第6章

HarryBlount，speakinglittle，butlisteningmuch，hadnotinspiredhiscompanionswiththesuspicionswhichAlcideJolivethadaroused。

Hewasnottakenforaspy，andthereforehisneighbors，withoutconstraint，gossipedinhispresence，allowingthemselveseventogofartherthantheirnaturalcautionwouldinmostcaseshaveallowedthem。ThecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraphhadthusanopportunityofobservinghowmuchrecenteventspreoccupiedthemerchantsofNijni-Novgorod，andtowhatadegreethecommercewithCentralAsiawasthreatenedinitstransit。

Hethereforenotedinhisbookthisperfectlycorrectobservation，“Myfellow-travelersextremelyanxious。Nothingistalkedofbutwar，andtheyspeakofit，withafreedomwhichisastonishing，ashavingbrokenoutbetweentheVolgaandtheVistula。“

ThereadersoftheDailyTelegraphwouldnotfailtobeaswellinformedasAlcideJolivet’s“cousin。“ButasHarryBlount，seatedattheleftofthetrain，onlysawonepartofthecountry，whichwashilly，withoutgivinghimselfthetroubleoflookingattherightside，whichwascomposedofwideplains，headded，withBritishassurance，“CountrymountainousbetweenMoscowandWladimir。“

ItwasevidentthattheRussiangovernmentpurposedtakingseveremeasurestoguardagainstanyseriouseventualitiesevenintheinterioroftheempire。TherebellionhadnotcrossedtheSiberianfrontier，butevilinfluencesmightbefearedintheVolgaprovinces，soneartothecountryoftheKirghiz。

ThepolicehadasyetfoundnotracesofIvanOgareff。Itwasnotknownwhetherthetraitor，callingintheforeignertoavengehispersonalrancor，hadrejoinedFeofar-Khan，orwhetherhewasendeavoringtofomentarevoltinthegovernmentofNijni-Novgorod，whichatthistimeofyearcontainedapopulationofsuchdiverseelements。PerhapsamongthePersians，Armenians，orKalmucks，whoflockedtothegreatmarket，hehadagents，instructedtoprovokearisingintheinterior。

Allthiswaspossible，especiallyinsuchacountryasRussia。Infact，thisvastempire，4，000，000squaremilesinextent，doesnotpossessthehomogeneousnessofthestatesofWesternEurope。TheRussianterritoryinEuropeandAsiacontainsmorethanseventymillionsofinhabitants。Initthirtydifferentlanguagesarespoken。

TheSclavonianracepredominates，nodoubt，buttherearebesidesRussians，Poles，Lithuanians，Courlanders。Addtothese，Finns，Laplanders，Esthonians，severalothernortherntribeswithunpronounceablenames，thePermiaks，theGermans，theGreeks，theTartars，theCaucasiantribes，theMongol，Kalmuck，Samoid，Kamtschatkan，andAleutianhordes，andonemayunderstandthattheunityofsovastastatemustbedifficulttomaintain，andthatitcouldonlybetheworkoftime，aidedbythewisdomofmanysuccessiverulers。

Bethatasitmay，IvanOgareffhadhithertomanagedtoescapeallsearch，andveryprobablyhemighthaverejoinedtheTartararmy。

Butateverystationwherethetrainstopped，inspectorscameforwardwhoscrutinizedthetravelersandsubjectedthemalltoaminuteexamination，asbyorderofthesuperintendentofpolice，theseofficialswereseekingIvanOgareff。Thegovernment，infact，believedittobecertainthatthetraitorhadnotyetbeenabletoquitEuropeanRussia。Ifthereappearedcausetosuspectanytraveler，hewascarriedofftoexplainhimselfatthepolicestation，andinthemeantimethetrainwentonitsway，nopersontroublinghimselfabouttheunfortunateoneleftbehind。

WiththeRussianpolice，whichisveryarbitrary，itisabsolutelyuselesstoargue。Militaryrankisconferredonitsemployees，andtheyactinmilitaryfashion。Howcananyone，moreover，helpobeying，unhesitatingly，orderswhichemanatefromamonarchwhohastherighttoemploythisformulaattheheadofhisukase:

“We，bythegraceofGod，EmperorandAutocratofalltheRussiasofMoscow，Kiev，Wladimir，andNovgorod，CzarofKasanandAstrakhan，CzarofPoland，CzarofSiberia，CzaroftheTauricChersonese，SeigniorofPskov，PrinceofSmolensk，Lithuania，Volkynia，Podolia，andFinland，PrinceofEsthonia，Livonia，Courland，andofSemigallia，ofBialystok，Karelia，Sougria，Perm，Viatka，Bulgaria，andmanyothercountries；LordandSovereignPrinceoftheterritoryofNijni-Novgorod，Tchemigoff，Riazan，Polotsk，Rostov，Jaroslavl，Bielozersk，Oudoria，Obdoria，Kondinia，Vitepsk，andofMstislaf，GovernoroftheHyperboreanRegions，LordofthecountriesofIveria，Kartalinia，Grou-zinia，Kabardinia，andArmenia，HereditaryLordandSuzerainoftheScherkessprinces，ofthoseofthemountains，andofothers；heirofNorway，DukeofSchleswig-Holstein，Stormarn，Dittmarsen，andOldenburg。“Apowerfullord，intruth，ishewhosearmsareaneaglewithtwoheads，holdingascepterandaglobe，surroundedbytheescutcheonsofNovgorod，Wladimir，Kiev，Kasan，Astrakhan，andofSiberia，andenvironedbythecollaroftheorderofSt。Andrew，surmountedbyaroyalcrown！

AstoMichaelStrogoff，hispaperswereinorder，andhewas，consequently，freefromallpolicesupervision。

AtthestationofWladimirthetrainstoppedforseveralminutes，whichappearedsufficienttoenablethecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraphtotakeatwofoldview，physicalandmoral，andtoformacompleteestimateofthisancientcapitalofRussia。

AttheWladimirstationfreshtravelersjoinedthetrain。

Amongothers，ayounggirlenteredthecompartmentoccupiedbyMichaelStrogoff。Avacantplacewasfoundoppositethecourier。

Theyounggirltookit，afterplacingbyhersideamodesttraveling-bagofredleather，whichseemedtoconstituteallherluggage。

Thenseatingherselfwithdowncasteyes，notevenglancingatthefellow-travelerswhomchancehadgivenher，shepreparedforajourneywhichwasstilltolastseveralhours。

MichaelStrogoffcouldnothelplookingattentivelyathisnewly-arrivedfellow-traveler。Asshewassoplacedastotravelwithherbacktotheengine，heevenofferedherhisseat，whichhemightprefertoherown，butshethankedhimwithaslightbendofhergracefulneck。

Theyounggirlappearedtobeaboutsixteenorseventeenyearsofage。

Herhead，trulycharming，wasofthepurestSclavonictype——

slightlysevere，andlikelyinafewsummerstounfoldintobeautyratherthanmereprettiness。Frombeneathasortofkerchiefwhichsheworeonherheadescapedinprofusionlightgoldenhair。

Hereyeswerebrown，soft，andexpressiveofmuchsweetnessoftemper。

Thenosewasstraight，andattachedtoherpaleandsomewhatthincheeksbydelicatelymobilenostrils。Thelipswerefinelycut，butitseemedasiftheyhadlongsinceforgottenhowtosmile。

Theyoungtravelerwastallandupright，asfarascouldbejudgedofherfigurefromtheverysimpleandamplepelissethatcoveredher。

Althoughshewasstillaveryyounggirlintheliteralsenseoftheterm，thedevelopmentofherhighforeheadandclearly-cutfeaturesgavetheideathatshewasthepossessorofgreatmoralenergy——

apointwhichdidnotescapeMichaelStrogoff。Evidentlythisyounggirlhadalreadysufferedinthepast，andthefuturedoubtlessdidnotpresentitselftoheringlowingcolors；butshehadsurelyknownhowtostrugglestillwiththetrialsoflife。

Herenergywasevidentlybothpromptandpersistent，andhercalmnessunalterable，evenundercircumstancesinwhichamanwouldbelikelytogivewayorlosehisself-command。

Suchwastheimpressionwhichsheproducedatfirstsight。

MichaelStrogoff，beinghimselfofanenergetictemperament，wasnaturallystruckbythecharacterofherphysiognomy，and，whiletakingcarenottocauseherannoyancebyatoopersistentgaze，heobservedhisneighborwithnosmallinterest。Thecostumeoftheyoungtravelerwasbothextremelysimpleandappropriate。

Shewasnotrich——thatcouldbeeasilyseen；butnottheslightestmarkofnegligencewastobediscernedinherdress。

Allherluggagewascontainedintheleatherbagwhich，forwantofroom，sheheldonherlap。

Sheworealong，darkpelisse，gracefullyadjustedattheneckbyabluetie。Underthispelisse，ashortskirt，alsodark，felloverarobewhichreachedtheankles。Half-bootsofleather，thicklysoled，asifchoseninanticipationofalongjourney，coveredhersmallfeet。

MichaelStrogofffanciedthatherecognized，bycertaindetails，thefashionofthecostumeofLivonia，andthoughthisneighboranativeoftheBalticprovinces。

Butwhitherwasthisyounggirlgoing，alone，atanagewhenthefosteringcareofafather，ortheprotectionofabrother，isconsideredamatterofnecessity？Hadshenowcome，afteranalreadylongjourney，fromtheprovincesofWesternRussia？WasshemerelygoingtoNijni-Novgorod，orwastheendofhertravelsbeyondtheeasternfrontiersoftheempire？

Wouldsomerelation，somefriend，awaitherarrivalbythetrain？

Orwasitnotmoreprobable，onthecontrary，thatshewouldfindherselfasmuchisolatedinthetownasshewasinthiscompartment？

Itwasprobable。

Infact，theeffectofhabitscontractedinsolitudewasclearlymanifestedinthebearingoftheyounggirl。Themannerinwhichsheenteredthecarriageandpreparedherselfforthejourney，theslightdisturbanceshecausedamongthosearoundher，thecareshetooknottoincommodeorgivetroubletoanyone，allshowedthatshewasaccustomedtobealone，andtodependonherselfonly。

MichaelStrogoffobservedherwithinterest，but，himselfreserved，hesoughtnoopportunityofaccostingher。Onceonly，whenherneighbor——

themerchantwhohadjumbledtogethersoimprudentlyinhisremarkstallowandshawls——beingasleep，andthreateningherwithhisgreathead，whichwasswayingfromoneshouldertotheother，MichaelStrogoffawokehimsomewhatroughly，andmadehimunderstandthathemustholdhimselfupright。

Themerchant，rudeenoughbynature，grumbledsomewordsagainst“peoplewhointerferewithwhatdoesnotconcernthem，“butMichaelStrogoffcastonhimaglancesosternthatthesleeperleantontheoppositeside，andrelievedtheyoungtravelerfromhisunpleasantvicinity。

Thelatterlookedattheyoungmanforaninstant，andmuteandmodestthankswereinthatlook。

ButacircumstanceoccurredwhichgaveStrogoffajustideaofthecharacterofthemaiden。TwelveverstsbeforearrivingatNijni-Novgorod，atasharpcurveoftheironway，thetrainexperiencedaveryviolentshock。Then，foraminute，itranontotheslopeofanembankment。

Travelersmoreorlessshakenabout，cries，confusion，generaldisorderinthecarriages——suchwastheeffectatfirstproduced。

Itwastobefearedthatsomeseriousaccidenthadhappened。

Consequently，evenbeforethetrainhadstopped，thedoorswereopened，andthepanic-strickenpassengersthoughtonlyofgettingoutofthecarriages。

MichaelStrogoffthoughtinstantlyoftheyounggirl；but，whilethepassengersinhercompartmentwereprecipitatingthemselvesoutside，screamingandstruggling，shehadremainedquietlyinherplace，herfacescarcelychangedbyaslightpallor。

Shewaited——MichaelStrogoffwaitedalso。

Bothremainedquiet。

“Adeterminednature！“thoughtMichaelStrogoff。

However，alldangerhadquicklydisappeared。Abreakageofthecouplingoftheluggage-vanhadfirstcausedtheshockto，andthenthestoppageof，thetrain，whichinanotherinstantwouldhavebeenthrownfromthetopoftheembankmentintoabog。

Therewasanhour’sdelay。Atlast，theroadbeingcleared，thetrainproceeded，andathalf-pasteightintheeveningarrivedatthestationofNijni-Novgorod。

Beforeanyonecouldgetoutofthecarriages，theinspectorsofpolicepresentedthemselvesatthedoorsandexaminedthepassengers。

MichaelStrogoffshowedhispodorojna，madeoutinthenameofNicholasKorpanoff。Hehadconsequentlynodifficulty。

Astotheothertravelersinthecompartment，allboundforNijni-Novgorod，theirappearance，happilyforthem，wasinnowisesuspicious。

Theyounggirlinherturn，exhibited，notapassport，sincepassportsarenolongerrequiredinRussia，butapermitindorsedwithaprivateseal，andwhichseemedtobeofaspecialcharacter。

Theinspectorreadthepermitwithattention。Then，havingattentivelyexaminedthepersonwhosedescriptionitcontained:

“YouarefromRiga？“hesaid。

“Yes，“repliedtheyounggirl。

“YouaregoingtoIrkutsk？“

“Yes。“

“Bywhatroute？“

“ByPerm。“