Lund minus the percentage! The fellow in charge was most civil, and gave me a letter of introduction to their representative at Rotorua, that he says will ensure our getting the best guides, and so on. Ah! I like New Zealand!” he concluded, shaking his head knowingly. “No beggars to haunt you, and a paternal government that treats her visitors as honoured guests,—that’s the way to do things, by gad,—it’s top-hole!”
We all returned together, but on the way we left the car at the foot of Mount Eden and Colonel Deane took us to the house of a friend of his that we might see the view from the grounds. The house stood in the middle of a lovely old garden on the slope of the hill, and we climbed up behind it to a summer-house they had built on purpose to enjoy the prospect.
Immediately below us was the City, its towers and steeples like scattered spears pointing up to the sky. The afternoon was waning, but the Western gates were not yet open, though the approach of King Sol’s chariot was heralded by pennons of rose and orange in the pale blue sky. The sea, scarcely rippling in the many little bays, inlets, and curved arms of the harbour, was like a green opal, ever still, yet ever changing. The far-off hills were draped in a scarf that might have been made from the feathers of a dove’s breast, and the same tender translucent, pure blue-grey and violet tints were gradually floating ever nearer and nearer to the city, softening too abrupt corners, making shadowy the green hills, creating of Auckland and her gateways a delicate dream-vision.
I should have loved to stay and watch the progress of the sun’s vesper ceremonies. It seemed iniquitous to leave before they were over, and to my joy I heard our hostess entreating Mrs Greendays to waive ceremony and stay to dinner. But alas! Mrs Greendays would not hear of it: she would have considered that we were imposing on good-natured hospitality had we stayed, I knew. And I had forgotten, too, that we were to stay on the ship, as guests of the Captain, in order to save a move and all the bother of packing for just one night. So we had to hurry away to be on board in time for dinner.
But as soon as I could get away from table I flew up to the boat deck, and there spent the evening, ending the day as I had begun it, gazing out at the harbour, while Colonel Deane talked.
