and went her way, troubled with a new and
unthought of situation. That they two--Bender and Young--should, would
or could have communicated with each other under the circumstances went
beyond her farthest contemplation. Though she had misadvised Young as
to Kaiuolani’s situation, possibly sooner known to him at Bender’s
hand, she would not weaken, and with troubles doubled nerved herself
for the occasion.
“Yes,” said she to Gutenborj, but a few moments later, having received
him privately at the office of the for once respected _Ware Wizzard
Wise_; “Young must be made chairman; it is our only compromise.”
“He? A convict? With my support? The thought of it! I have been, I
acknowledge, fooled these many years, but--not any more.”
“Tut, tut! Vain wisdom outruns your good sense; he is only a prisoner,
not a convict--and if I mistake not would be gladly released under
shelter of the first pretext.”
“I don’t understand your philosophy.”
“Nor shall you till made.”
“The army is inexorable; he is an American, not a Hawaiian.”
“Like pretty much all the rest of us; and, perchance, no more
susceptible, if less cosmopolitan. Try him; the rest shall; they are
helpless.”
“My hands are clean. Let events resolve their own proper course;
discipline is unavoidable and myself content.”
“You may think well of retiring; the lion’s share is tempting, but
please don’t forget that there are others who would share in the
spoils.”
“You insult me. I have nothing not my own.”
“Did you ever hear of anybody’s pretending otherwise? It ill becomes
Kalakaua’s best friend to fail of comprehension.”
“Stop wrangling, madam; the sweep of empire alone inspires. Hawaii is
doomed in the recreation of America.”
“Along with some of its would-be conservatives. See here, Hans
Gutenborj: if compelled, I can release Colonel Young in a jiffy. I may
do so rather than see him thrown down by the man who has profited
most, and for years, at his expense.”
“Gracious goodness, goodness gracious! As if his release would serve
your highfalutin purpose. Really, you make me tired. I trow, Bender
shall attend to the clipping of your wings.”
“Bender! The one man, who--but there now; I shall not insist; they say
a woman cannot hold her tongue; we shall see. I presume you intend
being on hand, as usual, in furtherance of a ‘safe, sound and sane’
interpretation of ‘law and order’?”
“If it serves my convenience, yes.”
“Your fortune, you mean.”
“Heaven save us! A woman’s tongue is our readiest means--of undoing.
Madam, permit me the privilege of an humble good-day.”
Drawing round a rapidly waning apprehension still more snugly the
cloak of security issuing as the result of a final installation of
the marines the big, oversure planter, fat with knightly if debatable
concessions quietly left the humble editress amid the storm of
denunciation a last, intolerable straw had provoked.
Designing little but caring much Gutenborj walked leisurely round (only
a short distance) to Uhlrix’s ominous camp “Bonton,” deliberately and
newly established at the old historic villa where Liliuokolani herself
had spent most all her childhood days. The once resplendent halls now
resounded with the rattle and bang of heavier stalkings. A foreign
force without leave or license had cold-heartedly appropriated this
the most inviting place at hand to its own uncertain use and doubtful
occupation; their puffed-up commander vainly renaming it in honor
of the ship they proudly manned. Their latest visitor, confident and
hopeful, tendering his card, with compliments, at the gate, soon found
himself ushering into the presence of the one he sought--but Norton had
sooner anticipated his going. She too had been there.