rezanov-第7部分

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en　admiration　of　her　precocity　and　fear　lest　she　prove　to　be　too　young　to　keep　a　secret。　　More…　over；　there　were　other　considerations。

Rezanov；　although　in　his　earlier　years　he　had　so　far　sacrificed　his　interests　and　played　into　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　in　avoiding　the　too　embarrassing　par…　tiality　of　Catherine　the　Great；　had　nevertheless　held　a　high　place　at　court　by　right　of　birth；　and　been　a　man　of　the　world　always；　rarely　absent　from　St。　Petersburg　during　the　last　and　least　susceptible　part　of　the　imperial　courtesan's　life；　the　brief　reign　of　Paul；　and　the　two　years　between　the　accession　of　Alexander　and　the　sailing　of　the　Nadeshda。　　More…　over；　there　was　hardly　another　court　of　importance　in　Europe　with　which　he　was　not　familiar；　and　few　men　had　had　a　more　complete　experience　of　life。　And　the　life　of　a　courtier；　a　diplomat；　a　traveller；　noble；　wealthy；　agreeable　to　women　by　divine　right；　with　active　enemies　and　a　horde　of　flatterers；　in　daily　contact　with　the　meaner　and　more　disin…　genuous　corners　of　human　nature；　is　not　conducive　to　a　broad　optimism　and　a　sweet　and　immutable　Christianity。　　Rezanov　inevitably　was　more　or　less　cynical　and　blase'；　and　too　long　versed　in　the　ways　of　courts　and　courtiers　to　retain　more　than　a　whim…　sical　tolerance　of　the　naked　truth　and　an　apprecia…　tion　of　its　excellence　as　a　diplomatic　manoeuvre。　Nevertheless；　he　was　by　nature　too　impetuous　ever　to　become　under　any　provocation　a　dishonest　man；　and　too　normally　a　gentleman　to　deviate　from　a　certain　personal　code　of　honor。　　He　might　come　to　California　with　fair　words　and　a　very　definite　in…　tention　of　annexing　it　to　Russia　at　the　first　oppor…　tunity；　but　he　was　incapable　of　abusing　the　hospi…　tality　of　the　Arguellos　by　making　love　to　their　six…　teen…year…old　daughter。　　Had　she　been　of　the　years　he　had　assumed；　he　would　have　had　less　scruple　in　embarking　upon　a　flirtation；　both　for　the　pastime　and　the　use　he　might　make　of　her。　　A　Spanish　beauty　of　twenty；　still　unmarried；　would　be　more　than　his　match。　　But　a　child；　however　precocious；　inevitably　would　fall　in　love　with　the　first　uncom…　mon　stranger　she　met；　and　Rezanov；　less　vain　than　most　men　of　his　kind；　and　with　a　fundamental　hu…　manity　that　was　the　chief　cause　in　his　efforts　to　im…　prove　the　condition　of　his　wretched　promuschleniki；　had　no　taste　for　the　role　of　heart…breaker。

But　the　girl　had　proved　her　timeliness；　would；　if　trustworthy；　be　of　further　use　in　inclining　her　father　and　the　Governor　toward　such　of　his　de…　signs　as　he　had　any　intentions　of　revealing；　and；　weighing　carefully　his　conversations　with　her；　he　was　disposed　to　believe　that　she　would　screen　and　abet　him　through　vanity　and　love　of　intrigue。　　After　the　dinner；　in　the　seclusion　of　the　sala；　he　had　taken　pains　to　explore　for　the　causes　of　her　mental　ma…　turity。　　Concha　had　told　him　of　Don　Jose　Arguello's　ambition　that　his　children　in　their　youth　should　have　the　education　he　had　been　forced　to　acquire　in　his　manhood；　he　had　taught　them　himself；　and　not…　withstanding　his　piety　and　the　disapproval　of　the　priests；　had　permitted　them　to　read　the　histories；　travels；　and　biographies　he　received　once　a　year　from　the　City　of　Mexico。　　Rezanov　had　met　Madame　de　Stael　and　other　bas　bleus；　and　given　them　no　more　of　his　society　than　politeness　de…　manded；　but　although　astonished　at　the　amount　of　information　this　young　girl　had　assimilated；　he　found　nothing　in　her　manner　of　wearing　her　intel…　lectual　crown　to　offend　his　fastidious　taste。　　She　was　wholly　artless　in　her　love　of　books　and　of　dis…　cussing　them；　and　nothing　in　their　contents　had　dis…　turbed　the　sweetest　innocence　he　had　ever　met。　　Of　the　little　arts　of　coquetry　she　was　mistress　by　inheri…　tance　and　much　provocation；　but　her　unawakened　inner　life　breathed　the　simplicity　and　purity　of　the　elemental　roses　that　hovered　about　her　in　his　thoughts。　　Her　very　unsusceptibility　made　the　game　more　dangerous；　if　it　piqued　himand　he　aspired　to　be　no　more　than　humanhe　either　should　have　to　marry　her；　or　nurse　a　sore　spot　in　his　conscience　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　for　neither　alternative　had　he　the　least　relish。

He　dismissed　the　subject　at　last　with　an　impatient　shrug。　　Perhaps　he　was　a　conceited　ass；　as　his　Eng…　lish　friends　would　say；　perhaps　the　Governor　would　be　more　amenable　than　she　had　represented。　　No　man　could　forecast　events。　　It　was　enough　to　be　forearmed。

But　his　thoughts　swung　to　a　theme　as　little　dis…　burdening。　　His　needs；　as　he　had　confided　to　Con…　cha；　were　very　pressing。　　The　dry　or　frozen　fish；　the　sea　dogs；　the　fat　of　whales；　upon　which　the　em…　ployees　of　the　Company　were　forced　to　subsist　in　the　least　hospitable　of　climes；　had　ravaged　them　with　scorbutic　diseases　until　their　numbers　were　so　reduced　by　death　and　desertion　that　there　was　dan…　ger　of　depopulation　and　the　consequent　bankruptcy　of　the　Company。　　Since　June　of　the　preceding　year　until　his　departure　from　New　Archangel　in　the　pre…　vious　month；　he　had　been　actively　engaged　in　inspec…　tion　of　the　Company's　holdings　from　Kamchatka　to　Sitka：　reforming　abuses；　establishing　schools　and　libraries；　conceiving　measures　to　protect　the　fur…bearing　animals　from　reckless　slaughter　both　by　the　promuschleniki　and　marauding　foreigners；　punishing　and　banishing　the　worst　offenders　against　the　Company's　laws；　encouraging　the　faithful；　and　sharing　hardships　with　them　that　sent　memories　of　former　luxuries　and　pleasures　scurrying　off　to　the　realms　of　fantasy。　　But　his　rule　would　be　incom…　plete　and　his　efforts　end　in　failure　if　the　miserable　Russians　and　natives　in　the　employ　of　the　Com…　pany　were　not　vitalized　by　proper　food　and　cheered　with　the　hope　of　its　permanence。

In　Santiago's　story　of　the　Russian　visitor's　achievements　and　status　there　was　the　common　mingling　of　truth　and　fiction　the　exalted　never　fail　to　inspire。　　Rezanov；　although　he　had　accomplished　great　ends　against　greater　odds；　was　too　little　of　a　courtier　at　heart　ever　to　have　been　a　prime　favorite　in　St。　Petersburg　until　the　accession　of　a　ruler　with　whom　he　had　something　in　common。　　A　dissolute　woman　and　a　crack…brained　despot　were　the　last　to　appreciate　an　original　and　independent　mind；　and　the　seclusion　of　Alexander　had　been　so　complete　during　the　lifetime　of　his　father　that　Rezanov　barely　had　known　him　by　sight。　　But　the　Tsarovitz；　en…　thusiastic　for　reform　and　a　passionate　admirer　of　enterprise；　knew　of　Rezanov；　and　no　sooner　did　he　mount　his　gory　throne　than　he　confirmed　the　Cham…　berlain　in　his　enterprise；　and　two　years　later　made　him　a　Privy　Counsellor；　invested　him　with　the　order　of　St。　Ann；　and　chose　him　for　the　critical　embassy　to　the　verdant　realm　with　the　blind　and　gateless　walls。

Rezanov　had　conquered　so　far　in　life　even　less　by　address　than　by　the　demonstration　of　abilities　very　singular　in　a　man　of　his　birth　and　education。　　When　he　met　Shelikov；　during　the　Siberian　merchant…　trader's　visit　to　St。　Petersburg　in　1788；　he　was　a　young　man　with　little　interest　in　life　outside　of　its　pleasures；　and　a　patrimony　that　enabled　him　to　command　them　to　no　great　extent　and　barely　to　maintain　the　dignity　of　his　rank。　　Shelikov's　plan　to　obtain　a　monopoly　of　the　fur　trade　in　the　islands　and　territories　added　by　his　Company　to　Russia；　possibly　throughout　the　entire　possession；　thus　pre…　venting　the　destruction　of　sables；　seals；　otters；　and　foxes　by　small　traders　and　foreigners；　interested　him　at　once；　or　possibly　he　was　merely　fascinated　at　first　by　the　shrewd　and　dauntless　representative　of　a　class　with　which　he　had　never　before　come　in　contact。　　The　accidental　acquaintance　ripened　into　intimacy；　Rezanov　became　a　partner　in　the　Shelikov…Golikov　Company；　and　married　the　daugh…　ter　of　his　new　friend。　　After　the　death　of　his　father…in…law；　in　1795；　his　ambitions　and　business　abilities；　now　fully　awake；　prompted　him　to　obtain　for　himself　and　his　partners　rights　analogous　to　those　granted　by　England　to　the　East　India　Com…　pany。　　Shelikov　had　won　little　more　than　half　the　power　and　privileges　he　had　solicited　of　Catherine；　although　he　had　amalgamated　the　two　leading　com…　panies；　drawn　in　several　others；　and　built　ships　and　factories　and　forts　to　protect　them。　　And　if　the　regnant　merchants　made　large　fortunes；　the　enter…　prise　in　general　suffered　from　the　rivalries　between　the　various　companies；　and　above　all　from　lack　of　imperial　support。

Rezanov；　his　plans　made；　brought　to　bear　all　the　considerable　influence　he　was　able　to　command；　called　upon　all　his　resources　of　brain　and　address；　and　brought　Catherine　to　the　point　of　consenting　to　sign　the　charter　he　needed。　　Before　it　was　ready　for　the　imperial　signature　she　died。　　Rezanov　was　forced　to　begin　again　with　her　ill…balanced　and　in…　tractable　son。　　Natalie　Shelikov；　his　famous　mother…　in…law；　the　old　shareholders　of　the　Company；　and　the　many　new　ones　that　had　subscribed　to　Rezanov's　ambitious　project；　gave　themselves　up　to　despair。　For　a　time　the　outlook　was　dark。　　The　personal　enemies　of　Rezanov　and　the　bitter　and　persistent　opponents　of　the　companies　threw　themselves　eager…　ly　into　the　scale　with　tales　of　brutality　of　the　mer…　chants　and　the　threatened　extirpation　of　the　fur…　bearing　animals。　　Paul　announced　his　attention　to　abolish　all　the　companies　and　close　the　colonies　to　traders　big　and　little。

But