第7章
“Good！“repliedtheinspector。“Takecaretohaveyourpermitvised，atthepolicestationofNijni-Novgorod。“
Theyounggirlbentherheadintokenofassent。
Hearingthesequestionsandreplies，MichaelStrogoffexperiencedamingledsentimentbothofsurpriseandpity。
What！thisyounggirl，alone，journeyingtothatfar-offSiberia，andatatimewhen，toitsordinarydangers，wereaddedalltheperilsofaninvadedcountryandoneinastateofinsurrection！
Howwouldshereachit？Whatwouldbecomeofher？
Theinspectionended，thedoorsofthecarriageswerethenopened，but，beforeMichaelStrogoffcouldmovetowardsher，theyoungLivonian，whohadbeenthefirsttodescend，haddisappearedinthecrowdwhichthrongedtheplatformsoftherailwaystation。
NIJNI-NOVGOROD，LowerNovgorod，situateatthejunctionoftheVolgaandtheOka，isthechieftowninthedistrictofthesamename。
ItwasherethatMichaelStrogoffwasobligedtoleavetherailway，whichatthetimedidnotgobeyondthattown。Thus，asheadvanced，histravelingwouldbecomefirstlessspeedyandthenlesssafe。
Nijni-Novgorod，thefixedpopulationofwhichisonlyfromthirtytothirty-fivethousandinhabitants，containedatthattimemorethanthreehundredthousand；thatistosay，thepopulationwasincreasedtenfold。Thisadditionwasinconsequenceofthecelebratedfair，whichwasheldwithinthewallsforthreeweeks。
FormerlyMakariewhadthebenefitofthisconcourseoftraders，butsince1817thefairhadbeenremovedtoNijni-Novgorod。
EvenatthelatehouratwhichMichaelStrogofflefttheplatform，therewasstillalargenumberofpeopleinthetwotowns，separatedbythestreamoftheVolga，whichcomposeNijni-Novgorod。Thehighestoftheseisbuiltonasteeprock。
anddefendedbyafortcalledinRussia“kreml。“
MichaelStrogoffexpectedsometroubleinfindingahotel，orevenaninn，tosuithim。Ashehadnottostartimmediately，forhewasgoingtotakeasteamer，hewascompelledtolookoutforsomelodging；but，beforedoingso，hewishedtoknowexactlythehouratwhichthesteamboatwouldstart。
HewenttotheofficeofthecompanywhoseboatspliedbetweenNijni-NovgorodandPerm。There，tohisgreatannoyance，hefoundthatnoboatstartedforPermtillthefollowingdayattwelveo’clock。Seventeenhourstowait！
Itwasveryvexatioustoamansopressedfortime。
However，heneversenselesslymurmured。Besides，thefactwasthatnootherconveyancecouldtakehimsoquicklyeithertoPermorKasan。Itwouldbebetter，then，towaitforthesteamer，whichwouldenablehimtoregainlosttime。
Here，then，wasMichaelStrogoff，strollingthroughthetownandquietlylookingoutforsomeinninwhichtopassthenight。
However，hetroubledhimselflittleonthisscore，and，butthathungerpressedhim，hewouldprobablyhavewanderedontillmorninginthestreetsofNijni-Novgorod。Hewaslookingforsupperratherthanabed。ButhefoundbothatthesignoftheCityofConstantinople。There，thelandlordofferedhimafairlycomfortableroom，withlittlefurniture，itistrue，butnotwithoutanimageoftheVirgin，andafewsaintsframedinyellowgauze。
Agoosefilledwithsourstuffingswimminginthickcream，barleybread，somecurds，powderedsugarmixedwithcinnamon，andajugofkwass，theordinaryRussianbeer，wereplacedbeforehim，andsufficedtosatisfyhishunger。Hedidjusticetothemeal，whichwasmorethancouldbesaidofhisneighborattable，who，having，inhischaracterof“oldbeliever“
ofthesectofRaskalniks，madethevowofabstinence，rejectedthepotatoesinfrontofhim，andcarefullyrefrainedfromputtingsugarinhistea。
Hissupperfinished，MichaelStrogoff，insteadofgoinguptohisbedroom，againstrolledoutintothetown。But，althoughthelongtwilightyetlingered，thecrowdwasalreadydispersing，thestreetsweregraduallybecomingempty，andatlengtheveryoneretiredtohisdwelling。
WhydidnotMichaelStrogoffgoquietlytobed，aswouldhaveseemedmorereasonableafteralongrailwayjourney？WashethinkingoftheyoungLivoniangirlwhohadbeenhistravelingcompanion？
Havingnothingbettertodo，heWASthinkingofher。Didhefearthat，lostinthisbusycity，shemightbeexposedtoinsult？Hefearedso，andwithgoodreason。Didhehopetomeether，and，ifneedwere，toaffordherprotection？No。Tomeetwouldbedifficult。
Astoprotection——whatrighthadhe——
“Alone，“hesaidtohimself，“alone，inthemidstofthesewanderingtribes！Andyetthepresentdangersarenothingcomparedtothoseshemustundergo。Siberia！Irkutsk！IamabouttodareallrisksforRussia，fortheCzar，whilesheisabouttodoso——Forwhom？Forwhat？Sheisauthorizedtocrossthefrontier！Thecountrybeyondisinrevolt！
ThesteppesarefullofTartarbands！“
MichaelStrogoffstoppedforaninstant，andreflected。
“Withoutdoubt，“thoughthe，“shemusthavedeterminedonundertakingherjourneybeforetheinvasion。Perhapssheisevennowignorantofwhatishappening。Butno，thatcannotbe；
themerchantsdiscussedbeforeherthedisturbancesinSiberia——
andshedidnotseemsurprised。Shedidnotevenaskanexplanation。
Shemusthaveknownitthen，andknowingit，isstillresolute。
Poorgirl！Hermotiveforthejourneymustbeurgentindeed！
Butthoughshemaybebrave——andshecertainlyisso——herstrengthmustfailher，and，tosaynothingofdangersandobstacles，shewillbeunabletoendurethefatigueofsuchajourney。
NevercanshereachIrkutsk！“
Indulginginsuchreflections，MichaelStrogoffwanderedonaschanceledhim；beingwellacquaintedwiththetown，heknewthathecouldeasilyretracehissteps。
Havingstrolledonforaboutanhour，heseatedhimselfonabenchagainstthewallofalargewoodencottage，whichstood，withmanyothers，onavastopenspace。
Hehadscarcelybeentherefiveminuteswhenahandwaslaidheavilyonhisshoulder。
“Whatareyoudoinghere？“roughlydemandedatallandpowerfulman，whohadapproachedunperceived。
“Iamresting，“repliedMichaelStrogoff。
“Doyoumeantostayallnightonthebench？“
“Yes，ifIfeelinclinedtodoso，“answeredMichaelStrogoff，inatonesomewhattoosharpforthesimplemerchanthewishedtopersonate。
“Comeforward，then，soIcanseeyou，“saidtheman。
MichaelStrogoff，rememberingthat，aboveall，prudencewasrequisite，instinctivelydrewback。“Itisnotnecessary，“hereplied，andcalmlysteppedbacktenpaces。
Themanseemed，asMichaelobservedhimwell，tohavethelookofaBohemian，suchasaremetatfairs，andwithwhomcontact，eitherphysicalormoral，isunpleasant。Then，ashelookedmoreattentivelythroughthedusk，heperceived，nearthecottage，alargecaravan，theusualtravelingdwellingoftheZingarisorgypsies，whoswarminRussiawhereverafewcopeckscanbeobtained。
Asthegypsytooktwoorthreestepsforward，andwasabouttointerrogateMichaelStrogoffmoreclosely，thedoorofthecottageopened。
Hecouldjustseeawoman，whospokequicklyinalanguagewhichMichaelStrogoffknewtobeamixtureofMongolandSiberian。
“Anotherspy！Lethimalone，andcometosupper。
Thepaplukaiswaitingforyou。“
MichaelStrogoffcouldnothelpsmilingattheepithetbestowedonhim，dreadingspiesashedidaboveallelse。
Inthesamedialect，althoughhisaccentwasverydifferent，theBohemianrepliedinwordswhichsignify，“Youareright，Sangarre！Besides，westartto-morrow。“
“To-morrow？“repeatedthewomaninsurprise。
“Yes，Sangarre，“repliedtheBohemian；“to-morrow，andtheFatherhimselfsendsus——wherewearegoing！“
Thereuponthemanandwomanenteredthecottage，andcarefullyclosedthedoor。
“Good！“saidMichaelStrogoff，tohimself；“ifthesegipsiesdonotwishtobeunderstoodwhentheyspeakbeforeme，theyhadbetterusesomeotherlanguage。“
FromhisSiberianorigin，andbecausehehadpassedhischildhoodintheSteppes，MichaelStrogoff，ithasbeensaid，understoodalmostallthelanguagesinusagefromTartarytotheSeaofIce。Astotheexactsignificationofthewordshehadheard，hedidnottroublehishead。
Forwhyshoulditinteresthim？
Itwasalreadylatewhenhethoughtofreturningtohisinntotakesomerepose。Hefollowed，ashedidso，thecourseoftheVolga，whosewaterswerealmosthiddenunderthecountlessnumberofboatsfloatingonitsbosom。
Anhourafter，MichaelStrogoffwassleepingsoundlyononeofthoseRussianbedswhichalwaysseemsohardtostrangers，andonthemorrow，the17thofJuly，heawokeatbreakofday。
HehadstillfivehourstopassinNijni-Novgorod；itseemedtohimanage。Howwashetospendthemorningunlessinwandering，ashehaddonetheeveningbefore，throughthestreets？
Bythetimehehadfinishedhisbreakfast，strappeduphisbag，hadhispodorojnainspectedatthepoliceoffice，hewouldhavenothingtodobutstart。Buthewasnotamantolieinbedafterthesunhadrisen；soherose，dressedhimself，placedtheletterwiththeimperialarmsonitcarefullyatthebottomofitsusualpocketwithintheliningofhiscoat，overwhichhefastenedhisbelt；hethenclosedhisbagandthrewitoverhisshoulder。
Thisdone，hehadnowishtoreturntotheCityofConstantinople，andintendingtobreakfastonthebankoftheVolganearthewharf，hesettledhisbillandlefttheinn。Bywayofprecaution，MichaelStrogoffwentfirsttotheofficeofthesteam-packetcompany，andtheremadesurethattheCaucasuswouldstartattheappointedhour。
Ashedidso，thethoughtforthefirsttimestruckhimthat，sincetheyoungLivoniangirlwasgoingtoPerm，itwasverypossiblethatherintentionwasalsotoembarkintheCaucasus，inwhichcaseheshouldaccompanyher。
Thetownabovewithitskremlin，whosecircumferencemeasurestwoversts，andwhichresemblesthatofMoscow，wasaltogetherabandoned。
Eventhegovernordidnotresidethere。Butifthetownabovewaslikeacityofthedead，thetownbelow，atallevents，wasalive。
MichaelStrogoff，havingcrossedtheVolgaonabridgeofboats，guardedbymountedCossacks，reachedthesquarewheretheeveningbeforehehadfalleninwiththegipsycamp。Thiswassomewhatoutsidethetown，wherethefairofNijni-Novgorodwasheld。
Inavastplainrosethetemporarypalaceofthegovernor-general，wherebyimperialordersthatgreatfunctionaryresidedduringthewholeofthefair，which，thankstothepeoplewhocomposedit，requiredanever-watchfulsurveillance。
Thisplainwasnowcoveredwithboothssymmetricallyarrangedinsuchamannerastoleaveavenuesbroadenoughtoallowthecrowdtopasswithoutacrush。
Eachgroupofthesebooths，ofallsizesandshapes，formedaseparatequarterparticularlydedicatedtosomespecialbranchofcommerce。
Therewastheironquarter，thefurriers’quarter，thewoolenquarter，thequarterofthewoodmerchants，theweavers’quarter，thedriedfishquarter，etc。Someboothswereevenbuiltoffancymaterials，someofbricksoftea，othersofmassesofsaltmeat——thatistosay，ofsamplesofthegoodswhichtheownersthusannouncedweretheretothepurchasers——asingular，andsomewhatAmerican，modeofadvertisement。
Intheavenuesandlongalleystherewasalreadyalargeassemblageofpeople——thesun，whichhadrisenatfouro’clock，beingwellabovethehorizon——anextraordinarymixtureofEuropeansandAsiatics，talking，wrangling，haranguing，andbargaining。
Everythingwhichcanbeboughtorsoldseemedtobeheapedupinthissquare。Furs，preciousstones，silks，Cashmereshawls，Turkeycarpets，weaponsfromtheCaucasus，gauzesfromSmyrnaandIspahan。Tiflisarmor，caravanteas。Europeanbronzes，Swissclocks，velvetsandsilksfromLyons，Englishcottons，harness，fruits，vegetables，mineralsfromtheUral，malachite，lapis-lazuli，spices，perfumes，medicinalherbs，wood，tar，rope，horn，pumpkins，water-melons，etc——
alltheproductsofIndia，China，Persia，fromtheshoresoftheCaspianandtheBlackSea，fromAmericaandEurope，wereunitedatthiscorneroftheglobe。
Itisscarcelypossibletrulytoportraythemovingmassofhumanbeingssurginghereandthere，theexcitement，theconfusion，thehubbub；demonstrativeaswerethenativesandtheinferiorclasses，theywerecompletelyoutdonebytheirvisitors。ThereweremerchantsfromCentralAsia，whohadoccupiedayearinescortingtheirmerchandiseacrossitsvastplains，andwhowouldnotagainseetheirshopsandcounting-housesforanotheryeartocome。