rezanov-第30节

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fatal　mistake　in　his　career；　for　which　his　enemies　were　ever　on　the　alert。　　He　was　not　communicative　about　himself　except　when　he　had　an　object　in　view；　but　he　had　told　her　something　of　his　life；　and　his　officers　and　Langsdorff　had　told　more。　　He　was　no　silly　cabal…　lero　warbling　and　thrumming　at　her　grating　when　she　longed　for　sleep；　but　a　man　in　his　forties　whose　passions　were　in　the　leash　of　a　remarkably　acute　and　ambitious　brain。　　She　even　thrilled　with　pride　in　his　strength；　for　she　knew　how　he　loved　her；　and　although　his　part　was　action；　her　stimulated　in…　stincts　taught　her　that　she　would　rarely　be　long　from　his　mind。　　And　what　was　she　to　seek　to　roll　stumbling　blocks　into　the　career　of　a　man　like　that？　In　this　very　garden；　for　four　long　days；　she　had　dreamed　exalted　dreams　of　the　manifold　gifts　she　should　develop　for　his　solace　at　home　and　his　worldly　advancement。　　She　had　once　felt　all　a　girl's　impatience　when　her　mother's　tears　made　her　father's　departure　on　some　distant　mission　more　difficult　than　need　be；　and　although　she　knew　now　that　her　capacity　for　tenderness　was　as　great；　she　resolved　to　mould　herself　in　a　larger　shape　than　that。

But　she　sighed　and　drooped　a　little。　　The　burden　of　woman's　waiting　seemed　already　to　have　de…　scended　upon　her。　　Two　years　were　longlong。　There　might　be　other　delays。　　He　might　fall　ill；　he　had　been　ill　before　in　that　barbarous　Russian　north。　And　in　all　that　time　it　was　doubtful　if　she　received　a　line　from　him；　a　hint　of　his　welfare。　　The　Boston　and　British　skippers　came　no　more；　and　it　was　cer…　tain　that　no　Russian　ship　would　visit　California　again　until　the　treaty　was　signed　and　official　news　of　it　had　made　its　slow　way　to　these　uttermost　shores。　　She　had　resented；　in　her　young　ambition　and　indocility；　the　chance　that　had　stranded　her；　equipped　for　civilization；　on　this　rim　of　the　world；　but　never　so　much　as　in　that　moment；　when　she　sat　with　arrested　breath　and　realized　to　the　full　the　primitive　conditions　of　a　country　thousands　of　miles　from　the　very　outposts　of　Europe；　and　with　never　the　sight　of　a　letter　that　did　not　come　from　Spain　or　one　of　her　colonies。

〃Would　that　we　lived　a　generation　later；〃　she　thought　with　a　heavy　sigh。　　Progress　is　almost　automatic；　and　to　a　land　as　fertile　and　desirable　as　this　the　stream　must　turn　in　due　course。　　But　not　in　my　time。　　Not　in　my　time。〃

She　rose　and　leaned　her　elbows　in　the　embrasure　of　the　grille；　where　Santiago　had　restored　the　bars；　and　looked　out　over　the　fields　of　grain　planted　by　the　padres；　the　immense　sand　dunes　beyond　that　shut　the　lovely　bay　from　sight；　the　hills　embracing　the　primitive　scene　in　a　frowning　arc。　　With　all　her　imagination　it　was　long　before　she　could　picture　a　great　city　covering　that　immense　and　almost　deserted　space。　　A　pueblo　in　time；　perhaps；　for　Rezanov　had　awakened　her　mind　to　the　importance　of　the　har…　bor　as　a　port　of　call。　　Many　more　adobe　homes　where　the　sand　was　not　hot　and　shifting；　a　few　ships　in　the　bay　when　Spain　had　been　compelled　to　relax　her　jealous　vigilanceorwho　knew？per…　haps！a　flourishing　colony　when　the　Russian　bear　had　devoured　the　Spanish　lion。　　She　knew　some…　thing　and　suspected　more　of　the　rottenness　and　in…　efficiency　of　Spain；　and；　were　Russia　a　nation　of　Rezanovs；　what　opposition　in　California　against　the　tide　thundering　down　from　the　north？　　Then；　per…　haps；　the　city　that　had　travelled　from　the　brain　of　the　Russian　to　hers　when　the　fog　had　rolled　over　the　heights；　the　towers　and　palaces　and　bazaars；　the　thousand　little　golden　domes　with　the　slender　cross　atop；　the　forts　on　the　crags　and　the　villas　in　the　hollows；　and　on　all　the　island　and　hills。　　But　when　she　and　her　lover　were　dust。　　When　she　and　her　lover　were　dust。

But　she　was　too　young　and　too　ardent　to　listen　long　to　the　ravens　of　the　spirit。　　Two　years　are　not　eternity；　and　in　happiness　the　past　rolls　together　like　a　scroll　and　is　naught。　　She　fell　to　dreaming。　　Her　lips　that　had　been　set　with　the　gravity　of　stone　re…　laxed　in　warm　curves。　　The　color　came　back　to　her　cheek；　the　light　to　her　eyes。　　She　was　a　girl　at　her　grating　with　the　roses　poignant　above　her；　and　the　world；　radiant；　alluring；　and　all　for　her；　swimming　in　the　violet　haze　beyond。



XXII

Rezanov　in　those　days　was　literally　lord　and　mas…　ter　at　the　Presidio。　　If　he　did　not　burn　the　house　of　his　devoted　host　he　ran　it　to　suit　himself。　　He　turned　one　of　its　rooms　into　an　office；　where　he　re…　ceived　the　envoys　from　the　different　Missions　and　examined　the　samples　of　everything　submitted　to　him；　trusting　little　to　his　commissary。　　His　leisure　he　employed　scouring　the　country　or　shooting　deer　and　quail　in　the　company　of　his　younger　hosts。　　The　literal　mind　of　Don　Jose　accepted　him　as　an　actual　son　and　embryonic　California；　and；　his　conscience　at　peace；　revelled　in　his　society　as　a　sign　from　propitiated　heaven；　rejoicing　in　the　virtue　of　his　years。　　The　Governor；　testily　remarking　that　as　California　was　so　well　governed　for　the　present　he　would　retire　to　Monterey　and　take　a　siesta；　rode　off　one　morning；　but　not　without　an　affectionate：　〃God　preserve　the　life　of　your　excellency　many　years。〃

But　although　Rezanov　saw　the　most　sanguine　hopes　that　had　brought　him　to　California　fulfilled；　and　although　he　looked　from　the　mountain　ridges　of　the　east　over　the　great　low　valleys　watered　by　rivers　and　shaded　by　oaks；　where　enough　grain　could　be　raised　to　keep　the　blood　red　in　a　thousand　times　the　colonial　population　of　Russia；　although　he　felt　himself　in　more　and　more　abundant　health；　more　and　more　in　love　with　life；　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　for　a　moment　that　he　was　satisfied。　　Concha　he　barely　saw。　　She　remained　with　the　Moragas；　and　although　she　came　occasionally　to　the　afternoon　dances　at　the　Presidio；　and　he　had　dined　once　at　her　cousin's　house；　where　the　formal　betrothal　had　taken　place　and　the　marriage　contract　had　been　signed　in　the　presence　of　her　family　and　more　inti…　mate　friends；　the　priests；　his　officers；　and　the　Gov…　ernor；　he　had　not　spoken　with　her　for　a　moment　alone。　　Nor　had　her　eyes　met　his　in　a　glance　of　understanding。　　At　the　dances　she　showed　him　no　favor；　and　as　the　engagement　was　to　be　as　secret　as　might　be　in　that　small　community；　until　his　re…　turn　with　consent　of　Pope　and　King；　he　was　forced　to　concede　that　her　conduct　was　irreproachable；　but　when　on　the　day　of　the　betrothal　she　was　oblivious　to　his　efforts　to　draw　her　into　the　garden；　he　mounted　his　horse　and　rode　off　in　a　huff。

The　truth　was　that　Concha　liked　the　present　arrangement　no　better　than　himself；　and　knowing　that　her　own　appeal　against　the　proprieties　would　result　in　a　deeper　seclusion；　she　determined　to　goad　him　into　using　every　resource　of　address　and　subtlety　to　bring　about　a　more　human　state　of　affairs。　　And　she　accomplished　her　object。　　Rezanov；　at　the　end　of　a　week　was　not　only　infuriated　but　alarmed。　　He　knew　the　imagination　of　woman；　and　guessed　that　Concha；　in　her　brooding　solitude；　distorted　all　that　was　unfortunate　in　the　present　and　dwelt　morbidly　on　the　future。　　He　knew　that　she　must　resent　his　part　in　the　long　separation；　no　doubt　his　lack　of　im…　pulsiveness　in　not　proposing　elopement。　　There　was　a　priest　in　his　company　who；　although　he　ate　below　the　salt　and　found　his　associates　among　the　sailors；　could　have　performed　the　ceremony　of　marriage　when　the　Juno；　under　full　sail　in　the　night；　was　scudding　for　the　Russian　north。　　It　is　not　to　be　denied　that　this　romantic　alternative　appealed　to　Rezanov；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　starving　wretches　so　eagerly　awaiting　his　coming　he　might　have　been　tempted　to　throw　commercial　relations　to　the　winds　and　flee　with　his　bride　while　San　Fran…　cisco；　secure　in　the　knowledge　of　the　Juno's　empty　hold；　was　in　its　first　heavy　sleep。　　It　is　doubtful　if　he　would　have　advanced　beyond　impulse；　for　Rez…　anov　was　not　the　man　to　lose　sight　of　a　purpose　to　which　he　had　set　the　full　strength　of　his　talents；　and　life　had　tempered　his　impetuous　nature　with　much　philosophy。　　Moreover；　while　his　conscience　might　ignore　the　double　dealing　necessary　to　the　ac…　complishment　of　patriotic　or　political　acts；　it　re…　volted　at　the　idea　of　outwitting；　possibly　wrecking；　his　trusting　and　hospitable　host。　　But　the　mere　fact　that　his　imagination　could　dwell　upon　such　an　issue　as　reckless　flight；　inflamed　his　impatience；　and　his　desire　to　see　Concha　daily　during　these　last　few　weeks　of　propinquity。　　Finally；　he　sought　the　co…　operation　of　Father　AbellaSantiago　was　in　Mon…　tereyand　that　wise　student　of　maids　and　men　gave　him　cheer。

On　Thursday　afternoon　there　was　to　take　place　the　long　delayed　Indian　dance　and　bull…bear　fight；　not　in　the　Presidio；　but　at　the　Mission；　the　pride　of　the　friars　inciting　them　to　succeed　where　the　mili…　tary　authorities　had　failed。　　All　the　little　world　of　San　Francisco　had　been　invited；　and　it　would　be　strange　if　in　the　confusion　between　performance　and　supper　a　lover　could　not　find　a　moment　alone　with　his　lady。

The　elements　were　kind　to　the　padres。　　The　after…　noon　was　not　too　hot；　although　the　sun　flooded　the　plain　and　there　was　not　a　cloud　on　the　dazzling　blue　of　the　sky。　　Never　had　the　Mission　and　the　man…　sions　looked　so　white；　their　tiles　so　red。　　The　trees　were　blossoming　pink　and　white　in　the　orchards；　the　lightest　b