第18章

Nadiawasnearhim，calmalso，butsecretlyuneasyatascenewhichitwouldhavebeenbettertoavoid。

“Enough！“saidthetraveler。Then，goinguptothepostmaster，“Letthehorsesbeputintomyberlin，“heexclaimedwithathreateninggesture。

Thepostmaster，muchembarrassed，didnotknowwhomtoobey，andlookedatMichael，whoevidentlyhadtherighttoresisttheunjustdemandsofthetraveler。

Michaelhesitatedaninstant。Hedidnotwishtomakeuseofhispodorojna，whichwouldhavedrawnattentiontohim，andhewasmostunwillingalso，bygivinguphishorses，todelayhisjourney，andyethemustnotengageinastrugglewhichmightcompromisehismission。

Thetworeporterslookedathimreadytosupporthimshouldheappealtothem。

“Myhorseswillremaininmycarriage，“saidMichael，butwithoutraisinghistonemorethanwouldbesuitableforaplainIrkutskmerchant。

ThetraveleradvancedtowardsMichaelandlaidhishandheavilyonhisshoulder。“Isitso？“hesaidroughly。

“Youwillnotgiveupyourhorsestome？“

“No，“answeredMichael。

“Verywell，theyshallbelongtowhicheverofusisabletostart。

Defendyourself；Ishallnotspareyou！“

Sosaying，thetravelerdrewhissaberfromitssheath，andNadiathrewherselfbeforeMichael。

BlountandAlcideJolivetadvancedtowardshim。

“Ishallnotfight，“saidMichaelquietly，foldinghisarmsacrosshischest。

“Youwillnotfight？“

“No。“

“Notevenafterthis？“exclaimedthetraveler。Andbeforeanyonecouldpreventhim，hestruckMichael’sshoulderwiththehandleofthewhip。AtthisinsultMichaelturneddeadlypale。

Hishandsmovedconvulsivelyasifhewouldhaveknockedthebrutedown。

Butbyatremendousefforthemasteredhimself。Aduel！itwasmorethanadelay；itwasperhapsthefailureofhismission。

Itwouldbebettertolosesomehours。Yes；buttoswallowthisaffront！

“Willyoufightnow，coward？“repeatedthetraveler，addingcoarsenesstobrutality。

“No，“answeredMichael，withoutmoving，butlookingtheotherstraightintheface。

“Thehorsesthismoment，“saidtheman，andlefttheroom。

Thepostmasterfollowedhim，aftershrugginghisshouldersandbestowingonMichaelaglanceofanythingbutapprobation。

TheeffectproducedonthereportersbythisincidentwasnottoMichael’sadvantage。Theirdiscomfiturewasvisible。

Howcouldthisstrongyoungmanallowhimselftobestrucklikethatandnotdemandsatisfactionforsuchaninsult？

Theycontentedthemselveswithbowingtohimandretired，JolivetremarkingtoHarryBlount“IcouldnothavebelievedthatofamanwhoissoskillfulinfinishingupUralMountainbears。Isitthecasethatamancanbecourageousatonetimeandacowardatanother？

Itisquiteincomprehensible。“

Amomentafterwardsthenoiseofwheelsandwhipshowedthattheberlin，drawnbythetarantass’horses，wasdrivingrapidlyawayfromthepost-house。

Nadia，unmoved，andMichael，stillquivering，remainedaloneintheroom。

ThecourieroftheCzar，hisarmscrossedoverhischestwasseatedmotionlessasastatue。Acolor，whichcouldnothavebeentheblushofshame，hadreplacedthepalenessonhiscountenance。

Nadiadidnotdoubtthatpowerfulreasonsalonecouldhaveallowedhimtosuffersogreatahumiliationfromsuchaman。Goinguptohimashehadcometoherinthepolice-stationatNijni-Novgorod:

“Yourhand，brother，“saidshe。

Andatthesametimeherhand，withanalmostmaternalgesture，wipedawayatearwhichsprangtohercompanion’seye。

CHAPTERXIIIDUTYBEFOREEVERYTHING

NADIA，withtheclearperceptionofaright-mindedwoman，guessedthatsomesecretmotivedirectedallMichaelStrogoff’sactions；

thathe，forareasonunknowntoher，didnotbelongtohimself；

andthatinthisinstanceespeciallyhehadheroicallysacrificedtodutyevenhisresentmentatthegrossinjuryhehadreceived。

Nadia，therefore，askednoexplanationfromMichael。Hadnotthehandwhichshehadextendedtohimalreadyrepliedtoallthathemighthavebeenabletotellher？

Michaelremainedsilentalltheevening。Thepostmasternotbeingabletosupplythemwithfreshhorsesuntilthenextmorning，awholenightmustbepassedatthehouse。

Nadiacouldprofitbyittotakesomerest，andaroomwasthereforepreparedforher。

Theyounggirlwouldnodoubthavepreferrednottoleavehercompanion，butshefeltthathewouldratherbealone，andshemadereadytogotoherroom。

JustasshewasabouttoretireshecouldnotrefrainfromgoinguptoMichaeltosaygood-night。

“Brother，“shewhispered。Buthecheckedherwithagesture。

Thegirlsighedandlefttheroom。

MichaelStrogoffdidnotliedown。Hecouldnothavesleptevenforanhour。Theplaceonwhichhehadbeenstruckbythebrutaltravelerfeltlikeaburn。

“FormycountryandtheFather，“hemutteredasheendedhiseveningprayer。

Heespeciallyfeltagreatwishtoknowwhowasthemanwhohadstruckhim，whencehecame，andwherehewasgoing。

Astohisface，thefeaturesofitweresodeeplyengravenonhismemorythathehadnofearofeverforgettingthem。

MichaelStrogoffatlastaskedforthepostmaster。Thelatter，aSiberianoftheoldtype，camedirectly，andlookingrathercontemptuouslyattheyoungman，waitedtobequestioned。

“Youbelongtothecountry？“askedMichael。

“Yes。“

“Doyouknowthatmanwhotookmyhorses？“

“No。“

“Hadyouneverseenhimbefore？“

“Never。“

“Whodoyouthinkhewas？“

“Amanwhoknowshowtomakehimselfobeyed。“

MichaelfixedhispiercinggazeupontheSiberian，buttheotherdidnotquailbeforeit。

“Doyoudaretojudgeme？“exclaimedMichael。

“Yes，“answeredtheSiberian，“therearesomethingsevenaplainmerchantcannotreceivewithoutreturning。“

“Blows？“

“Blows，youngman。Iamofanageandstrengthtotellyouso。“

Michaelwentuptothepostmasterandlaidhistwopowerfulhandsonhisshoulders。

Theninapeculiarlycalmtone，“Beoff，myfriend，“saidhe:

“beoff！Icouldkillyou。“

Thepostmasterunderstood。“Ilikehimbetterforthat，“

hemutteredandretiredwithoutanotherword。

Ateighto’clockthenextmorning，the24thofJuly，threestronghorseswereharnessedtothetarantass。

MichaelStrogoffandNadiatooktheirplaces，andIchim，withitsdisagreeableremembrances，wassoonleftfarbehind。

AtthedifferentrelaysatwhichtheystoppedduringthedayStrogoffascertainedthattheberlinstillprecededthemontheroadtoIrkutsk，andthatthetraveler，ashurriedastheywere，neverlostaminuteinpursuinghiswayacrossthesteppe。

Atfouro’clockintheeveningtheyreachedAbatskaia，fiftymilesfartheron，wheretheIchim，oneoftheprincipalaffluentsoftheIrtych，hadtobecrossed。ThispassagewasrathermoredifficultthanthatoftheTobol。IndeedthecurrentoftheIchimwasveryrapidjustatthatplace。

DuringtheSiberianwinter，theriversbeingallfrozentoathicknessofseveralfeet，theyareeasilypracticable，andthetravelerevencrossesthemwithoutbeingawareofthefact，fortheirbedshavedisappearedunderthesnowysheetspreaduniformlyoverthesteppe；butinsummerthedifficultiesofcrossingaresometimesgreat。

Infact，twohoursweretakenupinmakingthepassageoftheIchim，whichmuchexasperatedMichael，especiallyastheboatmengavethemalarmingnewsoftheTartarinvasion。

SomeofFeofar-Khan’sscoutshadalreadyappearedonbothbanksofthelowerIchim，inthesouthernpartsofthegovernmentofTobolsk。Omskwasthreatened。TheyspokeofanengagementwhichhadtakenplacebetweentheSiberianandTartartroopsonthefrontierofthegreatKirghesehorde——anengagementnottotheadvantageoftheRussians，whowereweakinnumbers。

Thetroopshadretreatedthence，andinconsequencetherehadbeenageneralemigrationofallthepeasantsoftheprovince。

Theboatmenspokeofhorribleatrocitiescommittedbytheinvaders——

pillage，theft，incendiarism，murder。SuchwasthesystemofTartarwarfare。

ThepeopleallfledbeforeFeofar-Khan。MichaelStrogoff’sgreatfearwaslest，inthedepopulationofthetowns，heshouldbeunabletoobtainthemeansoftransport。

HewasthereforeextremelyanxioustoreachOmsk。PerhapstheretheywouldgetthestartoftheTartarscouts，whowerecomingdownthevalleyoftheIrtych，andwouldfindtheroadopentoIrkutsk。

Justattheplacewherethetarantasscrossedtheriverendedwhatiscalled，inmilitarylanguage，the“Ichimchain“——achainoftowers，orlittlewoodenforts，extendingfromthesouthernfrontierofSiberiaforadistanceofnearlyfourhundredversts。

FormerlythesefortswereoccupiedbydetachmentsofCossacks，andtheyprotectedthecountryagainsttheKirghese，aswellasagainsttheTartars。ButsincetheMuscoviteGovernmenthadbelievedthesehordesreducedtoabsolutesubmission，theyhadbeenabandoned，andnowcouldnotbeused；justatthetimewhentheywereneeded。

Manyofthesefortshadbeenreducedtoashes；andtheboatmenevenpointedoutthesmoketoMichael，risinginthesouthernhorizon，andshowingtheapproachoftheTartaradvance-guard。

AssoonastheferryboatlandedthetarantassontherightbankoftheIchim，thejourneyacrossthesteppewasresumedwithallspeed。

MichaelStrogoffremainedverysilent。Hewas，however，alwaysattentivetoNadia，helpinghertobearthefatigueofthislongjourneywithoutbreakorrest；butthegirlnevercomplained。

Shelongedtogivewingstothehorses。SomethingtoldherthathercompanionwasevenmoreanxiousthanherselftoreachIrkutsk；

andhowmanyverstswerestillbetween！

ItalsooccurredtoherthatifOmskwasenteredbytheTartars，Michael’smother，wholivedthere，wouldbeindanger，andthatthiswassufficienttoexplainherson’simpatiencetogettoher。

NadiaatlastspoketohimofoldMarfa，andofhowunprotectedshewouldbeinthemidstofalltheseevents。

“Haveyoureceivedanynewsofyourmothersincethebeginningoftheinvasion？“sheasked。

“None，Nadia。Thelastlettermymotherwrotetomecontainedgoodnews。MarfaisabraveandenergeticSiberianwoman。

Notwithstandingherage，shehaspreservedallhermoralstrength。

Sheknowshowtosuffer。“

“Ishallseeher，brother，“saidNadiaquickly。“Sinceyougivemethenameofsister，IamMarfa’sdaughter。“

AndasMichaeldidnotanswersheadded:

“PerhapsyourmotherhasbeenabletoleaveOmsk？“

“Itispossible，Nadia，“repliedMichael；“andIhopeshemayhavereachedTobolsk。MarfahatestheTartars。Sheknowsthesteppe，andwouldhavenofearinjusttakingherstaffandgoingdownthebanksoftheIrtych。Thereisnotaspotinalltheprovinceunknowntoher。

Manytimeshasshetraveledalloverthecountrywithmyfather；

andmanytimesImyself，whenamerechild，haveaccompaniedthemacrosstheSiberiandesert。Yes，Nadia，ItrustthatmymotherhasleftOmsk。“

“Andwhenshallyouseeher？“

“Ishallseeher——onmyreturn。“

“If，however，yourmotherisstillatOmsk，youwillbeabletospareanhourtogotoher？“