"And now, tell me, do you think there is any danger of war breaking out, as some people think?"
"There will be war," replied the girl, fixing her eyes upon him with a sad and boding expression, "if the Governor takes the Waitara block by force. The chief thinks so too. He has remonstrated against it, though he will fight for your Queen to the death, and lead his tribe, the great tribe of the Ngapuhi, against her enemies."
"It is a pity it cannot be avoided; but, after all, there are worse things than war."
"If there are, I do not know them," said this Egeria of the South. "I have not seen a Maori war, but if you had heard the things I have heard you would never speak lightly of one of the most awful things in the world."
"Then I hope there will not be war," said Massinger, with a smile. "Personally, I suppose the sooner I get over to Rotorua and back to Auckland the better it will be. But whatever happens, I shall always thank the fates that sent me on this particular journey."
"Then you are pleased, even now," she said. "Oh, I am so glad!" and coming nearer to him, she took both his hands in hers, and, with a gesture of childish simplicity, pressed them warmly, gazing into his face with a look of frank delight, as might a sister thanking a brother for a birthday gift.
He had never met this type of womanhood before, and might have well been pardoned if he had misunderstood the feelings which appeared to actuate this woodland sylph. But possessing, as he did, a sympathetic insight into the higher nature of women, he judged correctly that she was merely pleased with his approval of her presence and companionship.
As she withdrew her hands in a natural and instinctive fashion, while the blush which mantled under her clear brown skin showed that she felt herself to have overpassed the conventional line of courtesy, he half turned towards their attendants, who in Indian file were following up their footsteps. The Maori Ngarara was foremost on the trail, and must have noticed their attitude. For one brief moment his countenance wore the impress of all the darker passions, then relapsed into its usual expression of sullen dissatisfaction.
"We must descend now," said she, after their meal was ended. "I will promise not to go so fast for a while; you will find the evening walk quite a saunter after this morning."
"And why, may I ask, did you make the pace so good then?"