michael strogoff-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　to　the　Ural　Mountains。　　The　exchange　of　telegraphic　dispatches
with　Moscow　was　incessant。

Michael　Strogoff　found　himself　in　the　central　square　when　the　report
spread　that　the　head　of　police　had　been　summoned　by　a　courier　to
the　palace　of　the　governor…general。　An　important　dispatch　from　Moscow；
it　was　said；　was　the　cause　of　it。

〃The　fair　is　to　be　closed；〃　said　one。

〃The　regiment　of　Nijni…Novgorod　has　received　the　route；〃　declared　another。

〃They　say　that　the　Tartars　menace　Tomsk！〃

〃Here　is　the　head　of　police！〃　was　shouted　on　every　side。
A　loud　clapping　of　hands　was　suddenly　raised；　which　subsided
by　degrees；　and　finally　was　succeeded　by　absolute　silence。
The　head　of　police　arrived　in　the　middle　of　the　central　square；
and　it　was　seen　by　all　that　he　held　in　his　hand　a　dispatch。

Then；　in　a　loud　voice；　he　read　the　following　announcements：
〃By　order　of　the　Governor　of　Nijni…Novgorod。

〃1st。　　All　Russian　subjects　are　forbidden　to　quit　the　province
upon　any　pretext　whatsoever。

〃2nd。　　All　strangers　of　Asiatic　origin　are　commanded　to　leave
the　province　within　twenty…four　hours。〃


CHAPTER　VI　BROTHER　AND　SISTER

HOWEVER　disastrous　these　measures　might　be　to　private　interests；
they　were；　under　the　circumstances；　perfectly　justifiable。

〃All　Russian　subjects　are　forbidden　to　leave　the　province；〃
if　Ivan　Ogareff　was　still　in　the　province；　this　would　at
any　rate　prevent　him；　unless　with　the　greatest　difficulty；
from　rejoining　Feofar…Khan；　and　becoming　a　very　formidable
lieutenant　to　the　Tartar　chief。

〃All　foreigners　of　Asiatic　origin　are　ordered　to　leave　the　province　in
four…and…twenty　hours；〃　this　would　send　off　in　a　body　all　the　traders　from
Central　Asia；　as　well　as　the　bands　of　Bohemians；　gipsies；　etc。；　having
more　or　less　sympathy　with　the　Tartars。　　So　many　heads；　so　many　spies
undoubtedly　affairs　required　their　expulsion。

It　is　easy　to　understand　the　effect　produced　by　these　two　thunder…claps
bursting　over　a　town　like　Nijni…Novgorod；　so　densely　crowded
with　visitors；　and　with　a　commerce　so　greatly　surpassing　that　of　all
other　places　in　Russia。　　The　natives　whom　business　called　beyond
the　Siberian　frontier　could　not　leave　the　province　for　a　time　at　least。
The　tenor　of　the　first　article　of　the　order　was　express；　it　admitted
of　no　exception。　　All　private　interests　must　yield　to　the　public　weal。
As　to　the　second　article　of　the　proclamation；　the　order　of
expulsion　which　it　contained　admitted　of　no　evasion　either。
It　only　concerned　foreigners　of　Asiatic　origin；　but　these　could　do
nothing　but　pack　up　their　merchandise　and　go　back　the　way　they　came。
As　to　the　mountebanks；　of　which　there　were　a　considerable　number；
they　had　nearly　a　thousand　versts　to　go　before　they　could　reach
the　nearest　frontier。　　For　them　it　was　simply　misery。

At　first　there　rose　against　this　unusual　measure　a　murmur
of　protestation；　a　cry　of　despair；　but　this　was　quickly
suppressed　by　the　presence　of　the　Cossacks　and　agents　of　police。
Immediately；　what　might　be　called　the　exodus　from　the　immense
plain　began。　　The　awnings　in　front　of　the　stalls　were　folded　up；
the　theaters　were　taken　to　pieces；　the　fires　were　put　out；
the　acrobats'　ropes　were　lowered；　the　old　broken…winded
horses　of　the　traveling　vans　came　back　from　their　sheds。
Agents　and　soldiers　with　whip　or　stick　stimulated　the　tardy　ones；
and　made　nothing　of　pulling　down　the　tents　even　before　the　poor
Bohemians　had　left　them。

Under　these　energetic　measures　the　square　of　Nijni…Novgorod　would；
it　was　evident；　be　entirely　evacuated　before　the　evening；
and　to　the　tumult　of　the　great　fair　would　succeed　the　silence
of　the　desert。

It　must　again　be　repeatedfor　it　was　a　necessary　aggravation
of　these　severe　measuresthat　to　all　those　nomads　chiefly　concerned
in　the　order　of　expulsion　even　the　steppes　of　Siberia　were　forbidden；
and　they　would　be　obliged　to　hasten　to　the　south　of　the　Caspian　Sea；
either　to　Persia；　Turkey；　or　the　plains　of　Turkestan。　　The　post
of　the　Ural；　and　the　mountains　which　form；　as　it　were；　a　prolongation
of　the　river　along　the　Russian　frontier；　they　were　not　allowed　to　pass。
They　were　therefore　under　the　necessity　of　traveling　six　hundred
miles　before　they　could　tread　a　free　soil。

Just　as　the　reading　of　the　proclamation　by　the　head　of　the　police
came　to　an　end；　an　idea　darted　instinctively　into　the　mind
of　Michael　Strogoff。　　〃What　a　singular　coincidence；〃　thought　he；
〃between　this　proclamation　expelling　all　foreigners　of　Asiatic　origin；
and　the　words　exchanged　last　evening　between　those　two　gipsies
of　the　Zingari　race。　　'The　Father　himself　sends　us　where　we　wish
to　go；'　that　old　man　said。　　But　'the　Father'　is　the　emperor！
He　is　never　called　anything　else　among　the　people。　　How　could
those　gipsies　have　foreseen　the　measure　taken　against　them？　how　could
they　have　known　it　beforehand；　and　where　do　they　wish　to　go？
Those　are　suspicious　people；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　to　them
the　government　proclamation　must　be　more　useful　than　injurious。〃

But　these　reflections　were　completely　dispelled　by　another
which　drove　every　other　thought　out　of　Michael's　mind。
He　forgot　the　Zingaris；　their　suspicious　words；　the　strange
coincidence　which　resulted　from　the　proclamation。
The　remembrance　of　the　young　Livonian　girl　suddenly　rushed
into　his　mind。　　〃Poor　child！〃　he　thought　to　himself。
〃She　cannot　now　cross　the　frontier。〃

In　truth　the　young　girl　was　from　Riga；　she　was　Livonian；
consequently　Russian；　and　now　could　not　leave　Russian　territory！
The　permit　which　had　been　given　her　before　the　new
measures　had　been　promulgated　was　no　longer　available。
All　the　routes　to　Siberia　had　just　been　pitilessly　closed
to　her；　and；　whatever　the　motive　taking　her　to　Irkutsk；
she　was　now　forbidden　to　go　there。

This　thought　greatly　occupied　Michael　Strogoff。　　He　said　to　himself；
vaguely　at　first；　that；　without　neglecting　anything　of　what　was　due
to　his　important　mission；　it　would　perhaps　be　possible　for　him　to　be
of　some　use　to　this　brave　girl；　and　this　idea　pleased　him。　　Knowing　how
serious　were　the　dangers　which　he；　an　energetic　and　vigorous　man；
would　have　personally　to　encounter；　he　could　not　conceal　from　himself
how　infinitely　greater　they　would　prove　to　a　young　unprotected　girl。
As　she　was　going　to　Irkutsk；　she　would　be　obliged　to　follow　the　same
road　as　himself；　she　would　have　to　pass　through　the　bands　of　invaders；
as　he　was　about　to　attempt　doing　himself。　　If；　moreover；　she　had
at　her　disposal　only　the　money　necessary　for　a　journey　taken　under
ordinary　circumstances；　how　could　she　manage　to　accomplish　it　under
conditions　which　made　it　not　only　perilous　but　expensive？

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃if　she　takes　the　route　to　Perm；
it　is　nearly　impossible　but　that　I　shall　fall　in　with　her。
Then；　I　will　watch　over　her　without　her　suspecting　it；
and　as　she　appears　to　me　as　anxious　as　myself　to　reach　Irkutsk；
she　will　cause　me　no　delay。〃

But　one　thought　leads　to　another。　　Michael　Strogoff　had　till　now　thought
only　of　doing　a　kind　action；　but　now　another　idea　flashed　into　his　brain；
the　question　presented　itself　under　quite　a　new　aspect。

〃The　fact　is；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃that　I　have　much　more　need　of　her
than　she　can　have　of　me。　　Her　presence　will　be　useful　in　drawing
off　suspicion　from　me。　　A　man　traveling　alone　across　the　steppe；
may　be　easily　guessed　to　be　a　courier　of　the　Czar。　　If；　on　the　contrary；
this　young　girl　accompanies　me；　I　shall　appear；　in　the　eyes　of　all；
the　Nicholas　Korpanoff　of　my　podorojna。　　Therefore；　she　must
accompany　me。　　Therefore；　I　must　find　her　again　at　any　cost。
It　is　not　probable　that　since　yesterday　evening　she　has　been　able
to　get　a　carriage　and　leave　Nijni…Novgorod。　I　must　look　for　her。
And　may　God　guide　me！〃

Michael　left　the　great　square　of　Nijni…Novgorod；　where　the　tumult
produced　by　the　carrying　out　of　the　prescribed　measures　had　now
reached　its　height。　　Recriminations　from　the　banished　strangers；
shouts　from　the　agents　and　Cossacks　who　were　using　them　so　brutally；
together　made　an　indescribable　uproar。　　The　girl　for　whom　he　searched
could　not　be　there。　　It　was　now　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning。
The　steamboat　did　not　start　till　twelve。　　Michael　Strogoff　had
therefore　nearly　two　hours　to　employ　in　searching　for　her　whom
he　wished　to　make　his　traveling　companion。

He　crossed　the　Volga　again　and　hunted　through　the　quarters
on　the　other　side；　where　the　crowd　was　much　less　considerable。
He　entered　the　churches；　the　natural　refuge　for　all　who　weep；
for　all　who　suffer。　　Nowhere　did　he　meet　with　the　young　Livonian。

〃And　yet；〃　he　repeated；　〃she　could　not　have　left　Nijni…Novgorod　yet。
We'll　have　another　look。〃　　He　wandered　about　thus　for　two　hours。
He　went　on　without　stopping；　feeling　no　fatigue；　obeying　a　potent
instinct　which　allowed　no　room　for　thought。　　All　was　in　vain。

It　then　occurred　to　him　that　perhaps　the　girl　had　not　heard
of　the　orderthough　this　was　improbable　enough；　for　such　a
thunder…clap　could　not　have　burst　without　being　heard　by　all。
Evidently　interested　in　knowing　the　smallest　news　from　Siberia；
how　could　she　be　ignorant　of　the　measures　taken　by　the　governor；
measures　which　concerned　her　so　directly？

But；　if　she　was　ignorant　of