the morrow from his thoughts.

As Dona Ignacia was hauled to the deck, uttering
embarrassed apologies for bringing the two little
girls, Rezanov protested that he adored children,
patted their heads and told off a young sailor to
amuse them.

Four tables on the deck were set with coffee,
chocolate, Russian tea, and strange sweets that the
cook had fashioned from ingredients to which his
skilful fingers had long been strangers.

Dona Ignacia sat beside the host, and when she
had tried both the tea and the coffee and had de-
manded the recipe of the sweets, he said casually:
"After breakfast I shall ask you to go down to the
cabin for a few moments. I bought the cargo with
the Juno, and find there are several articles which I
shall beg as a great favor to present to my kindest
hostesses and the young girls she has been good
enough to bring to my ship. Shawls and ells of
cotton and all that sort of thing are of no use to a
bachelor, and I hope you will rid me of some of
them."

Dona Ignacia lost all interest in the breakfast,
and presently, murmuring an excuse, was escorted
by Langsdorff down to the cabin. When the light
repast was over, Rezanov made a signal to several