noon
They are tired of this Tu-Kila-Kila . He has held the god in his breast far , far too long . They would willingly see some other in place of him . '' Before noon , the young girls of the village , bringing native mats and huge strings of nautilus shells , trooped up to the hut , like bridesmaids , with flowers in their hands , to deck Muriel for her approaching wedding . Before them they carried quantities of red and brown tappa-cloth and very fine net-work , the dowry to be presented by the royal bride to her divine husband . Within the hut , they decked out the Queen of the Clouds with garlands of flowers and necklets of shells , in solemn native fashion , bewailing her fate all the time to a measured dirge in their own language . Muriel could see that their sympathy , though partly conventional , was largely real as well .