rezanov-第6部分

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ain　at　court；　a　Privy　Councillor；　and　the　Tsar　himself　on　this　side　of　the　world；　but　when　his　inspections　and　reforms　are　concluded；　and　he　is　one　of　the　wealth…　iest　men　in　Russia；　he　will　return　to　St。　Petersburg　and　become　so　high　and　mighty　that　a　princess　would　snap　at　him。　　And　you　aspire！　　I　never　heard　such　nonsense。〃

〃His　excellency　told　me　much　of　this；〃　replied　Concha　imperturbably。　　〃And　I　am　sure　that　he　cares　nothing　for　princesses　and　will　marry　whom　he　most　admires。　　He　would　not　say；　but　I　know　he　cared　nothing　for　that　poor　little　wife；　dead　so　long　ago。　　It　was　a　mariage　de　convenance；　such　as　all　the　great　world　is　accustomed　to。　　He　will　love　me　more　than　all　the　fine　ladies　he　has　ever　seen。　　I　feel　it。　　I　know　it！　　And　I　am　quite　happy。〃

〃Do　you　love　him？〃　asked　Santiago；　looking　curiously　at　his　sister's　flushed　and　glowing　face。　It　seemed　to　him　that　she　had　never　looked　so　young。　　〃Many　have　loved　you。　　I　had　begun　to　think　you　had　no　heart　for　men；　no　wish　for　any…　thing　but　admiration。　　And　now　you　give　your　heart　in　a　day　to　this　Russianwho　must　be　nearly　fortyunasked。〃

〃I　have　not　thought　of　my　heart　at　all。　　But　I　could　love　him；　of　course。　　He　is　so　handsome；　so　kind；　so　grand；　so　gay！　　But　love　is　for　men　and　wiveshas　not　my　mother　said　so？　　Now　I　think　only　of　St。　Petersburg！　of　Paris！　of　London！　of　the　beautiful　gowns　and　jewels　I　shall　wear　at　court　a　red　velvet　train　as　long　as　a　queen's；　and　all　embroidered　with　gold；　a　white　veil　spangled　with　gold；　a　head…dress　a　foot　high　studded　with　jewels；　ropes　of　diamonds　and　pearlsI　made　him　tell　me　how　the　great　ladies　dressed。　　Ah！　there　is　the　pleasure　of　being　a　girlto　think　and　dream　of　all　those　beautiful　things；　not　of　when　the　wife　must　live　always　for　the　husband　and　children。　　That　comes　soon　enough。　　And　why　should　I　not　have　all！there　is　so　little　in　life　for　the　girl。　　It　seems　to　me　now　that　I　have　had　nothing。　　When　he　asks　me　to　marry　him　he　will　tell　me　of　the　fine　things　I　shall　have　and　the　great　sights　I　shall　witness　the　ceremonies　at　court；　the　winter　streetswith　snowsnow；　Santiago！where　the　great　nobles　drive　four　horses　through　the　drifts　like　little　hills；　and　are　wrapped　in　furs　like　bears！　　The　grand　military　paradeshow　I　shall　laugh　when　I　think　of　our　poor　little　Presidios　with　their　dozen　officers　strutting　about〃　　She　stopped　abruptly　and　bursting　wildly　into　tears　flung　herself　into　her　brother's　arms。　　〃But　I　never　could　leave　you！　　And　my　father！　my　mother！　all！　all！　　Ay；　Dios　de　mi　alma！　what　an　ingrate　I　am！　　I　should　die　of　home…　sickness！　　My　Santiago！　　My　Santiago！〃

Santiago　patted　her　philosophically。　　〃You　are　not　going　to…morrow；〃　he　reminded　her。　　〃Don't　cross　your　bridges　until　you　come　to　them。　　That　is　a　good　proverb　for　maids　and　men。　　You　might　take　us　all　with　you；　or　spend　every　third　year　or　so　in　California。　　No　doubt　you　would　need　the　rest。　And　meanwhile　remember　that　the　high　and　mighty　Chamberlain　has　not　yet　asked　for　the　honor　of　an　alliance　with　the　house　of　Arguello；　and　that　your　brother　will　match　his　best　fighting　cock　against　your　new　white　lace　mantilla　from　Mexico；　that　he　is　not　meditating　any　project　so　detrimental　to　his　fortunes。　　Console　yourself　with　the　reflection　that　if　he　were；　our　father　and　the　priests；　and　the　Governor　himself；　would　die　of　apoplexy。　　He　is　a　heretica　member　of　the　Greek　Church！　　Hast　thou　lost　thy　reason；　Conchita？　　Dry　your　eyes　and　come　home　to　sleep；　and　let　us　hear　no　more　of　marriage　with　a　man　who　is　not　only　a　barbarian　of　the　north　and　a　heretic；　but　so　proud　he　does　not　think　a　Californian　good　enough　to　wash　his　decks。〃



IV

It　was　long　before　Rezanov　slept　that　night。　　The　usual　chill　had　come　in　from　the　Pacific　as　the　sun　went　down；　and　the　distinguished　visitor　had　inti…　mated　to　his　hosts　that　he　should　like　to　exercise　on　shore　until　ready　for　his　detested　quarters；　but　Arguello　dared　not；　in　the　absence　of　his　father；　in…　vite　the　foreigner　even　to　sleep　in　the　house　so　lavishly　offered　in　the　morning；　although　he　had　sent　such　an　abundance　of　provisions　to　the　ship　that　the　poor　sailors　were　deep　in　sleep；　gorged　like　boa…constrictors；　and　he　could　safely　promise　that　while　the　Juno　remained　in　port　her　larder　should　never　be　empty。　　He　shared　the　evening　bowl　of　punch　in　the　cabin；　then　went　his　way　lamenting　that　he　could　not　take　his　new　friends　with　him。

Rezanov　paced　the　little　deck　of　the　Juno　to　keep　his　blood　in　stir。　　There　was　no　moon。　　The　islands　and　promontories　on　the　great　sheet　of　water　were　black　save　for　the　occasional　glow　of　an　Indian　camp…fire。　　There　was　not　a　sound　but　the　lapping　of　the　waves；　the　roar　of　distant　breakers。　　The　great　silver　stars　and　the　little　green　stars　looked　down　upon　a　solitude　that　was　almost　primeval；　yet　mysteriously　disturbed　by　the　restless　currents　in　the　brain　of　a　man　who　had　little　in　common　with　primal　forces。

Rezanov　was　uneasy　on　more　scores　than　one。　He　was　annoyed　and　mortified　at　the　discovery　made　over　the　punch　bowlthat　the　girl　he　had　taken　to　be　twenty　was　but　sixteen。　　It　was　by　no　means　his　first　experience　of　the　quick　maturity　of　southern　womenbut　sixteen！　　He　had　never　wasted　a　moment　on　a　chit　before；　and　although　he　was　a　man　of　imagination；　and　notwithstanding　her　intelligence　and　dignity；　he　could　not　reconcile　properties　so　conflicting　with　any　sort　of　feminine　ideal。

And　the　pressing　half　of　his　mission　he　had　con…　fided　to　her！　　No　man　knew　better　than　he　the　value　of　a　tactful　and　witty　woman　in　the　political　dilemmas　of　life；　more　than　one　had　given　him　devoted　service；　nor　ever　yet　had　he　made　a　mistake。　After　several　hours　spent　in　the　society　of　this　clever；　politic；　dissatisfied　girl　he　had　come　to　the　conclu…　sion　that　he　could　trust　her；　and　had　told　her　of　the　lamentable　condition　of　the　creatures　in　the　employ　of　the　Russian…American　Company；　of　their　chronic　state　of　semi…starvation；　of　the　scurvy　that　made　them　apathetic　of　brain　and　body；　and　eventually　would　exterminate　them　unless　he　could　establish　reciprocal　trade　relations　with　California　and　obtain　regular　supplies　of　farinaceous　food；　acknowl…　edged　that　he　had　brought　a　cargo　of　Russian　and　Boston　goods　necessary　to　the　well…being　of　the　Mis…　sions　and　Presidios；　and　that　he　would　not　return　to　the　wretched　people　of　Sitka；　at　least；　without　a　generous　exchange　of　breadstuffs；　dried　meats；　peas；　beans；　barley　and　tallow。　　Not　only　had　he　no　long…　er　the　courage　to　witness　their　misery；　but　his　for…　tune　and　his　career　were　at　stake。　　His　entire　capi…　tal　was　invested　in　the　Company　he　had　founded；　and　he　had　failed　in　his　embassy　to　Japanto　the　keen　mortification　of　the　Tsar　and　the　jubilation　of　his　enemies。　　If　he　left　the　Emperor's　northeastern　dominions　unreclaimed　and　failed　to　rescue　the　Company　from　its　precarious　condition；　he　hardly　should　care　to　return　to　St。　Petersburg。

Dona　Concha　had　listened　to　this　eloquent　haranguethey　sat　alone　at　one　end　of　the　long　sala　while　Luis　at　the　other　toiled　over　letters　to　the　Governor　and　his　father　advising　them　of　the　for…　midable　honor　of　the　Russian's　visitin　exactly　the　temper　he　would　have　chosen。　　Her　fine　eyes　had　melted　and　run　over　at　the　moving　tale　of　the　sufferings　of　the　servants　of　the　Companyuntil　his　own　had　softened　in　response　and　he　had　im…　pulsively　kissed　her　hand；　they　had　dilated　and　flashed　as　he　spoke　of　his　personal　apprehensions；　and　when　he　had　given　her　a　practical　explanation　of　his　reasons　for　coming　to　California　she　had　given　him　advice　as　practical　in　return。

He　must　withhold　from　her　father　and　the　Gov…　ernor　the　fact　of　his　pressing　need；　they　were　high　officials　with　an　inflexible　sense　of　duty；　and　did　all　they　could　to　enforce　the　law　against　trading　with　foreigners。　　He　was　to　maintain　the　fiction　of　belt…　ing　the　globe；　but　admit　that　he　had　indulged　in　a　dream　of　commercial　relationsfor　a　benefit　strictly　mutualbetween　neighbors　as　close　as　the　Spanish　and　Russians　in　America。　　This　would　interest　themwhat　would　not；　on　the　edge　of　the　world？　and　they　would　agree　to　lay　the　matter；　rein…　forced　by　a　strong　personal　plea；　before　the　Viceroy　of　Mexico；　who　in　turn　would　send　it　to　the　Cab…　inet　and　King　at　Madrid。　　Meanwhile；　he　was　to　confide　in　the　priests　at　the　Mission。　　Not　only　would　their　sympathies　be　enlisted；　but　they　did　much　trading　under　the　very　nose　of　the　govern…　ment。　　Not　for　personal　gainthey　were　vowed　to　a　life　of　poverty；　but　for　their　Indian　converts；　and　as　there　were　twelve　hundred　at　the　Mission　of　San　Francisco；　they　would　wink　at　many　things　con…　demnable　in　the　abstract。　　He　had　engaged　to　visit　them　on　the　morrow；　and　he　must　take　presents　to　tempt　their　impersonal　cupidity；　and　invite　them　to　inspect　the　rest　of　his　wareswhich　the　Governor　would　be　informed　his　Excellency　had　been　forced　to　buy　with　the　Juno　from　the　Yankee　skipper；　D'Wolf；　and　would　rid　himself　of　did　opportunity　offer。

Rezanov　had　never　received　sounder　advice；　and　had　promptly　accepted　it。　　Now；　as　he　reflected　that　it　had　been　given　by　a　girl　of　sixteen；　he　was　divided　between　admiration　of　her　precocity　and　fear　lest　she　prove　to　be　too　young　to　keep　a　secret。　　More…　over