Rezanov | Page 9

snow and gigantic trees. The valley beyond the southern
edge of the bay, where the Missions of Santa Clara and San Jose are, is
also rich, but those between the ranges is an empire; and one day when
the King sends us more colonists, we shall recompense Spain for all
she has lost."
"I congratulate you!" Rezanov, indifferent to his host's ancestral tree,
had lifted an alert ear. His quick incisive brain was at work. "I should
like to stretch my legs over a horse for a week at a time, and even to
climb your highest mountains. You may imagine how much exercise a
man may get on a vessel of two hundred and six tons, and it is
thirty-two days since I left Sitka. To look upon a vast expanse of
green--to say nothing of possible sport--after a winter of incessant rain
and impene- trable forests--what a prospect! I beg you will take me off
into the wilderness as soon as possible."
"I promise you the Governor shall not withhold his consent--and there
are bear and deer--quail, wild duck--your excellency will enjoy that
beauti- ful wild country as I have done." Arguello was enchanted at the

prospect of fresh adventure in the company of this fascinating stranger.
"But we are once more at our poor abode, senor. I beg you to remember
that it is your own."
They ascended the steps of the piazza, suddenly deserted, and it seemed
to Rezanov that every sense in his being quivered responsively to the
poignant sweetness of the Castilian roses. He throbbed with a sudden
exultant premonition that he stood on the threshold of an historic future,
with a pagan joy in mere existence, a sudden rush of desire for the keen
wild happiness of youth. Such is the elixir of California in the north and
the spring.
They entered a long sala typical of its day and of many to come;
whitewashed walls hung with colored prints of the Virgin and saints;
horsehair furniture, matting, deep window seats; and a perennial
coolness. The Chamberlain (his court title and the one commonly
attached to his name) made himself as comfortable as the slippery chair
would permit, and Arguello went for his mother.
Langsdorff, who had lingered on the piazza with the priest, entered in a
moment.
"The good padre tells me that this rose of Cas- tile is the only imported
flower in California," he cried, with enthusiasm, for although not a bot-
anist, there was a bump between his eyes as big as a child's fist and he
had a nose like the prow of a toy ship. "Many cuttings were brought
from Spain--"
"What difference does it make where it came from?" interrupted
Rezanov testily. "Is it not enough that it is beautiful, but it must have a
pin stuck through it like some poor devil of a butter- fly?"
"Your excellency has also the habit to probe into things he deems
worthy of his attention," re- torted the offended scientist; but he was
obliged to closet his wrath. An inner door opened and the host
reappeared with his mother and a fair demonstration of her virtues. She
was a very large woman dressed loosely in black, but she car- ried
herself with an air of complete, if somewhat sleepy, dignity, and it was

evident that her beauty had been great. Her full face had lost its con-
tours, but time had spared the fine Roman nose and the white skin, that
birthright of the high-bred Castilian. Arguello presented his family
ceremo- niously as the guest of honor rose and bowed with formal
deference.
"My mother, Dona Ignacia Arguello, your ex- cellency, who unites
with me in praying that you will regard our home as yours during your
so- journ in the north. My sister, Maria de la Con- cepcion Marcella
Arguello, and my little sisters, Ana Paula and Gertrudis Rudisinda. My
brothers: Gervasio--soldado distinguido of the San Francisco Company;
Santiago, a cadet in the same company; Francesco and Toribio, whose
presence at the table I beg you will overlook, for when we are so
fortunate as to be all together, senor, we cannot bear to be separated.
My oldest brother, alas--Ignacio--is studying for holy or- ders in
Mexico, and my sister Isabel visits at the Presidio of Santa Barbara. I
beg that you will be seated, Excellency." And he continued the intro-
duction to the lesser luminaries, with equal cour- tesy but fewer
periods.
Rezanov exchanged a few pleasant words with his smiling hostess
before she returned to her dis- tracted maids preparing the dinner; but
his eyes during Arguello's declamation had wandered with a singular
fidelity to the beautiful face of the eld- est daughter of the house. She
had responded with a humorous twinkle in her magnificent black