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will see you," he said.
"Good," returned Michael. And without saying a word to her for whom he had
been searching all day, without reassuring her by even a gesture, which might
compromise either her or himself, he followed the man.
The young Livonian, seeing the only being to whom she could look for help
disappear, fell back again on her bench.
Three minutes had not passed before Michael Strogoff reappeared, accompanied
by the agent. In his hand he held his podorojna, which threw open the roads to
Siberia for him. He again approached the young Livonian, and holding out his
hand: "Sister," said he.
She understood. She rose as if some sudden inspiration prevented her from
hesitating a moment.
"Sister," repeated Michael Strogoff, "we are authorized to continue our
journey to Irkutsk. Will you come with me?"
"I will follow you, brother," replied the girl, putting her hand into that of
Michael Strogoff. And together they left the police station.
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER VI BROTHER AND SISTER
32
CHAPTER VII GOING DOWN THE VOLGA
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A LITTLE before midday, the steamboat's bell drew to the wharf on the Volga an
unusually large concourse of people, for not only were those about to embark
who had intended to go, but the many who were compelled to go contrary to
their wishes. The boilers of the Caucasus were under full pressure; a slight
smoke issued from its funnel, whilst the end of the escapepipe and the lids of
the valves were crowned with white vapor. It is needless to say that the
police kept a close watch over the departure of the Caucasus, and showed
themselves pitiless to those travelers who did not satisfactorily answer their
questions.
Numerous Cossacks came and went on the quay, ready to assist the agents, but
they had not to interfere, as no one ventured to offer the slightest
resistance to their orders. Exactly at the hour the last clang of the bell
sounded, the powerful wheels of the steamboat began to beat the water, and the
Caucasus passed rapidly between the two towns of which NijniNovgorod is
composed.
Michael Strogoff and the young Livonian had taken a passage on board the
Caucasus. Their embarkation was made without any difficulty. As is known, the
podorojna, drawn up in the name of Nicholas Korpanoff, authorized this
merchant to be accompanied on his journey to Siberia. They appeared,
therefore, to be a brother and sister traveling under the protection of the
imperial police. Both, seated together at the stern, gazed at the receding
town, so disturbed by the governor's order. Michael had as yet said nothing to
the girl, he had not even questioned her. He waited until she should speak to
him, when that was necessary. She had been anxious to leave that town, in
which, but for the providential intervention of this unexpected protector, she
would have remained imprisoned. She said nothing, but her looks spoke her
thanks.
The Volga, the Rha of the ancients, the largest river in all Europe, is almost
three thousand miles in length. Its waters, rather unwholesome in its upper
part, are improved at NijniNovgorod by those of the Oka, a rapid affluent,
issuing from the central provinces of Russia. The system of Russian canals and
rivers has been justly compared to a gigantic tree whose branches spread over
every part of the empire. The Volga forms the trunk of this tree, and it has
for roots seventy mouths opening into the Caspian Sea. It is navigable as far
as Rjef, a town in the government of Tver, that is, along the greater part of
its course.
The steamboats plying between Perm and NijniNovgorod rapidly perform the two
hundred and fifty miles which separate this town from the town of Kasan. It is
true that these boats have only to descend the Volga, which adds nearly two
miles of current per hour to their own speed; but on arriving at the
confluence of the
Kama, a little below Kasan, they are obliged to quit the Volga for the smaller
river, up which they ascend to
Perm. Powerful as were her machines, the Caucasus could not thus, after
entering the Kama, make against the current more than ten miles an hour.
Including an hour's stoppage at Kasan, the voyage from NijniNovgorod to Perm
would take from between sixty to sixtytwo hours.
The steamer was very well arranged, and the passengers, according to their
condition or resources, occupied three distinct classes on board. Michael
Strogoff had taken care to engage two firstclass cabins, so that his young
companion might retire into hers whenever she liked.
The Caucasus was loaded with passengers of every description. A number of
Asiatic traders had thought it best to leave NijniNovgorod immediately. In
that part of the steamer reserved for the firstclass might be seen Armenians
in long robes and a sort of miter on their heads; Jews, known by their conical
caps; rich
Chinese in their traditional costume, a very wide blue, violet, or black robe;
Turks, wearing the national turban; Hindoos, with square caps, and a simple
string for a girdle, some of whom, hold in their hands all the traffic of
Central Asia; and, lastly, Tartars, wearing boots, ornamented with manycolored
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braid, and the breast a mass of embroidery. All these merchants had been
obliged to pile up their numerous bales and chests in the hold and on the
deck; and the transport of their baggage would cost them dear, for, according
to the regulations, each person had only a right to twenty pounds' weight.
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER VII GOING DOWN THE VOLGA
33
In the bows of the Caucasus were more numerous groups of passengers, not only
foreigners, but also
Russians, who were not forbidden by the order to go back to their towns in the
province. There were mujiks with caps on their heads, and wearing checked
shirts under their wide pelisses; peasants of the Volga, with blue trousers
stuffed into their boots, rosecolored cotton shirts, drawn in by a cord, felt
caps; a few women, habited in flowerypatterned cotton dresses, gaycolored
aprons, and bright handkerchiefs on their heads.
These were principally thirdclass passengers, who were, happily, not troubled
by the prospect of a long return voyage. The Caucasus passed numerous boats
being towed up the stream, carrying all sorts of merchandise to NijniNovgorod.
Then passed rafts of wood interminably long, and barges loaded to the gunwale,
and nearly sinking under water. A bootless voyage they were making, since the
fair had been abruptly broken up at its outset.
The waves caused by the steamer splashed on the banks, covered with flocks of
wild duck, who flew away uttering deafening cries. A little farther, on the
dry fields, bordered with willows, and aspens, were scattered a few cows,
sheep, and herds of pigs. Fields, sown with thin buckwheat and rye, stretched
away to a background of halfcultivated hills, offering no remarkable prospect.
The pencil of an artist in quest of the picturesque would have found nothing
to reproduce in this monotonous landscape.
The Caucasus had been steaming on for almost two hours, when the young
Livonian, addressing herself to
Michael, said, "Are you going to Irkutsk, brother?"
"Yes, sister," answered the young man. "We are going the same way.
Consequently, where I go, you shall go."
"Tomorrow, brother, you shall know why I left the shores of the Baltic to go
beyond the Ural Mountains."
"I ask you nothing, sister."
"You shall know all," replied the girl, with a faint smile. "A sister should
hide nothing from her brother. But I
cannot today. Fatigue and sorrow have broken me."
"Will you go and rest in your cabin?" asked Michael Strogoff.
"Yesyes; and tomorrow"
"Come then"
He hesitated to finish his sentence, as if he had wished to end it by the name
of his companion, of which he was still ignorant.
"Nadia," said she, holding out her hand. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]