rezanov-第34部分

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ith　the　best　of　intentions　Davidov　could　make　little　head…　way　against　the　passive　resistance　of　the　Chief…　Manager；　and　those　intentions　would　be　weakened　by　the　consolidations　the　Company　so　generously　afforded。

The　result　was　hardly　open　to　doubt。　　If　he　left　Sitka　before　the　completion　of　the　Avos；　Russia　would　go　unavenged　for　the　present。　　Or　himself？　Rezanov；　sanguine　and　imaginative　as　he　was；　even　to　the　point　of　creating　premises　to　rhyme　with　ends；　was　very　honest　fundamentally。　　He　turned　abruptly　on　his　heel；　and　calling　to　the　officers　that　he　would　announce　his　decision　on　the　morrow；　ordered　the　sentry　to　open　the　gate　and　passed　out　of　the　en…　closure。

He　crossed　the　clearing　and　entered　the　forest。　The　warlike　tribes　themselves　had　trodden　paths　through　the　dense　undergrowth　of　young　trees　and　ferns。　　Rezanov；　despite　Baranhov's　warning；　had　tramped　the　forest　many　times。　　It　was　the　one　thing　that　reconciled　him　to　Sitka；　for　there　are　few　woods　more　beautiful。　　In　spite　or　because　of　the　incessant　rains；　it　is　pervaded　by　a　rich　golden　gloom；　the　result　of　the　constant　rotting　of　the　brown　and　yellow　bark；　not　only　of　the　prostrate　trees；　but　of　the　many　killed　by　crowding　and　un…　able　to　seek　the　earth　with　the　natural　instinct　of　death。　　And　above；　the　green　of　hemlock　and　spruce　was　perennially　fresh　and　young；　glistening　and　fra…　grant。　　Here　and　there　was　a　small　clearing　where　the　clans　had　erected　their　ingenious　and　hideous　totem　poles；　out　of　place　in　the　ancient　beauty　of　the　wood。

The　ferns　brushed　his　waist；　the　roar　of　the　river　came　to　his　ears；　the　forest　had　never　looked　more　primeval；　more　wooing　to　a　man　burdened　with　civil…　ization；　but　Rezanov　gave　it　less　heed　than　usual；　although　he　had　turned　to　it　instinctively。　　He　was　occupied　with　a　question　to　which　nature　would　turn　an　aloof　disdainful　ear。　　Was　his　own　wounded　vanity　at　the　root　of　his　desire　to　humiliate　Japan？　Russia　was　too　powerful；　too　occupied；　for　the　pres…　ent　at　least；　greatly　to　care　that　her　overtures　and　presents　had　been　scorned。　　Upon　her　ambassador　had　fallen　the　full　brunt　of　that　wearisome　and　in…　comparably　mortifying　experience；　and　unfortu…　nately　the　ambassador　happened　to　be　one　of　the　proudest　and　most　autocratic　men　in　her　empire。　No　man　of　Rezanov's　caliber　but　accommodates　that　sort　of　personal　vanity　that　tenaciously　resents　a　blow　to　the　pride　of　which　it　is　a　part；　to　the　love　of　power　it　feeds。　　As　well　expect　a　lover　without　pas…　sion；　a　state　without　corruption。　　Rezanov　finally　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　admitted　the　impeach…　ment；　but　at　the　same　time　he　recognized　that　the　desire　for　vengeance　still　held；　and　that　the　tenacity　of　his　nature；　a　tenacity　that　had　been　no　mean　factor　in　the　remodeling　of　himself　from　a　voluptu…　ous　young　sprig　of　nobility　into　one　of　the　most　successful　business　men　and　subjugator　of　other　men　that　the　Russian　Empire　could　show；　was　not　likely　to　weaken　when　its　very　roots　had　been　stiff　with　purpose　for　fifteen　months。　　Power　had　been　Rezanov's　ruling　passion　for　many　years　before　he　met　Concha　Arguello；　and；　although　it　might　mate　very　comfortably　with　love；　it　was　not　to　be　expected　that　it　would　remain　submerged　beyond　the　first　enthusiasm；　nor　even　assume　the　position　of　the　〃party　of　the　second　part。〃　　Rezanov　was　Rezanov。　He　was　also　in　that　interval　between　youth　and　age　when　the　brain　rules　if　it　is　ever　to　rule　at　all。　　That　the　ardor　of　his　nature　had　awakened　refreshed　after　a　long　sleep　was　but　just　proved；　as　well　as　the　revival　of　his　early　ideals　and　capacity　for　genu…　ine　love；　but　the　complexities；　the　manifold　inter…　ests　and　desires　of　the　ego　had　been　growing　and　developing　these　many　years；　and　no　mere　mortal　that　has　given　up　his　life　for　a　considerable　period　to　the　thirst　for　dominance　can　ever；　save　in　a　brief　exaltation；　sacrifice　it　to　anything　so　normal　as　the　demands　of　sex　and　spirit。　　For　good　or　ill；　the　man　who　has　burned　with　ambition；　exulted　in　the　exercise　of　power；　bitterly　resented　the　temporary　victories　of　rivals　and　enemies；　fought　with　all　the　resources　of　brain　and　character　against　failure；　is　in　a　class　apart　from　humanity　in　the　mass。　　Reza…　nov　loved　Concha　Arguello　to　the　very　depths　of　his　soul；　but　he　had　lived　beyond　the　time　when　even　she　could　engage　successfully　with　the　ruth…　less　forces　that　had　molded　into　immutable　shape　the　Rezanov　she　knew。　　Her　place　was　second；　and　it　is　probable　that　she　would　have　loved　him　less　had　it　been　otherwise；　she；　in　spite　of　her　fine　intel…　lect　and　strong　will；　being　all　woman；　as　he；　despite　his　depth　of　intuition；　was　all　man。　　Equality　is　possible　in　no　relation　or　condition　of　life。　　When　woman　subjugates　man　the　conquered　will　enjoy　a　sense　of　revenge　proportionate　to　the　meanness　of　his　state。

It　is　possible　that　had　Concha　awaited　Rezanov　in　St。　Petersburg　her　attraction　would　have　focused　his　desires　irresistibly；　but　his　mind　had　resigned　itself　to　the　prospect　of　separation　for　a　definite　period；　and　while　it　had　not　relegated　her　image　to　the　background；　her　part　in　his　life　had　been　settled　there　among　many　future　possibilities；　and　all　the　foreground　was　crowded　with　the　impatient　sym…　bols　of　the　intervening　time。　　Moreover；　he　well　knew　that　the　savor　would　be　gone　from　his　happi…　ness　with　the　woman　were　the　taste　of　another　fail…　ure　acrid　in　his　mouth。

As　he　realized　that　the　die　was　cast；　the　sanguine…　ness　of　his　temperament　rushed　to　do　battle　against　apprehension　and　self…accusing。　　After　all；　he　was　rarely　balked　of　his　way；　accustomed　to　ride　down　obstacles；　to　the　amiable　cooperation　of　fate。　　He　could　arrive　in　Okhotsk　late　in　September　or　early　in　October。　　Captain　D'Wolf；　who　had　been　de…　tained　at　Sitka　during　his　absence　by　the　same　in…　difference　that　had　operated　against　the　completion　of　the　Avos；　would　precede　him　and　order　that　all　be　in　readiness　at　Okhotsk　both　for　the　ships　and　his　journey　to　Yakutsk。　　He　could　proceed　at　once；　and；　no　doubt；　with　twice　the　number　or　horses　needed；　would　make　the　first　and　most　difficult　stage　of　the　journey　in　the　usual　time；　and　with　no　great　embarrassment　from　the　rains。　　From　Yakutsk　to　Irkutsk　the　greater　part　of　the　travel　was　by　water　in　any　case；　and　after　that　the　land　was　flat　for　the　most　part　and　bridges　were　more　numerous。　　The　governor　of　every　town　in　Siberia　would　be　his　obsequious　servant；　the　entire　resources　of　the　country　would　be　at　his　disposal。　　He　was　sound　in　health　again；　as　resistant　against　hardships　as　when　he　had　sailed　from　Kronstadt。　　And　God　knew；　he　thought　with　a　sigh；　his　will　and　purpose　had　never　been　stronger。



XXVI

Rezanov　disembarked　from　the　Juno　at　Okhotsk　during　the　first　days　of　October。　　Had　it　not　been　for　a　touch　of　fever　that　had　returned　in　the　filth　and　warm　dampness　of　Sitka；　he　would　have　felt　almost　as　buoyant　in　mind　and　body　as　in　those　days　when　California　had　gone　to　his　head。　　The　Juno　had　touched　at　Kadiak；　Oonalaska；　and　others　of　the　more　important　settlements；　and　he　had　found　his　schools　and　libraries　in　good　condition；　seals　and　otters　rapidly　increasing；　in　their　immunity　from　indiscriminate　slaughter；　new　and　stronger　forts　threatening　the　nefarious　Bostonian　and　Bri…　ton。　　At　Okhotsk　he　learned　that　the　embassy　of　Count　Golofkin　to　China　had　failed　as　signally　as　his　own；　and　this　alone　would　have　put　him　in　the　best　of　tempers　even　had　he　not　found　his　arma…　ment　and　caravan　awaiting　him；　facilitating　his　im…　mediate　departure。　　He　wrote　a　gay　letter　to　Con…　cha；　giving　her　the　painful　story　of　the　naturalist　attached　to　the　Golofkin　embassy；　Dr。　Redovsky；　who　had　remained　in　the　East　animated　by　the　same　scientific　enthusiasm　as　that　of　his　colleague；　the　good　Langsdorff；　parted　some　time　since　from　his　too　exacting　master。　　Rezanov　had　written　Concha　many　letters　during　his　detention　in　Sitka；　and　left　them　with　Baranhov　to　send　at　the　first　opportun…　ity。　　The　Chief…Manager；　deeply　interested　in　the　romance　of　the　mighty　Chamberlain　with　whom　he　alone　dared　to　take　a　liberty；　vowed　to　guard　all　that　came　to　his　care　and　sooner　or　later　to　send　them　to　California。　　Rezanov　had　also　written　com…　prehensively　to　the　Tsar　and　the　directors　of　the　Russian…American　Company；　adroitly　placing　his　marriage　in　the　light　of　a　diplomatic　maneuver；　and　painting　California　in　colors　the　more　vivid　and　en…　ticing　for　the　sullen　clouds　and　roaring　winds；　the　dripping　forests　and　eternal　snows　of　that　derelict　corner　of　Earth　where　he　had　been　stranded　so　long。　　He　had　also；　when　Langsdorff　announced　his　intention　to　start　upon　a　difficult　journey　in　the　in…　terest　of　science；　provided　him　not　only　with　letters　of　recommendation；　but　with　all　the　comforts　pro…　curable　in　a　land　where　the　word　comfort　was　the　stock　in　trade　of　the　local　satirist。　　But　Langsdorff；　although　punctiliously　acknowledging　the　favors；　never　quite　forgave　the　indifference　of　a　mere　am…　bassador　and　chamberlain；　rejoicing　in　the　dignity　of　an　honorary　membership　in　the　St。　Petersburg　Academy　of　Sciences；　to　the　supreme　division　of　natural　history。

The　first　stage　of　the　journeyfrom　Okhotsk　to　Yakutskwas　about　six　hundred　and　fifty　English　miles；　not　as　the　crow　flew；　but　over　the　Stanovoi　mountains　in　a　southwesterly　direction　to　the　Maya；　by　this　river's　wavering　course　to　the　Youdoma；　then　northwest　to　the　Aldan；　and　south　beside　the　Lena。　　The　beaten　track　lay　entirely　alongside　the　rivers　at　this　season；　upon　their　surface　in　winter；　and　in　addition　to　these　great　streams　there　were　many　too　unimportant　for　the　map；　but　as　erratic　in　course　and　as　irresistible　in　energy　after　the　first　rains　of　autumn。

Captain　D'Wolf　had　proved　himself　capable　and　faithful；　and　a　caravan　of　forty　horses　had　been　in　Okhotsk　a　week；　twenty　for　immediate　use；　twenty　for　relief；　or　substitutes　in　almost　certain　emer…　gency。　　As　there　were　but　one　or　two　stations　of　any　importance　between　Okhotsk　and　Yakutsk；　and　as　a　week　might　pass　without　the　shelter　of　so　much　as　a　hut；　it　was　necessary　to　take　tents　and　bearskin　beds　for　the　Chamberlain；　his　Cossack　guard；　valet…　de…chambre；　cook　and　other　servants；　one　set　of　fine　blankets　and　linen；　cooking　utensils；　axes；　arms；　tinder…