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DAWN AND THE DONS 143 Just sixteen years old, of gentle birth and Castilian descent, petite, vivacious, talented and witty, with black hair and black eyes, she at once attracted and fascinated the big Russian blond.

According to Dr. Langsdorf, who accompanied Rezanov as surgeon and naturalist, Senorita Conception “was lively and animated, had sparkling, love inspiring eyes, beautiful teeth, pleasing and expressive features,

and

fine

form,

a thousand

other

charms,

a yet

was _ per-

fectly simple and artless, ‘the heavenly dawn into one

drop

of

dew,

a

beauty of a type to be found, though not frequently, in Italy, Spain and Portugal.” A brave and handsome Nordic had met a gentle and _ beautiful Mediterranean, and the fires of love had burst into immediate flame. After a season of ardent wooing, and a recounting of the splendors of the Court of St. Petersburg, Seforita Conception surrendered, and gave her consent to Rezanov’s proposal of marriage. Then arose a serious, and for a brief space a seemingly insur-