"Tell me about them, please," entreated Lucy. "Here's one; it's
name is--is Isabel--such a little wee one."

"I can't tell you much of those South Sea Isles, Missie, as I made
only one voyage among them, when Bunker chartered the _Penguin_ for
the sandalwood trade; and we did not touch at many, for the natives
were fierce and savage, and thought nothing of coming down with
arrows and spears at a boat's crew. So we only went to such islands
as the missionaries had been to, and had made the people more gentle
and civil."

"Tell me all about it," said Lucy, following the old woman hither
and thither as she bustled about, talking all the time, and stirring
her pan of ginger over the hot plate.

How it happened, it is not easy to say. The room was very warm, and
Mother Bunch went on talking as she stirred, and a steam rose up,
and by and by it seemed to Lucy that she had a great sneezing fit;
and when she looked again into the smoke, what did she see but two
little black figures, faces, heads, and feet all black, but with an
odd sort of white garment round their waists, and some fine red and
green feathers sticking out of their wooly heads.

"Mrs. Bunker, Mrs. Bunker!" she cried; "what's this? Who are these
ugly figures?"

"Ugly!" said the foremost; and though it must have been some strange
language, it sounded like English to Lucy. "Is that the way little
white girl speaks to boy and girl that have come all the way from