第9章

MichaelleftthegreatsquareofNijni-Novgorod，wherethetumultproducedbythecarryingoutoftheprescribedmeasureshadnowreacheditsheight。Recriminationsfromthebanishedstrangers，shoutsfromtheagentsandCossackswhowereusingthemsobrutally，togethermadeanindescribableuproar。Thegirlforwhomhesearchedcouldnotbethere。Itwasnownineo’clockinthemorning。

Thesteamboatdidnotstarttilltwelve。MichaelStrogoffhadthereforenearlytwohourstoemployinsearchingforherwhomhewishedtomakehistravelingcompanion。

HecrossedtheVolgaagainandhuntedthroughthequartersontheotherside，wherethecrowdwasmuchlessconsiderable。

Heenteredthechurches，thenaturalrefugeforallwhoweep，forallwhosuffer。NowheredidhemeetwiththeyoungLivonian。

“Andyet，“herepeated，“shecouldnothaveleftNijni-Novgorodyet。

We’llhaveanotherlook。“Hewanderedaboutthusfortwohours。

Hewentonwithoutstopping，feelingnofatigue，obeyingapotentinstinctwhichallowednoroomforthought。Allwasinvain。

Itthenoccurredtohimthatperhapsthegirlhadnotheardoftheorder——thoughthiswasimprobableenough，forsuchathunder-clapcouldnothaveburstwithoutbeingheardbyall。

EvidentlyinterestedinknowingthesmallestnewsfromSiberia，howcouldshebeignorantofthemeasurestakenbythegovernor，measureswhichconcernedhersodirectly？

But，ifshewasignorantofit，shewouldcomeinanhourtothequay，andtheresomemercilessagentwouldrefuseherapassage！

Atanycost，hemustseeherbeforehand，andenablehertoavoidsucharepulse。

Butallhisendeavorswereinvain，andheatlengthalmostdespairedoffindingheragain。Itwaseleveno’clock，andMichaelthoughtofpresentinghispodorojnaattheofficeoftheheadofpolice。

Theproclamationevidentlydidnotconcernhim，sincetheemergencyhadbeenforeseenforhim，buthewishedtomakesurethatnothingwouldhinderhisdeparturefromthetown。

MichaelthenreturnedtotheothersideoftheVolga，tothequarterinwhichwastheofficeoftheheadofpolice。

Animmensecrowdwascollectedthere；forthoughallforeignerswereorderedtoquittheprovince，theyhadnotwithstandingtogothroughcertainformsbeforetheycoulddepart。

Withoutthisprecaution，someRussianmoreorlessimplicatedintheTartarmovementwouldhavebeenable，inadisguise，topassthefrontier——justthosewhomtheorderwishedtopreventgoing。

Thestrangersweresentaway，butstillhadtogainpermissiontogo。

Mountebanks，gypsies，Tsiganes，Zingaris，mingledwithmerchantsfromPersia，Turkey，India，Turkestan，China，filledthecourtandofficesofthepolicestation。

Everyonewasinahurry，forthemeansoftransportwouldbemuchsoughtafteramongthiscrowdofbanishedpeople，andthosewhodidnotsetaboutitsoonranagreatriskofnotbeingabletoleavethetownintheprescribedtime，whichwouldexposethemtosomebrutaltreatmentfromthegovernor’sagents。

OwingtothestrengthofhiselbowsMichaelwasabletocrossthecourt。

Buttogetintotheofficeanduptotheclerk’slittlewindowwasamuchmoredifficultbusiness。However，awordintoaninspector’searandafewjudiciouslygivenroubleswerepowerfulenoughtogainhimapassage。

Theman，aftertakinghimintothewaiting-room，wenttocallanupperclerk。MichaelStrogoffwouldnotbelonginmakingeverythingrightwiththepoliceandbeingfreeinhismovements。

Whilstwaiting，helookedabouthim，andwhatdidhesee？

There，fallen，ratherthanseated，onabench，wasagirl，preytoasilentdespair，althoughherfacecouldscarcelybeseen，theprofilealonebeingvisibleagainstthewall。

MichaelStrogoffcouldnotbemistaken。HeinstantlyrecognizedtheyoungLivonian。

Notknowingthegovernor’sorders，shehadcometothepoliceofficetogetherpasssigned。Theyhadrefusedtosignit。NodoubtshewasauthorizedtogotoIrkutsk，buttheorderwasperemptory——

itannulledallpreviousau-thorizations，andtheroutestoSiberiawereclosedtoher。Michael，delightedathavingfoundheragain，approachedthegirl。

Shelookedupforamomentandherfacebrightenedonrecognizinghertravelingcompanion。Sheinstinctivelyroseand，likeadrowningmanwhoclutchesataspar，shewasabouttoaskhishelp。

AtthatmomenttheagenttouchedMichaelontheshoulder，“Theheadofpolicewillseeyou，“hesaid。

“Good，“returnedMichael。Andwithoutsayingawordtoherforwhomhehadbeensearchingallday，withoutreassuringherbyevenagesture，whichmightcompromiseeitherherorhimself，hefollowedtheman。

TheyoungLivonian，seeingtheonlybeingtowhomshecouldlookforhelpdisappear，fellbackagainonherbench。

ThreeminuteshadnotpassedbeforeMichaelStrogoffreappeared，accompaniedbytheagent。Inhishandheheldhispodorojna，whichthrewopentheroadstoSiberiaforhim。HeagainapproachedtheyoungLivonian，andholdingouthishand:

“Sister，“saidhe。

Sheunderstood。Sheroseasifsomesuddeninspirationpreventedherfromhesitatingamoment。

“Sister，“repeatedMichaelStrogoff，“weareauthorizedtocontinueourjourneytoIrkutsk。Willyoucomewithme？“

“Iwillfollowyou，brother，“repliedthegirl，puttingherhandintothatofMichaelStrogoff。Andtogethertheyleftthepolicestation。

ALITTLEbeforemidday，thesteamboat’sbelldrewtothewharfontheVolgaanunusuallylargeconcourseofpeople，fornotonlywerethoseabouttoembarkwhohadintendedtogo，butthemanywhowerecompelledtogocontrarytotheirwishes。

TheboilersoftheCaucasuswereunderfullpressure；aslightsmokeissuedfromitsfunnel，whilsttheendoftheescape-pipeandthelidsofthevalveswerecrownedwithwhitevapor。

ItisneedlesstosaythatthepolicekeptaclosewatchoverthedepartureoftheCaucasus，andshowedthemselvespitilesstothosetravelerswhodidnotsatisfactorilyanswertheirquestions。

NumerousCossackscameandwentonthequay，readytoassisttheagents，buttheyhadnottointerfere，asnooneventuredtooffertheslightestresistancetotheirorders。

Exactlyatthehourthelastclangofthebellsounded，thepowerfulwheelsofthesteamboatbegantobeatthewater，andtheCaucasuspassedrapidlybetweenthetwotownsofwhichNijni-Novgorodiscomposed。

MichaelStrogoffandtheyoungLivonianhadtakenapassageonboardtheCaucasus。Theirembarkationwasmadewithoutanydifficulty。

Asisknown，thepodorojna，drawnupinthenameofNicholasKorpanoff，authorizedthismerchanttobeaccompaniedonhisjourneytoSiberia。Theyappeared，therefore，tobeabrotherandsistertravelingundertheprotectionoftheimperialpolice。

Both，seatedtogetheratthestern，gazedattherecedingtown，sodisturbedbythegovernor’sorder。Michaelhadasyetsaidnothingtothegirl，hehadnotevenquestionedher。

Hewaiteduntilsheshouldspeaktohim，whenthatwasnecessary。

Shehadbeenanxioustoleavethattown，inwhich，butfortheprovidentialinterventionofthisunexpectedprotector，shewouldhaveremainedimprisoned。Shesaidnothing，butherlooksspokeherthanks。

TheVolga，theRhaoftheancients，thelargestriverinallEurope，isalmostthreethousandmilesinlength。

Itswaters，ratherunwholesomeinitsupperpart，areimprovedatNijni-NovgorodbythoseoftheOka，arapidaffluent，issuingfromthecentralprovincesofRussia。ThesystemofRussiancanalsandrivershasbeenjustlycomparedtoagigantictreewhosebranchesspreadovereverypartoftheempire。

TheVolgaformsthetrunkofthistree，andithasforrootsseventymouthsopeningintotheCaspianSea。ItisnavigableasfarasRjef，atowninthegovernmentofTver，thatis，alongthegreaterpartofitscourse。

ThesteamboatsplyingbetweenPermandNijni-NovgorodrapidlyperformthetwohundredandfiftymileswhichseparatethistownfromthetownofKasan。ItistruethattheseboatshaveonlytodescendtheVolga，whichaddsnearlytwomilesofcurrentperhourtotheirownspeed；

butonarrivingattheconfluenceoftheKama，alittlebelowKasan，theyareobligedtoquittheVolgaforthesmallerriver，upwhichtheyascendtoPerm。Powerfulaswerehermachines，theCaucasuscouldnotthus，afterenteringtheKama，makeagainstthecurrentmorethantenmilesanhour。Includinganhour’sstoppageatKasan，thevoyagefromNijni-NovgorodtoPermwouldtakefrombetweensixtytosixty-twohours。

Thesteamerwasverywellarranged，andthepassengers，accordingtotheirconditionorresources，occupiedthreedistinctclassesonboard。

MichaelStrogoffhadtakencaretoengagetwofirst-classcabins，sothathisyoungcompanionmightretireintoherswheneversheliked。

TheCaucasuswasloadedwithpassengersofeverydescription。

AnumberofAsiatictradershadthoughtitbesttoleaveNijni-Novgorodimmediately。Inthatpartofthesteamerreservedforthefirst-classmightbeseenArmeniansinlongrobesandasortofmiterontheirheads；Jews，knownbytheirconicalcaps；richChineseintheirtraditionalcostume，averywideblue，violet，orblackrobe；

Turks，wearingthenationalturban；Hindoos，withsquarecaps，andasimplestringforagirdle，someofwhom，holdintheirhandsallthetrafficofCentralAsia；and，lastly，Tartars，wearingboots，ornamentedwithmany-coloredbraid，andthebreastamassofembroidery。

Allthesemerchantshadbeenobligedtopileuptheirnumerousbalesandchestsintheholdandonthedeck；andthetransportoftheirbaggagewouldcostthemdear，for，accordingtotheregulations，eachpersonhadonlyarighttotwentypounds’weight。

InthebowsoftheCaucasusweremorenumerousgroupsofpassengers，notonlyforeigners，butalsoRussians，whowerenotforbiddenbytheordertogobacktotheirtownsintheprovince。

Thereweremujikswithcapsontheirheads，andwearingcheckedshirtsundertheirwidepelisses；peasantsoftheVolga，withbluetrousersstuffedintotheirboots，rose-coloredcottonshirts，drawninbyacord，feltcaps；

afewwomen，habitedinflowery-patternedcottondresses，gay-coloredaprons，andbrighthandkerchiefsontheirheads。

Thesewereprincipallythird-classpassengers，whowere，happily，nottroubledbytheprospectofalongreturnvoyage。

TheCaucasuspassednumerousboatsbeingtowedupthestream，carryingallsortsofmerchandisetoNijni-Novgorod。Thenpassedraftsofwoodinterminablylong，andbargesloadedtothegunwale，andnearlysinkingunderwater。Abootlessvoyagetheyweremaking，sincethefairhadbeenabruptlybrokenupatitsoutset。

Thewavescausedbythesteamersplashedonthebanks，coveredwithflocksofwildduck，whoflewawayutteringdeafeningcries。

Alittlefarther，onthedryfields，borderedwithwillows，andaspens，werescatteredafewcows，sheep，andherdsofpigs。

Fields，sownwiththinbuckwheatandrye，stretchedawaytoabackgroundofhalf-cultivatedhills，offeringnoremarkableprospect。

Thepencilofanartistinquestofthepicturesquewouldhavefoundnothingtoreproduceinthismonotonouslandscape。

TheCaucasushadbeensteamingonforalmosttwohours，whentheyoungLivonian，addressingherselftoMichael，said，“AreyougoingtoIrkutsk，brother？“

“Yes，sister，“answeredtheyoungman。“Wearegoingthesameway。

Consequently，whereIgo，youshallgo。“

“To-morrow，brother，youshallknowwhyIlefttheshoresoftheBaltictogobeyondtheUralMountains。“

“Iaskyounothing，sister。“

“Youshallknowall，“repliedthegirl，withafaintsmile。

“Asistershouldhidenothingfromherbrother。ButIcannotto-day。Fatigueandsorrowhavebrokenme。“

“Willyougoandrestinyourcabin？“askedMichaelStrogoff。

“Yes——yes；andto-morrow——“

“Comethen——“

Hehesitatedtofinishhissentence，asifhehadwishedtoenditbythenameofhiscompanion，ofwhichhewasstillignorant。

“Nadia，“saidshe，holdingoutherhand。

“Come，Nadia，“answeredMichael，“andmakewhatuseyoulikeofyourbrotherNicholasKorpanoff。“Andheledthegirltothecabinengagedforheroffthesaloon。