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o　be　twenty　was　but　sixteen。　　It　was　by　no　means　his　first　experience　of　the　quick　maturity　of　southern　womenbut　sixteen！　　He　had　never　wasted　a　moment　on　a　chit　before；　and　although　he　was　a　man　of　imagination；　and　notwithstanding　her　intelligence　and　dignity；　he　could　not　reconcile　properties　so　conflicting　with　any　sort　of　feminine　ideal。

And　the　pressing　half　of　his　mission　he　had　con…　fided　to　her！　　No　man　knew　better　than　he　the　value　of　a　tactful　and　witty　woman　in　the　political　dilemmas　of　life；　more　than　one　had　given　him　devoted　service；　nor　ever　yet　had　he　made　a　mistake。　After　several　hours　spent　in　the　society　of　this　clever；　politic；　dissatisfied　girl　he　had　come　to　the　conclu…　sion　that　he　could　trust　her；　and　had　told　her　of　the　lamentable　condition　of　the　creatures　in　the　employ　of　the　Russian…American　Company；　of　their　chronic　state　of　semi…starvation；　of　the　scurvy　that　made　them　apathetic　of　brain　and　body；　and　eventually　would　exterminate　them　unless　he　could　establish　reciprocal　trade　relations　with　California　and　obtain　regular　supplies　of　farinaceous　food；　acknowl…　edged　that　he　had　brought　a　cargo　of　Russian　and　Boston　goods　necessary　to　the　well…being　of　the　Mis…　sions　and　Presidios；　and　that　he　would　not　return　to　the　wretched　people　of　Sitka；　at　least；　without　a　generous　exchange　of　breadstuffs；　dried　meats；　peas；　beans；　barley　and　tallow。　　Not　only　had　he　no　long…　er　the　courage　to　witness　their　misery；　but　his　for…　tune　and　his　career　were　at　stake。　　His　entire　capi…　tal　was　invested　in　the　Company　he　had　founded；　and　he　had　failed　in　his　embassy　to　Japanto　the　keen　mortification　of　the　Tsar　and　the　jubilation　of　his　enemies。　　If　he　left　the　Emperor's　northeastern　dominions　unreclaimed　and　failed　to　rescue　the　Company　from　its　precarious　condition；　he　hardly　should　care　to　return　to　St。　Petersburg。

Dona　Concha　had　listened　to　this　eloquent　haranguethey　sat　alone　at　one　end　of　the　long　sala　while　Luis　at　the　other　toiled　over　letters　to　the　Governor　and　his　father　advising　them　of　the　for…　midable　honor　of　the　Russian's　visitin　exactly　the　temper　he　would　have　chosen。　　Her　fine　eyes　had　melted　and　run　over　at　the　moving　tale　of　the　sufferings　of　the　servants　of　the　Companyuntil　his　own　had　softened　in　response　and　he　had　im…　pulsively　kissed　her　hand；　they　had　dilated　and　flashed　as　he　spoke　of　his　personal　apprehensions；　and　when　he　had　given　her　a　practical　explanation　of　his　reasons　for　coming　to　California　she　had　given　him　advice　as　practical　in　return。

He　must　withhold　from　her　father　and　the　Gov…　ernor　the　fact　of　his　pressing　need；　they　were　high　officials　with　an　inflexible　sense　of　duty；　and　did　all　they　could　to　enforce　the　law　against　trading　with　foreigners。　　He　was　to　maintain　the　fiction　of　belt…　ing　the　globe；　but　admit　that　he　had　indulged　in　a　dream　of　commercial　relationsfor　a　benefit　strictly　mutualbetween　neighbors　as　close　as　the　Spanish　and　Russians　in　America。　　This　would　interest　themwhat　would　not；　on　the　edge　of　the　world？　and　they　would　agree　to　lay　the　matter；　rein…　forced　by　a　strong　personal　plea；　before　the　Viceroy　of　Mexico；　who　in　turn　would　send　it　to　the　Cab…　inet　and　King　at　Madrid。　　Meanwhile；　he　was　to　confide　in　the　priests　at　the　Mission。　　Not　only　would　their　sympathies　be　enlisted；　but　they　did　much　trading　under　the　very　nose　of　the　govern…　ment。　　Not　for　personal　gainthey　were　vowed　to　a　life　of　poverty；　but　for　their　Indian　converts；　and　as　there　were　twelve　hundred　at　the　Mission　of　San　Francisco；　they　would　wink　at　many　things　con…　demnable　in　the　abstract。　　He　had　engaged　to　visit　them　on　the　morrow；　and　he　must　take　presents　to　tempt　their　impersonal　cupidity；　and　invite　them　to　inspect　the　rest　of　his　wareswhich　the　Governor　would　be　informed　his　Excellency　had　been　forced　to　buy　with　the　Juno　from　the　Yankee　skipper；　D'Wolf；　and　would　rid　himself　of　did　opportunity　offer。

Rezanov　had　never　received　sounder　advice；　and　had　promptly　accepted　it。　　Now；　as　he　reflected　that　it　had　been　given　by　a　girl　of　sixteen；　he　was　divided　between　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