day.

"I hope that I am to see every detail of your great
work," replied the diplomatic guest of honor. "But
at your own leisure. Meanwhile, I beg that you
will order one of your Indians to bring in the little
presents I venture to offer as a token of my respect.
You may have heard that the presents of his Im-
perial Majesty were refused by the Mikado of
Japan. I reserved many of them for possible use in
our own possessions, particularly a piece of cloth of
gold. This I had intended for our church at New
Archangel, but finding the priests there more in
need of punishment than reward, I concluded to
bring it here and offer it as a manifest of my ad-
miration for what the great Franciscan Order of
the Most Holy Church of Rome has accomplished
in the Californias. Have I been too presump-
tuous?"

The priests all wore the eager expressions of chil-
dren.

"Could we not see them first?" asked Father Lan-
daeta of his superior; and Father Abella sent a ser-
vant with an order to unload the horse and bring in
the presents.

Not a vestige of reserve lingered. Priests and
guests sat about the table eating and drinking and