voyage, I determined to come here and see if some
arrangement could not be made for a bi-yearly
exchange of commodities. We need farinaceous
stuffs of every sort. I will not pay so poor a com-
pliment to your knowledge of the northern settle-
ments as to enlarge upon the advantages California
would reap from such a treaty."

The Governor, who had permitted himself to
touch the back of his chair after the dispersal of
the war cloud, stiffened again. "Ah!" he said.
"Ah!" He looked significantly at the Com-
mandante, who nodded. "You come on a semi-
official mission, after all, then?"

"It is entirely my own idea," said Rezanov care-
lessly. "The young Tsar is too much occupied with
Bonaparte to give more than a passing thought to
his colonies. But I have a free hand. Can I arrange
the preliminaries of a treaty, I have only to return
to St. Petersburg to receive his signature and highest
approval. It would be a great feather in my cap I
can assure your excellencies," he added, with a quick
human glance and a sudden curve of his somewhat
cynical mouth.

"Um!" said the Governor. "Um!"

But Arguello's stern face had further relaxed.
After all, he was but eleven years older than the