Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-21

sister to Dona Ignacia's Malta. Rezanov
furnished him with beads and other trinkets
and was at no disadvantage thereafter.
There was nothing ReZanov would have
liked better than to see a Russian fleet
sail through the straits, but he also knew
that nothing was less likely, and that from
such rumors he should only derive further
annoyance and delay. Two OF his sailors
deserted at the prospect Of war, and his
hosts, IL neutral, were manifestly alert
Luis and Santiago had been obliged to go
to Monterey for few days, and the q was
no one at the Preside in whom ReZanov
could confide either his Impotence to see
Concha or at the adjournment Of his more
prosaic but no less pressing interests. These
two young men had been with him almost
constantly since his arrival, and demon
strated their friendship and even affection
unfailingy, but there was no love lost
between himself and Gervasio. This young
hidalgo had the bauteur and intense family
pride of Santiago without his younger
brothers frank intelligence and lingering
righteousness. With all the superiority Of
inferiority he had made himself SO unpopu-
lar that his real kindness of heart atoned
for his absurdities only with those that
knew him best. Rezanov was not of these
nor aspired to be. Like all highly seasoned
men of the world, he had no patience with
the small vanites of the provincial, and
although automatically courteous to ALL in
his present precarious position he had taken
too little trouble to conciliate Gervasio to
find him Of use in the absence of his
friends.
At the end Of three days Rezanov had
forgotten his cargo, and would have sent
the Juno to the bottom for ten minutes
alone with Concha. He had been on fire
with love of her since the moment Of his &C
tual surrenger, and he was determined to
have her if there were no other resource
but elopement All his old and intense love
of personal freedom had melted out of form
in the crucible Of his lovers imagination
| l,oy <1I rN,,
that Concha was the woman for whom his
soul had held itself aloof and unshackled
was matter for contemptuous wonder, and
the pride he had taken in his keen and
swift perceptives faculties suffered an
eclipse Mind and soul and body he was
lover, union unknown before.
On the fourth morning, his patience
at an end, he was about to leave the Juno
to demand a formal interview with Don
Jose when he saw Luis and Santiago dis
mount at the beach and enter the canoe
always in waiting. A few moments later
they had helped themselves to cigarettes
from the gift of the tsar and were assur-
ing ReZanov Of their partizanship and ap-
prevail.
I'VE were somewhat taken aback at the
first moment Luis admitted. "But-well,
we are both in love-Santiago no less than
/, although 1 have had these six long years
of waiting and am likely to have another
And we love Concha as few men love their
sisters, for there is no one like her-is it not
so, Rezanov? And we quite understand why
she has chosen you and why she stands
firm, for we know the strength of her
character We would that you were a
Catholic, but, even so, we will not sit by and
see her life ruined and we have called to
assure You that we shall use all our in
| fuence, every adroit argument to bring our
| parents to a more reasonable frame Of
mind. They have already risen above the
| first natural impulse of selfishness and
/ would consent to the inevitable separation
| were you. only Catholic I have also
/ talked with the governor-we arrived at
| midnig ht-and he flew into a terrible temper
the poor man is already like mad bull
! at bay-but If my father yielded, he would
| ON all points. This morning I shall ride
| over and talk with Father Abella, who, I
| fancy, needs only little extra pressure
! you may be sure Concha has not been idle