e immense
spreading trees permitted, and Rezanov and Concha had no difficulty in
falling away from the chattering, excited company.

"Tell me your ultimate plans, Pedro mio," said Concha softly. "You are
dreaming of something this moment beyond corn and treaties."

"Do you want that final proof?" he asked, smiling. "Well, if I could
not trust you that would be the end of everything, and I know that I
can. I have long regarded California as an absolutely necessary field
of supplies, and since I have come here I will frankly say that could
I, as the representative of the Tsar in all this part of the world,
make it practically my own, I should be content in even a permanent
exile from St. Petersburg. I could attract an immense colony here and
in time import libraries and works of art, laying the foundation of a
great and important city on that fine site about Yerba Buena. But now
that these kind people have practically adopted me I cannot repay their
hospitality by any overt act of hostility. I must be content either
slowly to absorb the country, in which case I shall see no great result
in my lifetime, or-and for this I hope--what with the mess Bonaparte is
making of Europe, every state may be at the others' throat before long,
including Russia and Spain. At all events, a cause for rupture would
not be far to seek, and it would need no instigation of mine to
despatch a fleet to these shores. In that case I should be sent with
it to take possession in the name of the Tsar, and to deal with these
simple, kind--and inefficient people, my dear girl--as no other Russian
could. They cannot hold this country. Spain could not--would not, at
all events, for she has not troops enough here to protect a territory
half its size--hold it against even the 'Americans,' should they in
time feel strong enough to push their way across the western
wilderness. It is the destiny of this charming Arcadia to disappear;
and did Russia forego an opportunity to appropriate a domain that
offers her literally everything except civilization, she would be
unworthy of her place among nations. Moreover--a beneficent triumph
impossible to us otherwise--with a powerful and flourishing colony up
and down this coast, and sending breadstuffs regularly to our other
possessions in these waters until the natives, immigrants, and exiles
were healthy, vitalized beings, it would be but a question of a few
years before we should force open the doors of