lives　and　property　of　British　subjects；　that　he　had　considered　his
  protest　a　purely　naval　one；　and　as　the　matter　stood　could　only
  report　the　case　to　the　admiral　on　the　station。　　〃I　have　the
  honour；〃　replied　Fritze；　〃to　refuse　to　entertain　the　protest
  concerning　the　safety　of　Her　Britannic　Majesty's　ship　LIZARD　as
  being　a　naval　matter。　　The　safety　of　Her　Majesty's　ship　LIZARD　was
  never　in　the　least　endangered。　　This　was　guaranteed　by　the
  disciplined　fire　of　a　few　shots　under　the　direction　of　two
  officers。〃　　This　offensive　note；　in　view　of　Fritze's　careful　and
  honest　bearing　among　so　many　other　complications；　may　be　attributed
  to　some　misunderstanding。　　His　small　knowledge　of　English　perhaps
  failed　him。　　But　I　cannot　pass　it　by　without　remarking　how　far　too
  much　it　is　the　custom　of　German　officials　to　fall　into　this　style。
  It　may　be　witty；　I　am　sure　it　is　not　wise。　　It　may　be　sometimes
  necessary　to　offend　for　a　definite　object；　it　can　never　be
  diplomatic　to　offend　gratuitously。
  Becker　was　more　explicit；　although　scarce　less　curt。　　And　his
  defence　may　be　divided　into　two　statements：　　first；　that　the
  TAUMUALUA　was　proceeding　to　land　with　a　hostile　purpose　on　Mulinuu；
  second；　that　the　shots　complained　of　were　fired　by　the　Samoans。
  The　second　may　be　dismissed　with　a　laugh。　　Human　nature　has　laws。
  And　no　men　hitherto　discovered；　on　being　suddenly　challenged　from
  the　sea；　would　have　turned　their　backs　upon　the　challenger　and
  poured　volleys　on　the　friendly　shore。　　The　first　is　not　extremely
  credible；　but　merits　examination。　　The　story　of　the　recovered　gun
  seems　straightforward；　it　is　supported　by　much　testimony；　the
  diving　operations　on　the　reef　seem　to　have　been　watched　from　shore
  with　curiosity；　it　is　hard　to　suppose　that　it　does　not　roughly
  represent　the　fact。　　And　yet　if　any　part　of　it　be　true；　the　whole
  of　Becker's　explanation　falls　to　the　ground。　　A　boat　which　had
  skirted　the　whole　eastern　coast　of　Mulinuu；　and　was　already
  opposite　a　wharf　in　Matafele；　and　still　going　west；　might　have　been
  guilty　on　a　thousand　points　…　there　was　one　on　which　she　was
  necessarily　innocent；　she　was　necessarily　innocent　of　proceeding　on
  Mulinuu。　　Or　suppose　the　diving　operations；　and　the　native
  testimony；　and　Pelly's　chart　of　the　boat's　course；　and　the　boat
  itself；　to　be　all　stages　of　some　epidemic　hallucination　or　steps　in
  a　conspiracy　…　suppose　even　a　second　TAUMUALUA　to　have　entered　Apia
  bay　after　nightfall；　and　to　have　been　fired　upon　from　Grevsmuhl's
  wharf　in　the　full　career　of　hostilities　against　Mulinuu　…　suppose
  all　this；　and　Becker　is　not　helped。　　At　the　time　of　the　first　fire；
  the　boat　was　off　Grevsmuhl's　wharf。　　At　the　time　of　the　second　（and
  that　is　the　one　complained　of）　she　was　off　Carruthers's　wharf　in
  Matautu。　　Was　she　still　proceeding　on　Mulinuu？　　I　trow　not。　　The
  danger　to　German　property　was　no　longer　imminent；　the　shots　had
  been　fired　upon　a　very　trifling　provocation；　the　spirit　implied　was
  that　of　designed　disregard　to　the　neutrality。　　Such　was　the
  impression　here　on　the　spot；　such　in　plain　terms　the　statement　of
  Count　Hatzfeldt　to　Lord　Salisbury　at　home：　　that　the　neutrality　of
  Apia　was　only　〃to　prevent　the　natives　from　fighting；〃　not　the
  Germans；　and　that　whatever　Becker　might　have　promised　at　the
  conference；　he　could　not　〃restrict　German　war…vessels　in　their
  freedom　of　action。〃
  There　was　nothing　to　surprise　in　this　discovery；　and　had　events
  been　guided　at　the　same　time　with　a　steady　and　discreet　hand；　it
  might　have　passed　with　less　observation。　　But　the　policy　of　Becker
  was　felt　to　be　not　only　reckless；　it　was　felt　to　be　absurd　also。
  Sudden　nocturnal　onfalls　upon　native　boats　could　lead；　it　was　felt；
  to　no　good　end　whether　of　peace　or　war；　they　could　but　exasperate；
  they　might　prove；　in　a　moment；　and　when　least　expected；　ruinous。
  To　those　who　knew　how　nearly　it　had　come　to　fighting；　and　who
  considered　the　probable　result；　the　future　looked　ominous。　　And
  fear　was　mingled　with　annoyance　in　the　minds　of　the　Anglo…Saxon
  colony。　　On　the　24th；　a　public　meeting　appealed　to　the　British　and
  American　consuls。　　At　half…past　seven　in　the　evening　guards　were
  landed　at　the　consulates。　　On　the　morrow　they　were　each　fortified
  with　sand…bags；　and　the　subjects　informed　by　proclamation　that
  these　asylums　stood　open　to　them　on　any　alarm；　and　at　any　hour　of
  the　day　or　night。　　The　social　bond　in　Apia　was　dissolved。　　The
  consuls；　like　barons　of　old；　dwelt　each　in　his　armed　citadel。　　The
  rank　and　file　of　the　white　nationalities　dared　each　other；　and
  sometimes　fell　to　on　the　street　like　rival　clansmen。　　And　the
  little　town；　not　by　any　fault　of　the　inhabitants；　rather　by　the　act
  of　Becker；　had　fallen　back　in　civilisation　about　a　thousand　years。
  There　falls　one　more　incident　to　be　narrated；　and　then　I　can　close
  with　this　ungracious　chapter。　　I　have　mentioned　the　name　of　the　new
  English　consul。　　It　is　already　familiar　to　English　readers；　for　the
  gentleman　who　was　fated　to　undergo　some　strange　experiences　in　Apia
  was　the　same　de　Coetlogon　who　covered　Hicks's　flank　at　the　time　of
  the　disaster　in　the　desert；　and　bade　farewell　to　Gordon　in　Khartoum
  before　the　investment。　　The　colonel　was　abrupt　and　testy；　Mrs。　de
  Coetlogon　was　too　exclusive　for　society　like　that　of　Apia；　but
  whatever　their　superficial　disabilities；　it　is　strange　they　should
  have　left；　in　such　an　odour　of　unpopularity；　a　place　where　they　set
  so　shining　an　example　of　the　sterling　virtues。　　The　colonel　was
  perhaps　no　diplomatist；　he　was　certainly　no　lawyer；　but　he
  discharged　the　duties　of　his　office　with　the　constancy　and　courage
  of　an　old　soldier；　and　these　were　found　sufficient。　　He　and　his
  wife　had　no　ambition　to　be　the　leaders　of　society；　the　consulate
  was　in　their　time　no　house　of　feasting；　but　they　made　of　it　that
  house　of　mourning　to　which　the　preacher　tells　us　it　is　better　we
  should　go。　　At　an　early　date　after　the　battle　of　Matautu；　it　was
  opened　as　a　hospital　for　the　wounded。　　The　English　and　Americans
  subscribed　what　was　required　for　its　support。　　Pelly　of　the　LIZARD
  strained　every　nerve　to　help；　and　set　up　tents　on　the　lawn　to　be　a
  shelter　for　the　patients。　　The　doctors　of　the　English　and　American
  ships；　and　in　particular　Dr。　Oakley　of　the　LIZARD；　showed
  themselves　indefatigable。　　But　it　was　on　the　de　Coetlogons　that　the
  distress　fell。　　For　nearly　half　a　year；　their　lawn；　their　verandah；
  sometimes　their　rooms；　were　cumbered　with　the　sick　and　dying；　their
  ears　were　filled　with　the　complaints　of　suffering　humanity；　their
  time　was　too　short　for　the　multiplicity　of　pitiful　duties。　　In　Mrs。
  de　Coetlogon；　and　her　helper；　Miss　Taylor；　the　merit　of　this
  endurance　was　perhaps　to　be　looked　for；　in　a　man　of　the　colonel's
  temper；　himself　painfully　suffering；　it　was　viewed　with　more
  surprise；　if　with　no　more　admiration。　　Doubtless　all　had　their
  reward　in　a　sense　of　duty　done；　doubtless；　also；　as　the　days
  passed；　in　the　spectacle　of　many　traits　of　gratitude　and　patience；
  and　in　the　success　that　waited　on　their　efforts。　　Out　of　a　hundred
  cases　treated；　only　five　died。　　They　were　all　well…behaved；　though
  full　of　childish　wiles。　　One　old　gentleman；　a　high　chief；　was
  seized　with　alarming　symptoms　of　belly…ache　whenever　Mrs。　de
  Coetlogon　went　her　rounds　at　night：　　he　was　after　brandy。　　Others
  were　insatiable　for　morphine　or　opium。　　A　chief　woman　had　her　foot
  amputated　under　chloroform。　　〃Let　me　see　my　foot！　　Why　does　it　not
  hurt？〃　she　cried。　　〃It　hurt　so　badly　before　I　went　to　sleep。〃
  Siteoni；　whose　name　has　been　already　mentioned；　had　his　shoulder…
  blade　excised；　lay　the　longest　of　any；　perhaps　behaved　the　worst；
  and　was　on　all　these　grounds　the　favourite。　　At　times　he　was
  furiously　irritable；　and　would　rail　upon　his　family　and　rise　in　bed
  until　he　swooned　with　pain。　　Once　on　the　balcony　he　was　thought　to
  be　dying；　his　family　keeping　round　his　mat；　his　father　exhorting
  him　to　be　prepared；　when　Mrs。　de　Coetlogon　brought　him　round　again
  with　brandy　and　smelling…salts。　　After　discharge；　he　returned　upon
  a　visit　of　gratitude；　and　it　was　observed；　that　instead　of　coming
  straight　to　the　door；　he　went　and　stood　long　under　his　umbrella　on
  that　spot　of　ground　where　his　mat　had　been　stretched　and　he　had
  endured　pain　so　many　months。　　Similar　visits　were　the　rule；　I
  believe　without　exception；　and　the　grateful　patients　loaded　Mrs。　de
  Coetlogon　with　gifts　which　（had　that　been　possible　in　Polynesia）
  she　would　willingly　have　declined；　for　they　were　often　of　value　to
  the　givers。
  The　tissue　of　my　story　is　one　of　rapacity；　intrigue；　and　the
  triumphs　of　temper；　the　hospital　at　the　consulate　stands　out　almost
  alone　as　an　episode　of　human　beauty；　and　I　dwell　on　it　with
  satisfaction。　　But　it　was　not　regarded　at　the　time　with　universal
  favour；　and　even　to…day　its　institution　is　though