The above conventions struck me as arbitrary and cruel, but they put a
stop to many fancied ailments; for the situation, so far from being
considered interesting, is looked upon as savouring more or less
distinctly of a very reprehensible condition of things, and the ladies
take care to conceal it as long as they can even from their own husbands,
in anticipation of a severe scolding as soon as the misdemeanour is
discovered. Also the baby is kept out of sight, except on the day of
signing the birth-formula, until it can walk and talk. Should the child
unhappily die, a coroner's inquest is inevitable, but in order to avoid
disgracing a family which may have been hitherto respected, it is almost
invariably found that the child was over seventy-five years old, and died
from the decay of nature.
CHAPTER XIV: MAHAINA
I continued my sojourn with the Nosnibors. In a few days Mr. Nosnibor
had recovered from his flogging, and was looking forward with glee to the
fact that the next would be the last. I did not think that there seemed
any occasion even for this; but he said it was better to be on the safe
side, and he would make up the dozen. He now went to his business as
usual; and I understood that he was never more prosperous, in spite of
his heavy fine.
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