第8章

Inshort，ofsuchimportanceisthisfairofNijni-Novgorod，thatthesumtotalofitstransactionsamountsyearlytonearlyahundredmilliondollars。

Ononeoftheopenspacesbetweenthequartersofthistemporarycitywerenumbersofmountebanksofeverydescription；

gypsiesfromthemountains，tellingfortunestothecredulousfoolswhoareevertobefoundinsuchassemblies；ZingarisorTsiganes——

anamewhichtheRussiansgivetothegypsieswhoarethedescendantsoftheancientCopts——singingtheirwildestmelodiesanddancingtheirmostoriginaldances；comediansofforeigntheaters，actingShakespeare，adaptedtothetasteofspectatorswhocrowdedtowitnessthem。Inthelongavenuesthebearshowmenaccompaniedtheirfour-footeddancers，menageriesresoundedwiththehoarsecriesofanimalsundertheinfluenceofthestingingwhiporred-hotironsofthetamer；and，besidesallthesenumberlessperformers，inthemiddleofthecentralsquare，surroundedbyacirclefourdeepofenthusiasticamateurs，wasabandof“marinersoftheVolga，“

sittingontheground，asonthedeckoftheirvessel，imitatingtheactionofrowing，guidedbythestickofthemasteroftheorchestra，theveritablehelmsmanofthisimaginaryvessel！

Awhimsicalandpleasingcustom！

Suddenly，accordingtoatime-honoredobservanceinthefairofNijni-Novgorod，abovetheheadsofthevastconcourseaflockofbirdswasallowedtoescapefromthecagesinwhichtheyhadbeenbroughttothespot。Inreturnforafewcopeckscharitablyofferedbysomegoodpeople，thebird-fanciersopenedtheprisondoorsoftheircaptives，whoflewoutinhundreds，utteringtheirjoyousnotes。

ItshouldbementionedthatEnglandandFrance，atallevents，werethisyearrepresentedatthegreatfairofNijni-Novgorodbytwoofthemostdistinguishedproductsofmoderncivilization，Messrs。HarryBlountandAlcideJolivet。Jolivet，anoptimistbynature，foundeverythingagreeable，andasbychancebothlodgingandfoodweretohistaste，hejotteddowninhisbooksomememorandaparticularlyfavorabletothetownofNijni-Novgorod。Blount，onthecontrary，havinginvainhuntedforasupper，hadbeenobligedtofindaresting-placeintheopenair。

Hethereforelookedatitallfromanotherpointofview，andwaspreparinganarticleofthemostwitheringcharacteragainstatowninwhichthelandlordsoftheinnsrefusedtoreceivetravelerswhoonlybeggedleavetobeflayed，“morallyandphysically。“

MichaelStrogoff，onehandinhispocket，theotherholdinghischerry-stemmedpipe，appearedthemostindifferentandleastimpatientofmen；yet，fromacertaincontractionofhiseyebrowseverynowandthen，acarefulobserverwouldhaveseenthathewasburningtobeoff。

Fortwohourshekeptwalkingaboutthestreets，onlytofindhimselfinvariablyatthefairagain。AshepassedamongthegroupsofbuyersandsellershediscoveredthatthosewhocamefromcountriesontheconfinesofAsiamanifestedgreatuneasiness。

Theirtradewasvisiblysuffering。Anothersymptomalsowasmarked。

InRussiamilitaryuniformsappearoneveryoccasion。Soldiersarewonttomixfreelywiththecrowd，thepoliceagentsbeingalmostinvariablyaidedbyanumberofCossacks，who，lanceonshoulder，keeporderinthecrowdofthreehundredthousandstrangers。

Butonthisoccasionthesoldiers，Cossacksandtherest，didnotputinanappearanceatthegreatmarket。Doubtless，asuddenordertomovehavingbeenforeseen，theywererestrictedtotheirbarracks。

Moreover，whilenosoldiersweretobeseen，itwasnotsowiththeirofficers。Sincetheeveningbefore，aides-decamp，leavingthegovernor’spalace，gallopedineverydirection。Anunusualmovementwasgoingforwardwhichaseriousstateofaffairscouldaloneaccountfor。

TherewereinnumerablecouriersontheroadsbothtoWladimirandtotheUralMountains。TheexchangeoftelegraphicdispatcheswithMoscowwasincessant。

MichaelStrogofffoundhimselfinthecentralsquarewhenthereportspreadthattheheadofpolicehadbeensummonedbyacouriertothepalaceofthegovernor-general。AnimportantdispatchfromMoscow，itwassaid，wasthecauseofit。

“Thefairistobeclosed，“saidone。

“TheregimentofNijni-Novgorodhasreceivedtheroute，“declaredanother。

“TheysaythattheTartarsmenaceTomsk！“

“Hereistheheadofpolice！“wasshoutedoneveryside。

Aloudclappingofhandswassuddenlyraised，whichsubsidedbydegrees，andfinallywassucceededbyabsolutesilence。

Theheadofpolicearrivedinthemiddleofthecentralsquare，anditwasseenbyallthatheheldinhishandadispatch。

Then，inaloudvoice，hereadthefollowingannouncements:

“ByorderoftheGovernorofNijni-Novgorod。

“1st。AllRussiansubjectsareforbiddentoquittheprovinceuponanypretextwhatsoever。

“2nd。AllstrangersofAsiaticoriginarecommandedtoleavetheprovincewithintwenty-fourhours。“

HOWEVERdisastrousthesemeasuresmightbetoprivateinterests，theywere，underthecircumstances，perfectlyjustifiable。

“AllRussiansubjectsareforbiddentoleavetheprovince；“

ifIvanOgareffwasstillintheprovince，thiswouldatanyratepreventhim，unlesswiththegreatestdifficulty，fromrejoiningFeofar-Khan，andbecomingaveryformidablelieutenanttotheTartarchief。

“AllforeignersofAsiaticoriginareorderedtoleavetheprovinceinfour-and-twentyhours；“thiswouldsendoffinabodyallthetradersfromCentralAsia，aswellasthebandsofBohemians，gipsies，etc。，havingmoreorlesssympathywiththeTartars。Somanyheads，somanyspies——

undoubtedlyaffairsrequiredtheirexpulsion。

Itiseasytounderstandtheeffectproducedbythesetwothunder-clapsburstingoveratownlikeNijni-Novgorod，sodenselycrowdedwithvisitors，andwithacommercesogreatlysurpassingthatofallotherplacesinRussia。ThenativeswhombusinesscalledbeyondtheSiberianfrontiercouldnotleavetheprovinceforatimeatleast。

Thetenorofthefirstarticleoftheorderwasexpress；itadmittedofnoexception。Allprivateinterestsmustyieldtothepublicweal。

Astothesecondarticleoftheproclamation，theorderofexpulsionwhichitcontainedadmittedofnoevasioneither。

ItonlyconcernedforeignersofAsiaticorigin，butthesecoulddonothingbutpackuptheirmerchandiseandgobackthewaytheycame。

Astothemountebanks，ofwhichtherewereaconsiderablenumber，theyhadnearlyathousandverststogobeforetheycouldreachthenearestfrontier。Forthemitwassimplymisery。

Atfirstthereroseagainstthisunusualmeasureamurmurofprotestation，acryofdespair，butthiswasquicklysuppressedbythepresenceoftheCossacksandagentsofpolice。

Immediately，whatmightbecalledtheexodusfromtheimmenseplainbegan。Theawningsinfrontofthestallswerefoldedup；

thetheatersweretakentopieces；thefireswereputout；

theacrobats’ropeswerelowered；theoldbroken-windedhorsesofthetravelingvanscamebackfromtheirsheds。

Agentsandsoldierswithwhiporstickstimulatedthetardyones，andmadenothingofpullingdownthetentsevenbeforethepoorBohemianshadleftthem。

UndertheseenergeticmeasuresthesquareofNijni-Novgorodwould，itwasevident，beentirelyevacuatedbeforetheevening，andtothetumultofthegreatfairwouldsucceedthesilenceofthedesert。

Itmustagainberepeated——foritwasanecessaryaggravationoftheseseveremeasures——thattoallthosenomadschieflyconcernedintheorderofexpulsioneventhesteppesofSiberiawereforbidden，andtheywouldbeobligedtohastentothesouthoftheCaspianSea，eithertoPersia，Turkey，ortheplainsofTurkestan。ThepostoftheUral，andthemountainswhichform，asitwere，aprolongationoftheriveralongtheRussianfrontier，theywerenotallowedtopass。

Theywerethereforeunderthenecessityoftravelingsixhundredmilesbeforetheycouldtreadafreesoil。

Justasthereadingoftheproclamationbytheheadofthepolicecametoanend，anideadartedinstinctivelyintothemindofMichaelStrogoff。“Whatasingularcoincidence，“thoughthe，“betweenthisproclamationexpellingallforeignersofAsiaticorigin，andthewordsexchangedlasteveningbetweenthosetwogipsiesoftheZingarirace。’TheFatherhimselfsendsuswherewewishtogo，’thatoldmansaid。But’theFather’istheemperor！

Heisnevercalledanythingelseamongthepeople。Howcouldthosegipsieshaveforeseenthemeasuretakenagainstthem？howcouldtheyhaveknownitbeforehand，andwheredotheywishtogo？

Thosearesuspiciouspeople，anditseemstomethattothemthegovernmentproclamationmustbemoreusefulthaninjurious。“

ButthesereflectionswerecompletelydispelledbyanotherwhichdroveeveryotherthoughtoutofMichael’smind。

HeforgottheZingaris，theirsuspiciouswords，thestrangecoincidencewhichresultedfromtheproclamation。

TheremembranceoftheyoungLivoniangirlsuddenlyrushedintohismind。“Poorchild！“hethoughttohimself。

“Shecannotnowcrossthefrontier。“

IntruththeyounggirlwasfromRiga；shewasLivonian，consequentlyRussian，andnowcouldnotleaveRussianterritory！

Thepermitwhichhadbeengivenherbeforethenewmeasureshadbeenpromulgatedwasnolongeravailable。

AlltheroutestoSiberiahadjustbeenpitilesslyclosedtoher，and，whateverthemotivetakinghertoIrkutsk，shewasnowforbiddentogothere。

ThisthoughtgreatlyoccupiedMichaelStrogoff。Hesaidtohimself，vaguelyatfirst，that，withoutneglectinganythingofwhatwasduetohisimportantmission，itwouldperhapsbepossibleforhimtobeofsomeusetothisbravegirl；andthisideapleasedhim。Knowinghowseriouswerethedangerswhichhe，anenergeticandvigorousman，wouldhavepersonallytoencounter，hecouldnotconcealfromhimselfhowinfinitelygreatertheywouldprovetoayoungunprotectedgirl。

AsshewasgoingtoIrkutsk，shewouldbeobligedtofollowthesameroadashimself，shewouldhavetopassthroughthebandsofinvaders，ashewasabouttoattemptdoinghimself。If，moreover，shehadatherdisposalonlythemoneynecessaryforajourneytakenunderordinarycircumstances，howcouldshemanagetoaccomplishitunderconditionswhichmadeitnotonlyperilousbutexpensive？

“Well，“saidhe，“ifshetakestheroutetoPerm，itisnearlyimpossiblebutthatIshallfallinwithher。

Then，Iwillwatchoverherwithouthersuspectingit；

andassheappearstomeasanxiousasmyselftoreachIrkutsk，shewillcausemenodelay。“

Butonethoughtleadstoanother。MichaelStrogoffhadtillnowthoughtonlyofdoingakindaction；butnowanotherideaflashedintohisbrain；

thequestionpresenteditselfunderquiteanewaspect。

“Thefactis，“saidhetohimself，“thatIhavemuchmoreneedofherthanshecanhaveofme。Herpresencewillbeusefulindrawingoffsuspicionfromme。Amantravelingaloneacrossthesteppe，maybeeasilyguessedtobeacourieroftheCzar。If，onthecontrary，thisyounggirlaccompaniesme，Ishallappear，intheeyesofall，theNicholasKorpanoffofmypodorojna。Therefore，shemustaccompanyme。Therefore，Imustfindheragainatanycost。

ItisnotprobablethatsinceyesterdayeveningshehasbeenabletogetacarriageandleaveNijni-Novgorod。Imustlookforher。

AndmayGodguideme！“