Show Mist mistress leess bof i monterey monteau adah Y 0 virginia stivers bartlett virginia stivers harriett bartlett service CHAPTER R continued 15 then la perouse continued in spanish it was a surprise to find such luxury in your palais de adobe it was a surprise to find such wine and such brandy as this and raising his glass to la gobernadora it was a surprise and a great pleasure to find the palais or perhaps I 1 should say the hotel de ville with such a chatelaine such grace and it if I 1 may be pardoned for speaking so frankly such beauty such elegance could scarcely be found in the court of louis XVI himself or of your own sovereign charles of spain but to find it here madame but of course you know how fortunate you are monsieur le ie gouverneur to have how do you call her la gobernadora here in the wilderness with you I 1 envy you par bleu I 1 do you are like the first man and the first woman adam and eve in this paradise your life here must be ei a perpetual honeymoon eulalla eulalia smiled with sidelong glances at the two frenchmen she studied them carefully such finesse such fine clothes tl othes and from those curled she was sure there came a faint perfume ve very ry faint to be sure and very jascu line but unmistakable those neat breeches and buckled shoes she studied her husband why ha had d she not trimmed his beard that day and why had she not insisted that he come and change his clothes before the distinguished frenchmen zime came ashore that leather jacket T and those stained leather breeches y dusty boots she shuddered ugh and that faint odor of horses that clung around him always she sighed deeply yes la perouse was saying to the governor we have with us on this expedition astronomers ahers meteorologists watchmakers cartographers every sort of scientist you can imagine with your permission we will make a camp near here and set up a laboratory there are many things here we wish to study as well as the indians their habits physical charac te and religions eulalia saw her husband lean forward ei eagerly gerly the expression an on his face that told her he would soon launch into a lengthy and to her uninteresting discourse on his bis favorite subject california she looked at young dagenet Da gelet brooding before the fire untouched by the spate of unfamiliar spanish that flowed around him she moved closer you are very quiet monsieur dagenet started 1 I am at a disadvantage ma atme ame because of my ignorance ol of houi your language but you speak mine so BO beautifully it would be a charity charit an on your part to talk with me what can I 1 say I 1 have nothing to tell there Is nothing to talk about in this godforsaken god forsaken and lonely country and I 1 have been here so long that I 1 can hardly remember what the world my world Is like tell met me she demanded eai eagerly erly at the emotion in her voice dage let leaned toward her and spoke softly 1 I can hardly imagine madame that you are out of touch with the world one would not believe it to look at you but what shall I 1 tell ui of wars rumors ot of wars the theater opera gossip scandal the ladys eyes sparkled and her h er lips curved in an enchanted smile gossip she demanded scandal so while pedro fages and the comte de la perouse talked of stars and tides flora and fauna horses and ships and men la gobernadora and young dagenet talked of modes and manners the gayest whim of the queen of france the newest actress to set paris by the ears the brightest songbird to be the toast of the jeunesse dore 1 I am sorry I 1 can tell you nothing of your own city barcelona madame but hope paris interests you ah parts paris I 1 have been therel there I 1 love the place 11 every woman does every witty charming lovely woman anywhere in the world dared dagenet so you have enjoyed my gossip my news remember it is not really news for or we have been nearly a year on this cruise since we sailed from france eulalia raised melancholy eyes to him but you are going back to your country your beloved paris some time but 1 I 1 I never shall return to my home I 1 shall die here some day and be buried in the mission graveyard and forgotten without ever really having lived tears tars were in her voice and very near her eyes dagenet stirred toward her as though to touch the hand that lay so close to him with palm upturned appealingly ali ah no do not speak so there must be some hope that you will it would be wicked for you to waste your life in a rough outpost like this a place fit only tor for men and strong men used to danger gerl why do you stay eulalia was about to speak but noticed the young mans eyes straying from her suddenly Indi zuela had silently lly entered the room and was picking up the empty glass glasses bs la gobernadora Gob emadora spoke sharply no one called you moza leave the room the girl looked somberly at the governor sliding her eyes over the two frenchmen ah hl said said the count what at a S specimen pec imen she said the governor one of our finest the men watched Indi zuela as she sidled slowly and insolently out of the room while eulalia clung to her outraged dignity with clenched hands later eulalla eulalia w was as conscious of speaking farewells as her husband departed to escort the travelers to their longboat long boat for they would spend the night aboard their ship then she hurried into her room and picked up her tiring glass she stroked the color that still flamed in her cheeks for a few minutes she looked into her own eyes then she put the mirror down and lifting the sweeping lengths of flowered brocade that made her skirt danced a slow minuet with her shadow to an air she had bad heard years ago in paris CHAPTER pedro fages looked with awe and curiosity at the collection of esoteric instruments scattered around the tent which la perouse had had erected on the beach for a laboratory you will pardon me senor el conde he said with a twinkle but these look strange to me I 1 have not found such things necessary in my study of this country and people the french scientist straightened up from the microscope into which he had been peering and laughed as he stretched himself his place at the instrument was immediately taken by a pale lank haired scholar who adjusted it sight with the loving care of a fanatic and how do you study them mon ami he asked the governor looked puzzled 1 I do not really know I 1 just live with the country and the people and if the things that they do seem odd to me I 1 take them for granted ask them no questions but I 1 feel as though I 1 know and understand them As for the country I 1 know I 1 understand it oh I 1 dont mean your botanical names and terms but I 1 know an oak tree a sycamore an alder when I 1 see it it I 1 know the birds but all by little spanish names that would seem strange to you I 1 know the animals and their habits in fact you know knowin much uch more than I 1 and my two shiploads ship loads of scientists would ever know with all their instruments st it if they stayed here a quarter of a century the two men strolled away from the tent and the governor rolled la perouse a cigarette from his supply of corn husks and tobacco the frenchman inhaled deeply you must give me some of these to take with me he said now I 1 have here a list of things I 1 was to ask you he looked over some notes hurr hum m m these were some questions that the medical profession was interested in the answers will no doubt be simple for you what is the relation of the color of the skin of the natives to the fluids in their bo bodies aies the governor took his cigarette from his mouth and stared at his questioner with open mouth how should I 1 know he said at last how should how should you indeed hum that is one question our medical arll her horse slid on its haunches straight down the bank brethren will have to find out for themselves Reve a nos mou tons hum while don pedro and la perouse were discoursing la gobernadora and young dagenet walked their horses to the edge of a shallow cliff where gnarled cypress writhed in i distorted attitudes away from the th sea and sat silently a moment look ing at the scene beneath them A score of servants were preparing a marienda meri enda a picnic on the shore against a blackened rock where savage people of ages past had baked rood food salvaged from the sea a fire had dwindled into glowing coals the correct temperature for or cooking 1 I see angustias managing everything said eulalia pointing at the scene with her riding whip and there is Indi zuela she went on with a sidelong glance at her cavalier dont you see her dagenet reached for her reins and pulled eulaliah Eul Eu alias lallas mount closer to him 1 I see only you you are indeed queen of california in your green habit ot of regal velvet except that you have a very chic hat with a sweeping plume instead of a crown do you ever wear a crown eulalia sighed inwardly with delight e at the compliment his look strayed over her from trembling plume to the restless toe of her riding shoe you were made to be a queen it would not matter where you were you would have to be a queen but it seems to me you could have chosen a better domain to reign over than this california you should be he hesitated delicately but the ladys deepened color and attentive eyes gave him per mission to speak farther queen ot of a court of love and beauty eulalia eulaila only sighed and stared out at the turquoise waters of the cove dagenet drew nearer and took her hand gently he stripped the embroidered gauntlet from the relaxed fingers leaning over suddenly he kissed her palm she did not start but withdrew her hand still staring across the waters dagenet was bodily silent for a few moments before he spoke yes there it lies the ocean he said at last following her gaze and in two days there shall be 1 I upon those heaving waters wafted wafred hither and thither by all the winds of heaven drifting to strange isles and distant lands but you will be on your way home to your paris with its life and color and music where the lights twinkle at night on the boulevards and where there is gaiety at al dios de mi alma she sighed speaking in spanish 1 I would I 1 were going doing too the young frenchman was staring strangely into the distance perhaps I 1 shall see paris again perhaps not who can say it is hall half around the world or more from here and many things can happen but I 1 wish you were he stopped suddenly pardon me he mumbled 1 I forget myself no said eulalla eulalia excitedly say what you w were ere going to say did you not understand what I 1 said in spanish just now I 1 said I 1 would I 1 were going with you there I 1 have said it comel come before there was time tor for further speech the governor la perouse and his french gentlemen on their horses fray fermin lasuen and sone some priests from san carlos carios at carmel on their mules came upon them ali ah here Is our hostess la reine herself exclaimed la perouse the governor looked quickly from hi his s wife to young dagenet Da gelet and crowded his horse beside his cifes why are you not seeing that everything is ready for our guests he asked shortly why are you VP but eulalla eulalia after a moments silence in which she summoned flying senses and thoughts back to her threw back her head with a ringing laugh come my merry gentlemen she cried gaily come the fles fiesta ta awaits your pleasure follow me Seno resl her horse slid on its haunches straight down the bank in a cloud of flying sand and dust soldiers scientists and priests followed her waving hand infected by her gaiety from the ladys mood the merl enda took its tone music was wild and abandoned jests in spanish and french were bandied about with great good humor whether any un der stood them or not don pedro had sent hasty messages to san francisco and to the presidio at santa barbara inviting the officers officer 3 ot of the two garrisons to the celebration and they had arrived with their wives and children there were the officers of the presidio ot of monterey and their families and there were the wife and children of the governor he looked around tor for them the children were playing wildly with other children and la gobernadora was talking and laughing vivaciously he frowned there was something almost hysterical about her manner a ah he had enjoyed the visit dij with the frenchmen but was privately till v thankful they would soon be gone while the party was progressing noisily eulalia retreated into her own thoughts what had she said to dagenet Da gelet and what had he said to her cornel comel could she was it possible her breath came more quickly atthe thought her mind painted a picture tor for her moving rapidly into a nebulous future she saw herself wrapped in a mantle slipping across the sand lifted into a boat she could even hear the sound of muffled oars then she was on a ship but here the vision broke she would be seasick but she braced herself seasick or no seasick she would go must go california would be lett left behind and the world would be before herl 1 I j must she whispered to herself 1 I 1 W wf r shall engrossed in her dream unconscious that the picnic party was moving away she found herself with her husband the priest lasuen and la perouse the governor silently lifted his lady to her saddle and the four rode to the top of the cliff when they reached there the governor turned his horse toward the ocean where the sinking sun was suspended between two banks of clouds like a glowing chinese lantern 1 I almost wish I 1 were sailing away into that sunset with you senor el conde he said wistfully 1 I wish I 1 were I 1 ali ah the sunset makes me sad homesick sighed eulalia that is natural said the priest quietly 1 I too am homesick Y you ou asked eulalia for what place for my heavenly home murmured the old man 1 I am homesick also la perouse spoke in a low tone 1 I am homesick tor for my native land which is so far from me la belle francell francel 1 I am homesick for my homeland to senor el conde replied eulalia for spain the province of catalonia barcelona we all seem homesick observed la perouse except his excellency cel lency are you not homesick too TO BE CONTINUED |