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family held out for a week； then returned； along with Ah Chun and
the many servants； to occupy the bungalow once more。 And thereafter
no question was raised when Ah Chun elected to enter his brilliant
drawing…room in blue silk robe； wadded slippers； and black silk
skull…cap with red button peak； or when he chose to draw at his
slender…stemmed silver…bowled pipe among the cigarette… and cigar…
smoking officers and civilians on the broad verandas or in the
smoking room。
Ah Chun occupied a unique position in Honolulu。 Though he did not
appear in society； he was eligible anywhere。 Except among the
Chinese merchants of the city； he never went out； but he received；
and he always was the centre of his household and the head of his
table。 Himself peasant； born Chinese； he presided over an
atmosphere of culture and refinement second to none in all the
islands。 Nor were there any in all the islands too proud to cross
his threshold and enjoy his hospitality。 First of all； the Achun
bungalow was of irreproachable tone。 Next； Ah Chun was a power。
And finally； Ah Chun was a moral paragon and an honest business man。
Despite the fact that business morality was higher than on the
mainland； Ah Chun outshone the business men of Honolulu in the
scrupulous rigidity of his honesty。 It was a saying that his word
was as good as his bond。 His signature was never needed to bind
him。 He never broke his word。 Twenty years after Hotchkiss； of
Hotchkiss； Morterson Company； died； they found among mislaid papers
a memorandum of a loan of thirty thousand dollars to Ah Chun。 It
had been incurred when Ah Chun was Privy Councillor to Kamehameha
II。 In the bustle and confusion of those heyday； money…making
times； the affair had slipped Ah Chun's mind。 There was no note； no
legal claim against him； but he settled in full with the Hotchkiss'
Estate； voluntarily paying a compound interest that dwarfed the
principal。 Likewise； when he verbally guaranteed the disastrous
Kakiku Ditch Scheme； at a time when the least sanguine did not dream
a guarantee necessary〃Signed his cheque for two hundred thousand
without a quiver； gentlemen； without a quiver；〃 was the report of
the secretary of the defunct enterprise； who had been sent on the
forlorn hope of finding out Ah Chun's intentions。 And on top of the
many similar actions that were true of his word； there was scarcely
a man of repute in the islands that at one time or another had not
experienced the helping financial hand of Ah Chun。
So it was that Honolulu watched his wonderful family grow up into a
perplexing problem and secretly sympathized with him； for it was
beyond any of them to imagine what he was going to do with it。 But
Ah Chun saw the problem more clearly than they。 No one knew as he
knew the extent to which he was an alien in his family。 His own
family did not guess it。 He saw that there was no place for him
amongst this marvellous seed of his loins； and he looked forward to
his declining years and knew that he would grow more and more alien。
He did not understand his children。 Their conversation was of
things that did not interest him and about which he knew nothing。
The culture of the West had passed him by。 He was Asiatic to the
last fibre； which meant that he was heathen。 Their Christianity was
to him so much nonsense。 But all this he would have ignored as
extraneous and irrelevant； could he have but understood the young
people themselves。 When Maud； for instance； told him that the
housekeeping bills for the month were thirty thousandthat he
understood； as he understood Albert's request for five thousand with
which to buy the schooner yacht Muriel and become a member of the
Hawaiian Yacht Club。 But it was their remoter； complicated desires
and mental processes that obfuscated him。 He was not slow in
learning that the mind of each son and daughter was a secret
labyrinth which he could never hope to tread。 Always he came upon
the wall that divides East from West。 Their souls were inaccessible
to him； and by the same token he knew that his soul was inaccessible
to them。
Besides； as the years came upon him； he found himself harking back
more and more to his own kind。 The reeking smells of the Chinese
quarter were spicy to him。 He sniffed them with satisfaction as he
passed along the street； for in his mind they carried him back to
the narrow tortuous alleys of Canton swarming with life and
movement。 He regretted that he had cut off his queue to please
Stella Allendale in the prenuptial days； and he seriously considered
the advisability of shaving his crown and growing a new one。 The
dishes his highly paid chef concocted for him failed to tickle his
reminiscent palate in the way that the weird messes did in the
stuffy restaurant down in the Chinese quarter。 He enjoyed vastly
more a half…hour's smoke and chat with two or three Chinese chums；
than to preside at the lavish and elegant dinners for which his
bungalow was famed； where the pick of the Americans and Europeans
sat at the long table； men and women on equality； the women with
jewels that blazed in the subdued light against white necks and
arms； the men in evening dress； and all chattering and laughing over
topics and witticisms that； while they were not exactly Greek to
him； did not interest him nor entertain。
But it was not merely his alienness and his growing desire to return
to his Chinese flesh…pots that constituted the problem。 There was
also his wealth。 He had looked forward to a placid old age。 He had
worked hard。 His reward should have been peace and repose。 But he
knew that with his immense fortune peace and repose could not
possibly be his。 Already there were signs and omens。 He had seen
similar troubles before。 There was his old employer； Dantin； whose
children had wrested from him； by due process of law； the management
of his property； having the Court appoint guardians to administer it
for him。 Ah Chun knew； and knew thoroughly well； that had Dantin
been a poor man； it would have been found that he could quite
rationally manage his own affairs。 And old Dantin had had only
three children and half a million； while he； Chun Ah Chun； had
fifteen children and no one but himself knew how many millions。
〃Our daughters are beautiful women；〃 he said to his wife； one
evening。 〃There are many young men。 The house is always full of
young men。 My cigar bills are very heavy。 Why are there no
marriages？〃
Mamma Achun shrugged her shoulders and waited。
〃Women are women and men are menit is strange there are no
marriages。 Perhaps the young men do not like our daughters。〃
〃Ah； they like them well enough；〃 Mamma Chun answered； 〃but you see；
they cannot forget that you are your daughters' father。〃
〃Yet you forgot who my father was；〃 Ah Chun said gravely。 〃All you
asked was for me to cut off my queue。〃
〃The young men are more particular than I was； I fancy。〃
〃What is the greatest thing in the world？〃 Ah Chun demanded with
abrupt irrelevance。
Mamma Achun pondered for a moment； then replied： 〃God。〃
He nodded。 〃There are gods and gods。 Some are paper； some are
wood； some are bronze。 I use a small one in the office for a paper…
weight。 In the Bishop Museum are many gods of coral rock and lava
stone。〃
〃But there is only one God；〃 she announced decisively； stiffening
her ample frame argumentatively。
Ah Chun noted the danger signal and sheered off。
〃What is greater than God； then？〃 he asked。 〃I will tell you。 It
is money。 In my time I have had dealings with Jews and Christians；
Mohammedans and Buddhists； and with little black men from the
Solomons and New Guinea who carried their god about them； wrapped in
oiled paper。 They possessed various gods； these men； but they all
worshipped money。 There is that Captain Higginson。 He seems to
like Henrietta。〃
〃He will never marry her；〃 retorted Mamma Achun。 〃He will be an
admiral before he dies〃
〃A rear…admiral；〃 Ah Chun interpolated。
〃Yes； I know。 That is the way they retire。〃
〃His family in the United States is a high one。 They would not like
it if he married 。 。 。 if he did not marry an American girl。〃
Ah Chun knocked the ashes out of his pipe； thoughtfully refilling
the silver bowl with a tiny pleget of tobacco。 He lighted it and
smoked it out before he spoke。
〃Henrietta is the oldest girl。 The day she marries I will give her
three hundred thousand dollars。 That will fetch that Captain
Higginson and his high family along with him。 Let the word go out
to him。 I leave it to you。〃
And Ah Chun sat and smoked on； and in the curling smoke…wreaths he
saw take shape the face and figure of Toy ShueyToy Shuey； the maid
of all work in his uncle's house in t