第11章

Thesedresses，justthenglancinginthefirstraysofthesun，remindedMichaelofthecuriousappearancewhichhehadobservedduringthenight。Itmusthavebeentheglitterofthosespanglesinthebrightflamesissuingfromthesteamboat’sfunnelwhichhadattractedhisattention。

“Evidently，“saidMichaeltohimself，“thistroopofTsiganes，afterremainingbelowallday，crouchedundertheforecastleduringthenight。

Werethesegipsiestryingtoshowthemselvesaslittleaspossible？

Suchisnotaccordingtotheusualcustomoftheirrace。“

MichaelStrogoffnolongerdoubtedthattheexpressionshehadheard，hadproceededfromthistawnygroup，andhadbeenexchangedbetweentheoldgypsyandthewomantowhomhegavetheMongoliannameofSangarre。Michaelinvoluntarilymovedtowardsthegangway，astheBohemiantroopwasleavingthesteamboat。

TheoldBohemianwasthere，inahumbleattitude，littleconformablewiththeeffronterynaturaltohisrace。

Onewouldhavesaidthathewasendeavoringrathertoavoidattentionthantoattractit。Hisbatteredhat，brownedbythesunsofeveryclime，waspulledforwardoverhiswrinkledface。

Hisarchedbackwasbentunderanoldcloak，wrappedcloselyroundhim，notwithstandingtheheat。Itwouldhavebeendifficult，inthismiserabledress，tojudgeofeitherhissizeorface。

NearhimwastheTsigane，Sangarre，awomanaboutthirtyyearsold。

Shewastallandwellmade，witholivecomplexion，magnificenteyes，andgoldenhair。

Manyoftheyoungdancerswereremarkablypretty，allpossessingtheclear-cutfeaturesoftheirrace。TheseTsiganesaregenerallyveryattractive，andmorethanoneofthegreatRussiannobles，whotrytoviewiththeEnglishineccentricity，hasnothesitatedtochoosehiswifefromamongthesegypsygirls。

Oneofthemwashummingasongofstrangerhythm，whichmightbethusrendered:

“GlittersbrightlythegoldInmyravenlocksstreamingRichcoralaroundMygracefulneckgleaming；

Likeabirdoftheair，ThroughthewideworldIroam。“

Thelaughinggirlcontinuedhersong，butMichaelStrogoffceasedtolisten。ItstruckhimjustthenthattheTsigane，Sangarre，wasregardinghimwithapeculiargaze，asiftofixhisfeaturesindeliblyinhermemory。

Itwasbutforafewmoments，whenSangarreherselffollowedtheoldmanandhistroop，whohadalreadyleftthevessel。

“That’saboldgypsy，“saidMichaeltohimself。

“CouldshehaverecognizedmeasthemanwhomshesawatNijni-Novgorod？TheseconfoundedTsiganeshavetheeyesofacat！

Theycanseeinthedark；andthatwomantheremightwellknow——“

MichaelStrogoffwasonthepointoffollowingSangarreandthegypsyband，buthestopped。“No，“thoughthe，“nounguardedproceedings。IfIweretostopthatoldfortunetellerandhiscompanionsmyincognitowouldrunariskofbeingdiscovered。Besides，nowtheyhavelanded，beforetheycanpassthefrontierIshallbefarbeyondit。

TheymaytaketheroutefromKasantoIshim，butthataffordsnoresourcestotravelers。Besidesatarantass，drawnbygoodSiberianhorses，willalwaysgofasterthanagypsycart！

Come，friendKorpanoff，beeasy。“

BythistimethemanandSangarrehaddisappeared。

Kasanisjustlycalledthe“GateofAsia“andconsideredasthecenterofSiberianandBokhariancommerce；fortworoadsbeginhereandleadacrosstheUralMountains。MichaelStrogoffhadveryjudiciouslychosentheonebyPermandEkaterenburg。Itisthegreatstageroad，wellsuppliedwithrelayskeptattheexpenseofthegovernment，andisprolongedfromIshimtoIrkutsk。

Itistruethatasecondroute——theoneofwhichMichaelhadjustspoken——

avoidingtheslightdetourbyPerm，alsoconnectsKasanwithIshim。Itisperhapsshorterthantheother，butthisadvantageismuchdiminishedbytheabsenceofpost-houses，thebadroads，andlackofvillages。

MichaelStrogoffwasrightinthechoicehehadmade，andif，asappearedprobable，thegipsiesshouldfollowthesecondroutefromKasantoIshim，hehadeverychanceofarrivingbeforethem。

AnhourafterwardsthebellrangonboardtheCaucasus，callingthenewpassengers，andrecallingtheformerones。

Itwasnowseveno’clockinthemorning。Therequisitefuelhadbeenreceivedonboard。Thewholevesselbegantovibratefromtheeffectsofthesteam。Shewasreadytostart。

PassengersgoingfromKasantoPermwerecrowdingonthedeck。

MichaelnoticedthatofthetworeportersBlountalonehadrejoinedthesteamer。WasAlcideJolivetabouttomisshispassage？

Butjustastheropeswerebeingcastoff，Jolivetappeared，tearingalong。Thesteamerwasalreadysheeringoff，thegangwayhadbeendrawnontothequay，butAlcideJolivetwouldnotstickatsuchalittlethingasthat，so，withaboundlikeaharlequin，healightedonthedeckoftheCaucasusalmostinhisrival’sarms。

“IthoughttheCaucasuswasgoingwithoutyou，“saidthelatter。

“Bah！“answeredJolivet，“Ishouldsoonhavecaughtyouupagain，bycharteringaboatatmycousin’sexpense，orbytravelingpostattwentycopecksaverst，andonhorseback。WhatcouldIdo？

Itwassolongawayfromthequaytothetelegraphoffice。“

“Haveyoubeentothetelegraphoffice？“askedHarryBlount，bitinghislips。

“That’sexactlywhereIhavebeen！“answeredJolivet，withhismostamiablesmile。

“AndisitstillworkingtoKolyvan？“

“ThatIdon’tknow，butIcanassureyou，forinstance，thatitisworkingfromKasantoParis。“

“Yousentadispatchtoyourcousin？“

“Withenthusiasm。“

“Youhadlearntthen——？“

“Lookhere，littlefather，astheRussianssay，“repliedAlcideJolivet，“I’magoodfellow，andIdon’twishtokeepanythingfromyou。

TheTartars，andFeofar-Khanattheirhead，havepassedSemipolatinsk，andaredescendingtheIrtish。Dowhatyoulikewiththat！“

What！suchimportantnews，andHarryBlounthadnotknownit；

andhisrival，whohadprobablylearneditfromsomeinhabitantofKasan，hadalreadytransmittedittoParis。TheEnglishpaperwasdistanced！

HarryBlount，crossinghishandsbehindhim，walkedoffandseatedhimselfinthesternwithoututteringaword。

Aboutteno’clockinthemorning，theyoungLivonian，leavinghercabin，appearedondeck。MichaelStrogoffwentforwardandtookherhand。

“Look，sister！“saidhe，leadinghertothebowsoftheCaucasus。

Theviewwasindeedwellworthseeing。TheCaucasushadreachedtheconfluenceoftheVolgaandtheKama。Thereshewouldleavetheformerriver，afterhavingdescendeditfornearlythreehundredmiles，toascendthelatterforafullthreehundred。

TheKamawashereverywide，anditswoodedbankslovely。

Afewwhitesailsenlivenedthesparklingwater。

Thehorizonwasclosedbyalineofhillscoveredwithaspens，alders，andsometimeslargeoaks。

ButthesebeautiesofnaturecouldnotdistractthethoughtsoftheyoungLivonianevenforaninstant。Shehadleftherhandinthatofhercompanion，andturningtohim，“AtwhatdistancearewefromMoscow？“sheasked。

“Ninehundredversts，“answeredMichael。

“Ninehundred，outofseventhousand！“murmuredthegirl。

Thebellnowannouncedthebreakfasthour。NadiafollowedMichaelStrogofftotherestaurant。Sheatelittle，andasapoorgirlwhosemeansaresmallwoulddo。Michaelthoughtitbesttocontenthimselfwiththefarewhichsatisfiedhiscompanion；

andinlessthantwentyminutesheandNadiareturnedondeck。

Theretheyseatedthemselvesinthestern，andwithoutpreamble，Nadia，loweringhervoicetobeheardbyhimalone，began:

“Brother，Iamthedaughterofanexile。MynameisNadiaFedor。MymotherdiedatRigascarcelyamonthago，andI

amgoingtoIrkutsktorejoinmyfatherandsharehisexile。“

“I，too，amgoingtoIrkutsk，“answeredMichael，“andIshallthankHeavenifitenablesmetogiveNadiaFedorsafeandsoundintoherfather’shands。“

“Thankyou，brother，“repliedNadia。

MichaelStrogoffthenaddedthathehadobtainedaspecialpodorojnaforSiberia，andthattheRussianauthoritiescouldinnowayhinderhisprogress。

Nadiaaskednothingmore。ShesawinthisfortunatemeetingwithMichaelameansonlyofacceleratingherjourneytoherfather。

“Ihad，“saidshe，“apermitwhichauthorizedmetogotoIrkutsk，buttheneworderannulledthat；andbutforyou，brother，Ishouldhavebeenunabletoleavethetown，inwhich，withoutdoubt，Ishouldhaveperished。“

“Anddaredyou，alone，Nadia，“saidMichael，“attempttocrossthesteppesofSiberia？“

“TheTartarinvasionwasnotknownwhenIleftRiga。ItwasonlyatMoscowthatIlearntthenews。“

“Anddespiteit，youcontinuedyourjourney？“

“Itwasmyduty。“

Thewordsshowedthecharacterofthebravegirl。

Shethenspokeofherfather，WassiliFedor。Hewasamuch-esteemedphysicianatRiga。Buthisconnectionwithsomesecretsocietyhavingbeenasserted，hereceivedorderstostartforIrkutsk。Thepolicewhobroughttheorderconductedhimwithoutdelaybeyondthefrontier。

WassiliFedorhadbuttimetoembracehissickwifeandhisdaughter，sosoontobeleftalone，when，sheddingbittertears，hewasledaway。

Ayearandahalfafterherhusband’sdeparture，MadameFedordiedinthearmsofherdaughter，whowasthusleftaloneandalmostpenniless。

NadiaFedorthenasked，andeasilyobtainedfromtheRussiangovernment，anauthorizationtojoinherfatheratIrkutsk。Shewroteandtoldhimshewasstarting。Shehadbarelyenoughmoneyforthislongjourney，andyetshedidnothesitatetoundertakeit。Shewoulddowhatshecould。

Godwoulddotherest。

THEnextday，the19thofJuly，theCaucasusreachedPerm，thelastplaceatwhichshetouchedontheKama。

ThegovernmentofwhichPermisthecapitalisoneofthelargestintheRussianEmpire，and，extendingovertheUralMountains，encroachesonSiberianterritory。Marblequarries，minesofsalt，platina，gold，andcoalareworkedhereonalargescale。

AlthoughPerm，byitssituation，hasbecomeanimportanttown，itisbynomeansattractive，beingextremelydirty，andwithoutresources。

ThiswantofcomfortisofnoconsequencetothosegoingtoSiberia，fortheycomefromthemorecivilizeddistricts，andaresuppliedwithallnecessaries。

AtPermtravelersfromSiberiareselltheirvehicles，moreorlessdamagedbythelongjourneyacrosstheplains。

There，too，thosepassingfromEuropetoAsiapurchasecarriages，orsleighsinthewinterseason。

MichaelStrogoffhadalreadysketchedouthisprogramme。

AvehiclecarryingthemailusuallyrunsacrosstheUralMountains，butthis，ofcourse，wasdiscontinued。Evenifithadnotbeenso，hewouldnothavetakenit，ashewishedtotravelasfastaspossible，withoutdependingonanyone。Hewiselypreferredtobuyacarriage，andjourneybystages，stimulatingthezealofthepostillionsbywell-applied“navodkou，“ortips。

Unfortunately，inconsequenceofthemeasurestakenagainstforeignersofAsiaticorigin，alargenumberoftravelershadalreadyleftPerm，andthereforeconveyanceswereextremelyrare。Michaelwasobligedtocontenthimselfwithwhathadbeenrejectedbyothers。

Astohorses，aslongastheCzar’scourierwasnotinSiberia，hecouldexhibithispodorojna，andthepostmasterswouldgivehimthepreference。But，onceoutofEurope，hehadtodependaloneonthepowerofhisroubles。

Buttowhatsortofavehicleshouldheharnesshishorses？

Toatelgaortoatarantass？Thetelgaisnothingbutanopenfour-wheeledcart，madeentirelyofwood，thepiecesfastenedtogetherbymeansofstrongrope。