rezanov-第37部分

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days　hence。　　From　Okhotsk　I　desire　that　you　proceed　to　the　Japanese　settlements　in　the　lower　Kurile　Islands；　take　possession　of　them　and　bring　all　stores　and　as　many　of　the　inhabitants　as　the　vessels　will　accommodate；　to　Sitka；　where　Baran…　hov　will　see　that　they　are　comfortably　established　on　that　large　island　in　the　harborwhich　we　shall　call　Japonskyand　converted　into　good　servants　of　the　Company。　　The　excuse　for　this　enterprise　is　that　those　islands　were　formally　taken　possession　of　by　Shelikov；　and　although　abandoned　later；　the　fact　remains　that　the　Russian　flag　was　the　first　to　float　over　them。　　The　stores　captured　may　not　be　worth　much　and　the　islands　are　of　no　particular　use　to　us；　but　it　is　wise　that　Japan　should　have　a　taste　of　Russian　power；　and　the　consequences　may　be　salutary　in　more　ways　than　one。　　I　hope　you　will　do　me　this　great　favor；　for　there　is　no　one　of　your　tried　probity　and　skill　to　whom　I　can　trust　so　deli…　cate　an　enterprise。　　I　am　doing　it　wholly　upon　my　own　responsibility；　for　although　I　wrote　tentatively　to　the　Tsar　on　this　subject　before　I　sailed　for　Cali…　fornia；　it　is　not　yet　time　for　a　reply。　　However；　I　take　the　consequences　upon　my　own　shoulders。　　You　shall　not　suffer　in　any　way；　for　your　orders　are　to　obey　mine　while　you　remain　in　these　waters。〃

He　paused　a　moment；　and　then　suddenly　smiled　into　the　unresponsive　faces　before　him。　　He　held　out　his　hand　and　shook　their　limp　ones　warmly。

〃Let　me　thank　you　here　for　all　your　inestimable　services　in　the　past；　and　particularly　during　our　late　hazardous　voyages。　　Be　sure　that　whether　you　suc…　ceed　in　this　enterprise　or　not；　your　rewards　shall　be　no　less　for　what　you　have　already　done。　　I　shall　make　it　a　personal　matter　with　the　Tsar。　　You　shall　have　promotion　and　a　substantial　increase　in　pay；　besides　the　orders　and　Imperial　thanks　you　so　richly　deserve。　　Lest　anything　happen　to　me　on　my　home…　ward　journey；　I　shall　write　to　St。　Petersburg　before　I　leave。〃

The　lieutenants；　overcome　as　ever　when　he　chose　to　put　forth　his　full　powers；　assured　him　of　their　fidelity　and；　if　with　misgivings；　vowed　to　mete　out　vengeance　to　the　Japanese。　　And　although　their　misgivings　were　not　unfounded；　and　they　paid　a　high　price　in　suffering　and　mortification；　they　ac…　complished　their　object　and　in　due　course　received　the　rewards　the　Chamberlain　had　promised　them。

They　did　not　retire；　and　Rezanov；　noting　their　sudden　hesitation　and　embarrassment；　felt　an　in…　stant　thrill　of　apprehension。

〃What　is　it？〃　he　demanded。　　〃What　has　hap…　pened？〃

〃Life　has　moved　slowly　in　Sitka　during　your　absence；　Excellency；〃　replied　Davidov。　　〃There　has　been　little　work　done　on　the　Avos。　　It　will　not　be　finished　for　a　month　or　six　weeks。〃

Then；　had　the　young　men　been　possessed　by　a　not　infrequent　mood；　they　would　have　glowed　with　a　sense　of　just　satisfaction。　　Rezanov　felt　himself　turn　so　white　that　he　wheeled　about　and　left　the　tent。　　A　month　or　six　weeks！　　And　the　speed　and　safety　of　his　journey　across　Siberia　depended　upon　his　making　the　greater　part　of　it　before　the　heavy　autumn　rains　swelled　the　rivers　and　flooded　the　swamps。　　Winter　or　summer　the　journey　from　Ok…　hotsk　to　St。　Petersburg　might　be　made　in　four　months；　with　the　wealth　and　influence　at　his　com…　mand；　possibly　in　less；　but　in　the　deluge　between　he　was　liable　to　detentions　lasting　nearly　as　long　again；　to　say　nothing　of　illness　caused　by　inevitable　exposure。

He　stood　staring　at　the　palisades　for　many　min…　utes。　　The　separation　must　be　long　enough；　the　dangers　numerous　enough　if　he　started　within　the　week；　but　at　least　he　had　in　a　measure　accustomed　himself　to　the　idea　of　not　seeing　Concha　again　for　〃the　best　part　of　two　years；〃　and　the　sanguineness　of　his　temperament　had　led　him　to　hope　that　the　time　might　be　reduced　to　eighteen　months。　　If　he　delayed　too　long；　only　by　means　of　an　unprece…　dented　run　of　good　fortune　would　he　reach　St。　Petersburg　but　a　month　behind　his　calculations。　And　the　chances　were　in　favor　of　four；　or　three　at　the　best！　　Never　since　the　morning　that　the　real　nature　of　his　feeling　for　Concha　had　declared　itself　had　he　yearned　toward　her　as　at　that　moment；　never　since　the　dictum　of　what　she　called　their　〃tribunal〃　had　he　so　rebelled　against　the　long　delay。　　And　yet　he　hesitated。　　To　leave　Japan　unpunished　for　the　senseless　humiliations　to　which　it　had　subjected　Russia　in　his　person　was　not　to　be　thought　of；　and　yet　did　he　leave　without　seeing　the　Avos　finished；　the　two　boats　supplied　with　armaments　at　Okhotsk；　and　under　way　before　he　started　across　Siberia；　he　knew　it　was　doubtful　if　the　expedition　took　place　before　his　return；　in　that　case　might　never　take　place；　for　these　two　young　men　might　have　drifted　elsewhere；　and　he　knew　no　one　else　to　whom　he　could　entrust　such　a　commission。　　In　spite　of　their　idiosyncrasies　he　could　rely　upon　them　implicitly　up　to　a　certain　point。　　That　point　involved　keeping　them　in　sight　until　exactly　the　right　moment　and　leaving　nothing　to　their　executive　which　could　be　certainly　accomplished　by　himself　alone。　　Did　he　sail　five　days　hence　on　the　Juno　one　of　the　officers　would　be　exposed　for　an　indeterminate　time　to　the　temptations　of　Okhotsk；　the　ship；　perhaps；　at　the　mercy　of　some　sudden　requirement　of　the　Com…　pany。　　His　authority　was　absolute　when　enforced　in　person；　but　it　was　a　proverb　west　of　the　Ural：　〃God　reigns　and　the　Tsar　is　far　away。〃　　If　the　Juno　were　wanted　the　manager　of　Okhotsk　would　argue　that　two　years　was　a　period　in　which　an　ar…　dent　servant　of　the　Company　would　find　many　an　excuse　to　justify　its　seizure。

And　here　in　Sitka　it　was　doubtful　if　the　work　on　the　Avos　proceeded　at　all。　　Baranhov　was　not　in　sympathy　with　the　enterprise　against　the　Japanese；　fearing　the　consequences　to　himself　in　the　event　of　the　Tsar's　disapproval；　and　resenting　the　impress…　ment　of　the　promuschleniki　into　a　service　that　de…　prived　him　of　their　legitimate　work。　　Moreover；　al…　though　he　loved　Rezanov　personally；　he　had　en…　joyed　supreme　power　in　the　wilderness　too　long　not　to　chafe　under　even　the　temporary　assumption　of　authority　by　his　high…handed　superior。　　With　the　best　of　intentions　Davidov　could　make　little　head…　way　against　the　passive　resistance　of　the　Chief…　Manager；　and　those　intentions　would　be　weakened　by　the　consolidations　the　Company　so　generously　afforded。

The　result　was　hardly　open　to　doubt。　　If　he　left　Sitka　before　the　completion　of　the　Avos；　Russia　would　go　unavenged　for　the　present。　　Or　himself？　Rezanov；　sanguine　and　imaginative　as　he　was；　even　to　the　point　of　creating　premises　to　rhyme　with　ends；　was　very　honest　fundamentally。　　He　turned　abruptly　on　his　heel；　and　calling　to　the　officers　that　he　would　announce　his　decision　on　the　morrow；　ordered　the　sentry　to　open　the　gate　and　passed　out　of　the　en…　closure。

He　crossed　the　clearing　and　entered　the　forest。　The　warlike　tribes　themselves　had　trodden　paths　through　the　dense　undergrowth　of　young　trees　and　ferns。　　Rezanov；　despite　Baranhov's　warning；　had　tramped　the　forest　many　times。　　It　was　the　one　thing　that　reconciled　him　to　Sitka；　for　there　are　few　woods　more　beautiful。　　In　spite　or　because　of　the　incessant　rains；　it　is　pervaded　by　a　rich　golden　gloom；　the　result　of　the　constant　rotting　of　the　brown　and　yellow　bark；　not　only　of　the　prostrate　trees；　but　of　the　many　killed　by　crowding　and　un…　able　to　seek　the　earth　with　the　natural　instinct　of　death。　　And　above；　the　green　of　hemlock　and　spruce　was　perennially　fresh　and　young；　glistening　and　fra…　grant。　　Here　and　there　was　a　small　clearing　where　the　clans　had　erected　their　ingenious　and　hideous　totem　poles；　out　of　place　in　the　ancient　beauty　of　the　wood。

The　ferns　brushed　his　waist；　the　roar　of　the　river　came　to　his　ears；　the　forest　had　never　looked　more　primeval；　more　wooing　to　a　man　burdened　with　civil…　ization；　but　Rezanov　gave　it　less　heed　than　usual；　although　he　had　turned　to　it　instinctively。　　He　was　occupied　with　a　question　to　which　nature　would　turn　an　aloof　disdainful　ear。　　Was　his　own　wounded　vanity　at　the　root　of　his　desire　to　humiliate　Japan？　Russia　was　too　powerful；　too　occupied；　for　the　pres…　ent　at　least；　greatly　to　care　that　her　overtures　and　presents　had　been　scorned。　　Upon　her　ambassador　had　fallen　the　full　brunt　of　that　wearisome　and　in…　comparably　mortifying　experience；　and　unfortu…　nately　the　ambassador　happened　to　be　one　of　the　proudest　and　most　autocratic　men　in　her　empire。　No　man　of　Rezanov's　caliber　but　accommodates　that　sort　of　personal　vanity　that　tenaciously　resents　a　blow　to　the　pride　of　which　it　is　a　part；　to　the　love　of　power　it　feeds。　　As　well　expect　a　lover　without　pas…　sion；　a　state　without　corruption。　　Rezanov　finally　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　admitted　the　impeach…　ment；　but　at　the　same　time　he　recognized　that　the　desire　for　vengeance　still　held；　and　that　the　tenacity　of　his　nature；　a　tenacity　that　had　been　no　mean　factor　in　the　remodeling　of　himself　from　a　voluptu…　ous　young　sprig　of　nobility　into　one　of　the　most　successful　business　men　and　subjugator　of　other　men　that　the　Russian　Empire　could　show；　was　not　likely　to　weaken　when　its　very　roots　had　been　stiff　with　purpose　for　fifteen　months。　　Power　had　been　Rezanov's　ruling　passion　for　many　years　before　he　met　Concha　Arguello；　and；　although　it　might　mate　very　comf