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rezanov-第19部分
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all the world did she not have the devil in her。〃
〃Are you afraid of earthquakes?〃 asked Rezanov; who once more had transferred his comprehensive gaze from battery sites to her face。
〃I cross myself。 It is like feeling your grave turn over。 But I fancy the poor old earth is like the people on her; she gets tired of being good and is all the naughtier for having been sober too long。 Don Vincente Rivera is an example; he is cold; haughty; solemn; stern to others and himself; as you see him; but once in a whileMadre de Dios! The Presidio does not sleep for three nights!〃
Rezanov laughed heartily; then turned abruptly away。 〃Come;〃 he said。 〃I had almost forgotten。 Will you ask the others to go to the cabin; while I give orders that dinner shall be served on your island?〃
In the cabin; Concha forgot him for a few mo… ments。 Her mother; her eyes dwelling fondly upon several shawls she hoped were intended for herself alone; was hushing the baby to sleep in the deep chair of his excellency。 Ana Paula was playing with an Alaskan doll she had appropriated without ceremony。 Rezanov came in when his guests were assembled; and he had a gift for each; curious ob… jects of Alaskan workmanship for the men; minia… ture totem poles and fur…bordered moccasins; but silk and cotton; linen; shawls; and find handker… chiefs for senora and maiden。
〃They are trifles;〃 he said; in response to an en… thusiastic chorus。 〃The cargo I was obliged to take over was a very large one。 You must not protest。 I shall never miss these things。〃 And he knew that he had sown the seeds of a rapacity simi… lar to that implanted in the worthy bosoms of the priests when they had paid him their promised visit。 If the Governor were insensible to diplomacy he would have pressure brought to bear upon his offi… cial integrity from more quarters than one。
〃There are also many of the presents rejected by the Mikado; somewhere;〃 he added carelessly。 〃But I could not find them。 They must have found their way to the bottom of the hold during one of the storms we encountered on our way from Sitka。〃
He certainly looked the fairy godfather; and quite impartial as he distributed his offerings with a chosen word to each; his memory for little char… acteristics was as remarkable as for names and faces。 He had taken off his cap on deck; and the breeze had ruffled his thick fair hair; brought the blood to his thin cheeks。 The lines of his face; cut by privation and anxiety and illness; had almost disappeared with the renewed elasticity of the flesh; and his blue eyes were wide open; and sparkling in sympathy with the pleasure of his guests and the success of his own strategy。 These few insignificant Spaniards dis… lodged; a half…dozen forts in this harbor; and the combined navies of the world might be defied; while a great chain of hungry settlements fattened and prospered exceedingly on the beneficence of the most fertile land in all the Americas。
XII
The eastern mountains looked very close from the crest of La Bellissima and of a singular transpar… ency and variety of hue。 It was as if the white masses of cloud sailing low overhead flung down great splashes of color from prismatic stores stolen from the sun。 There was a vivid pale green on the long sweep of a rounding slope; deep violet and pale purple in dimple and hollow; red showing through green on a tongue of land running down from the north; and on the lower ridges and little islands; pale and dark blue; and the most exquisite fields of lavender。 This last tint was reflected in the water immediately below the ridge; and farther out there were lakelets of pale green; as if the islands; too; had the power to mirror themselves when the sea itself was glass。
Santiago; Davidov; Carolina Xime'no; Delfina Ri… vera; Concha and Rezanov; had climbed to the ridge。 The other young people had given out halfway up the steep and tangled ascent and returned to the beach。 Dona Ignacia immediately after dinner had frankly asked her host for the hospitality of his stateroom。 She and her little ones must have their siesta; and the good lady was convinced that so high and mighty a personage as the Russian Cham… berlain was all the chaperon the proprieties de… manded。
Four of the party strayed along the crest in search of the first wild pansies。 Rezanov and Concha looked under the sloping roof of brittle leaves into dim falling vistas; arches; arbors; caverns; a forest in miniature with natural terraces breaking the pre… cipitous wall of the island。
〃I should like to live here;〃 said Concha defi… nitely。
〃It would make a fine estate for summer lifeor for a honeymoon。〃 He smiled down upon his com… panion; who stood very tall and straight and proud beside him。 〃If you conclude to marry your little Bostonian no doubt he will buy it for you;〃 he said。
If he had hoped to see a look of blank dismay after his hours of devotion he was disappointed。 She made a little face。
〃I do not think I could stand a desert island with the good Weeliam。 For that I should prefer one of my own sortIgnacio; or Fernando。 Better still; I could come here and be a hermit。〃
〃A hermit?〃
〃In some ways that would suit me very well。 All human beings become tiresome; I find。 I shall have a little hut just below the crest where I can look from my window right into the woods that are so quiet and green and beautiful。 That is a thought that has always fascinated me。 And when I walk on the crest I can see all the beauty of mountain and bay。 What more could I want? What more have you in your world when you know it too well; senor?〃
〃Nothing; but you might tire; too; of this。〃
〃What of it? It would be the gentle sad ennui of peace; not of disillusion; senor。 How I wish you would tell me all you know of life!〃
〃God forbid。 And do not remind me of ennui and disillusions。 I have forgotten both in California。 Perhaps; after all; I shall not return to St。 Peters… burg。 There is a vast empire here〃
〃But it is not yours or Russia's to rule; Excel… lency;〃 she interrupted him softly。
He did not color nor start; but met her eyes with his deep amused glance。 〃I; too; can dream; seno… rita。 Of a great and wonderful kingdomthat never will exist; perhaps。 I have always been called a dreamer; but the habit has grown since I came to this lovely unreal land of yours。〃
〃Have you the intention to take it from us; Ex… cellency?〃 she asked quietly。
〃Would you betray me if you thought I had?〃
Her eyes responded for a moment to the mag… netism of his; and then she drew herself up。
〃No; senor; I could not betray a man who had been our guest; and Spain needs no assistance from a weak girl to hold her own against Russia。〃
〃Well said! I kiss your hands; as they say in Vienna。 But we must sail again。 I told them to be ready at three o'clock。〃
Dalliance with the most alluring girl he had ever known was all very well; but the day's work was not yet done。 When they returned to the ship he deliberately engaged all the Spaniards in a game of cards; ordered cigarettes and a bowl of punch for their refreshment; and then the Juno steered south。
They sailed swiftly past Nuestra Senorita de los Angeles and the eastern side of Alcatraz; Rezanov sweeping every inch with his glass; more slowly past the peninsula where it came down in a succes… sion of rough hills almost in a straight line from the Presidio; ascending to a high outpost of solid rock; whence it turned abruptly to the south in a waving line of steep irregular cliffs; harsh; barren; intersected with gullies。 Then the land became sud… denly as flat as the sea; save for the shifting dunes: the desert porch of the great fertile valley hidden from the water by the waves of sand; but indicated by its rampart of mountains。 The shallow water curved abruptly inward between the rocky mass on the right and a gentler incline and point two miles below。 At its head was the 〃Battery of Yerba Buena;〃 facing the island from which it took its name。 Rezanov scrupulously kept his word and did not raise his glass; but one contemptuous glance satisfied his curiosity。 His eye rolled over the steep hills that were designed to bristle with forts; and; as sometimes happened; when he spoke again to Concha; whom he kept close to his side; for the other girls bored him; his words did not express the work… ings of his mind。
〃Athens has no finer site than this;〃 he said。 〃I should like to see a white marble city on these hills; and on that plain; when all the sand dunes are leveled。 Not in our time; perhaps! But; as I told you; I have surrendered myself to the habit of dreaming。〃
Concha shrugged her shoulders and made no re… ply at the moment。 As they sailed toward the east before turning south again; she pointed across the great silvery sheet of water melting into the misty southern horizon; to a high ridge of mountains that looked to be a continuation of the San Bruno range behind the Mission; but slanting farther west with the coast line。
〃Those are behind our rancho; senorRancho El Pilar; or Las Pulgas; as some prefer。 Perhaps my father will take you there。 I hope so; for we love to go; and may not too often; my father is very busy here。 He is one of t
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