rezanov-第38部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

s　ruling　passion　for　many　years　before　he　met　Concha　Arguello；　and；　although　it　might　mate　very　comfortably　with　love；　it　was　not　to　be　expected　that　it　would　remain　submerged　beyond　the　first　enthusiasm；　nor　even　assume　the　position　of　the　〃party　of　the　second　part。〃　　Rezanov　was　Rezanov。　He　was　also　in　that　interval　between　youth　and　age　when　the　brain　rules　if　it　is　ever　to　rule　at　all。　　That　the　ardor　of　his　nature　had　awakened　refreshed　after　a　long　sleep　was　but　just　proved；　as　well　as　the　revival　of　his　early　ideals　and　capacity　for　genu…　ine　love；　but　the　complexities；　the　manifold　inter…　ests　and　desires　of　the　ego　had　been　growing　and　developing　these　many　years；　and　no　mere　mortal　that　has　given　up　his　life　for　a　considerable　period　to　the　thirst　for　dominance　can　ever；　save　in　a　brief　exaltation；　sacrifice　it　to　anything　so　normal　as　the　demands　of　sex　and　spirit。　　For　good　or　ill；　the　man　who　has　burned　with　ambition；　exulted　in　the　exercise　of　power；　bitterly　resented　the　temporary　victories　of　rivals　and　enemies；　fought　with　all　the　resources　of　brain　and　character　against　failure；　is　in　a　class　apart　from　humanity　in　the　mass。　　Reza…　nov　loved　Concha　Arguello　to　the　very　depths　of　his　soul；　but　he　had　lived　beyond　the　time　when　even　she　could　engage　successfully　with　the　ruth…　less　forces　that　had　molded　into　immutable　shape　the　Rezanov　she　knew。　　Her　place　was　second；　and　it　is　probable　that　she　would　have　loved　him　less　had　it　been　otherwise；　she；　in　spite　of　her　fine　intel…　lect　and　strong　will；　being　all　woman；　as　he；　despite　his　depth　of　intuition；　was　all　man。　　Equality　is　possible　in　no　relation　or　condition　of　life。　　When　woman　subjugates　man　the　conquered　will　enjoy　a　sense　of　revenge　proportionate　to　the　meanness　of　his　state。

It　is　possible　that　had　Concha　awaited　Rezanov　in　St。　Petersburg　her　attraction　would　have　focused　his　desires　irresistibly；　but　his　mind　had　resigned　itself　to　the　prospect　of　separation　for　a　definite　period；　and　while　it　had　not　relegated　her　image　to　the　background；　her　part　in　his　life　had　been　settled　there　among　many　future　possibilities；　and　all　the　foreground　was　crowded　with　the　impatient　sym…　bols　of　the　intervening　time。　　Moreover；　he　well　knew　that　the　savor　would　be　gone　from　his　happi…　ness　with　the　woman　were　the　taste　of　another　fail…　ure　acrid　in　his　mouth。

As　he　realized　that　the　die　was　cast；　the　sanguine…　ness　of　his　temperament　rushed　to　do　battle　against　apprehension　and　self…accusing。　　After　all；　he　was　rarely　balked　of　his　way；　accustomed　to　ride　down　obstacles；　to　the　amiable　cooperation　of　fate。　　He　could　arrive　in　Okhotsk　late　in　September　or　early　in　October。　　Captain　D'Wolf；　who　had　been　de…　tained　at　Sitka　during　his　absence　by　the　same　in…　difference　that　had　operated　against　the　completion　of　the　Avos；　would　precede　him　and　order　that　all　be　in　readiness　at　Okhotsk　both　for　the　ships　and　his　journey　to　Yakutsk。　　He　could　proceed　at　once；　and；　no　doubt；　with　twice　the　number　or　horses　needed；　would　make　the　first　and　most　difficult　stage　of　the　journey　in　the　usual　time；　and　with　no　great　embarrassment　from　the　rains。　　From　Yakutsk　to　Irkutsk　the　greater　part　of　the　travel　was　by　water　in　any　case；　and　after　that　the　land　was　flat　for　the　most　part　and　bridges　were　more　numerous。　　The　governor　of　every　town　in　Siberia　would　be　his　obsequious　servant；　the　entire　resources　of　the　country　would　be　at　his　disposal。　　He　was　sound　in　health　again；　as　resistant　against　hardships　as　when　he　had　sailed　from　Kronstadt。　　And　God　knew；　he　thought　with　a　sigh；　his　will　and　purpose　had　never　been　stronger。



XXVI

Rezanov　disembarked　from　the　Juno　at　Okhotsk　during　the　first　days　of　October。　　Had　it　not　been　for　a　touch　of　fever　that　had　returned　in　the　filth　and　warm　dampness　of　Sitka；　he　would　have　felt　almost　as　buoyant　in　mind　and　body　as　in　those　days　when　California　had　gone　to　his　head。　　The　Juno　had　touched　at　Kadiak；　Oonalaska；　and　others　of　the　more　important　settlements；　and　he　had　found　his　schools　and　libraries　in　good　condition；　seals　and　otters　rapidly　increasing；　in　their　immunity　from　indiscriminate　slaughter；　new　and　stronger　forts　threatening　the　nefarious　Bostonian　and　Bri…　ton。　　At　Okhotsk　he　learned　that　the　embassy　of　Count　Golofkin　to　China　had　failed　as　signally　as　his　own；　and　this　alone　would　have　put　him　in　the　best　of　tempers　even　had　he　not　found　his　arma…　ment　and　caravan　awaiting　him；　facilitating　his　im…　mediate　departure。　　He　wrote　a　gay　letter　to　Con…　cha；　giving　her　the　painful　story　of　the　naturalist　attached　to　the　Golofkin　embassy；　Dr。　Redovsky；　who　had　remained　in　the　East　animated　by　the　same　scientific　enthusiasm　as　that　of　his　colleague；　the　good　Langsdorff；　parted　some　time　since　from　his　too　exacting　master。　　Rezanov　had　written　Concha　many　letters　during　his　detention　in　Sitka；　and　left　them　with　Baranhov　to　send　at　the　first　opportun…　ity。　　The　Chief…Manager；　deeply　interested　in　the　romance　of　the　mighty　Chamberlain　with　whom　he　alone　dared　to　take　a　liberty；　vowed　to　guard　all　that　came　to　his　care　and　sooner　or　later　to　send　them　to　California。　　Rezanov　had　also　written　com…　prehensively　to　the　Tsar　and　the　directors　of　the　Russian…American　Company；　adroitly　placing　his　marriage　in　the　light　of　a　diplomatic　maneuver；　and　painting　California　in　colors　the　more　vivid　and　en…　ticing　for　the　sullen　clouds　and　roaring　winds；　the　dripping　forests　and　eternal　snows　of　that　derelict　corner　of　Earth　where　he　had　been　stranded　so　long。　　He　had　also；　when　Langsdorff　announced　his　intention　to　start　upon　a　difficult　journey　in　the　in…　terest　of　science；　provided　him　not　only　with　letters　of　recommendation；　but　with　all　the　comforts　pro…　curable　in　a　land　where　the　word　comfort　was　the　stock　in　trade　of　the　local　satirist。　　But　Langsdorff；　although　punctiliously　acknowledging　the　favors；　never　quite　forgave　the　indifference　of　a　mere　am…　bassador　and　chamberlain；　rejoicing　in　the　dignity　of　an　honorary　membership　in　the　St。　Petersburg　Academy　of　Sciences；　to　the　supreme　division　of　natural　history。

The　first　stage　of　the　journeyfrom　Okhotsk　to　Yakutskwas　about　six　hundred　and　fifty　English　miles；　not　as　the　crow　flew；　but　over　the　Stanovoi　mountains　in　a　southwesterly　direction　to　the　Maya；　by　this　river's　wavering　course　to　the　Youdoma；　then　northwest　to　the　Aldan；　and　south　beside　the　Lena。　　The　beaten　track　lay　entirely　alongside　the　rivers　at　this　season；　upon　their　surface　in　winter；　and　in　addition　to　these　great　streams　there　were　many　too　unimportant　for　the　map；　but　as　erratic　in　course　and　as　irresistible　in　energy　after　the　first　rains　of　autumn。

Captain　D'Wolf　had　proved　himself　capable　and　faithful；　and　a　caravan　of　forty　horses　had　been　in　Okhotsk　a　week；　twenty　for　immediate　use；　twenty　for　relief；　or　substitutes　in　almost　certain　emer…　gency。　　As　there　were　but　one　or　two　stations　of　any　importance　between　Okhotsk　and　Yakutsk；　and　as　a　week　might　pass　without　the　shelter　of　so　much　as　a　hut；　it　was　necessary　to　take　tents　and　bearskin　beds　for　the　Chamberlain；　his　Cossack　guard；　valet…　de…chambre；　cook　and　other　servants；　one　set　of　fine　blankets　and　linen；　cooking　utensils；　axes；　arms；　tinder…boxes；　provisions　for　the　entire　trip；　besides　a　great　quantity　of　personal　luggage。

Rezanov　lost　no　time。　　He　had　changed　his　origi…　nal　plan　and　dispatched　Davidov　on　the　Avos　from　Oonalaska。　　Guns　and　provisions　awaited　the　Juno　at　Okhotsk；　and　in　less　than　a　week　after　his　ar…　rival　Rezanov　was　able　to　start　on　his　long　journey　with　a　mind　at　rest。　　Although　the　almost　extrava…　gant　delight　that　his　body　had　taken　in　the　com…　forts　of　his　manager's　home；　after　ten　weeks　on　the　Juno；　warned　him　that　he　might　be　in　a　better　con…　dition　to　begin　a　journey　of　ten　thousand　versts；　he　hearkened　neither　to　the　hint　nor　to　the　insistence　of　his　host。　　His　impatient　energy　and　stern　will；　combined　with　the　passionate　wish　to　accomplish　the　double　object　of　his　journey；　returning　in　the　least　possible　time　to　California　with　his　treaty　and　the　consent　of　the　Pope　and　King　to　his　marriage；　would　have　carried　him　out　of　Okhotsk　in　forty…　eight　hours　had　disease　declared　itself。　　Nor　were　there　any　inducements　aside　from　a　comfortable　bed　and　refined　fare；　in　the　flat；　unhealthy　town　with　its　everlasting　rattle　of　chains；　and　the　hideous　physiognomies　of　criminals　always　at　work　to　the　rumbling　accompaniment　of　Cossack　oaths。

For　the　first　week　the　exercise　he　loved　best　and　the　long　days　in　the　crisp　open　air　renewed　his　vigor；　and　he　even　looked　forward　to　the　four　months　of　what　was　then　the　severest　traveling　in　the　world；　in　a　boyish　spirit　of　adventure。　　He　re…　flected　that　he　might　as　well　give　his　brain　a　relief　from　the　constant　revolving　of　schemes　and　plans　for　the　advancement　of　his　country；　his　company；　and　himself；　and　let　his　thoughts　have　their　car…　nival　of　anticipation　with　the　unparalleled　happiness　and　success　that　awaited　him　in　the　future。　　There　was　no　possible　doubt　of　the　acquiescence　and　assist…　ance　of　the　Tsar；　and　no　man　ever　looked　down　a　fairer　perspective　than　he；　as　he　galloped　over　the　ugly　country；　often　far　ahead　of　his　caravan；　splash…　ing　through　bogs　and　streams；　fording　rivers