michael strogoff-第57节

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who　eyed　him　as　a　victim　reserved　for　vengeance。　　He　stopped
at　the　windows；　he　looked　forth　at　the　fires　in　the　Tartar　camp；
he　listened　to　the　noise　of　the　ice…blocks　drifting　down　the　Angara。

A　quarter　of　an　hour　passed　without　his　putting　any　more　questions。
Then　taking　up　the　letter；　he　re…read　a　passage　and　said；　〃You　know
that　in　this　letter　I　am　warned　of　a　traitor；　of　whom　I　must　beware？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness。〃

〃He　will　try　to　enter　Irkutsk　in　disguise；　gain　my　confidence；
and　betray　the　town　to　the　Tartars。〃

〃I　know　all　that；　your　Highness；　and　I　know　also　that　Ivan　Ogareff
has　sworn　to　revenge　himself　personally　on　the　Czar's　brother。〃

〃Why？〃

〃It　is　said　that　the　officer　in　question　was　condemned　by　the　Grand　Duke
to　a　humiliating　degradation。〃

〃Yes；　I　remember。　　But　it　is　a　proof　that　the　villain；　who　could
afterwards　serve　against　his　country　and　head　an　invasion
of　barbarians；　deserved　it。〃

〃His　Majesty　the　Czar；〃　said　Ogareff；　〃was　particularly　anxious
that　you　should　be　warned　of　the　criminal　projects　of　Ivan　Ogareff
against　your　person。〃

〃Yes；　of　that　the　letter　informs　me。〃

〃And　His　Majesty　himself　spoke　to　me　of　it；　telling　me　I　was　above
all　things　to　beware　of　the　traitor。〃

〃Did　you　meet　with　him？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness；　after　the　battle　of　Krasnoiarsk。　　If　he　had　only
guessed　that　I　was　the　bearer　of　a　letter　addressed　to　your　Highness；
in　which　his　plans　were　revealed；　I　should　not　have　got　off　so　easily。〃

〃No；　you　would　have　been　lost！〃　replied　the　Grand　Duke。　　〃And　how　did
you　manage　to　escape？〃

〃By　throwing　myself　into　the　Irtych。〃

〃And　how　did　you　enter　Irkutsk？〃

〃Under　cover　of　a　sortie；　which　was　made　this　evening　to　repulse
a　Tartar　detachment。　　I　mingled　with　the　defenders　of　the　town；
made　myself　known；　and　was　immediately　conducted　before　your　Highness。〃

〃Good；　Michael　Strogoff；〃　answered　the　Grand　Duke。　　〃You　have　shown
courage　and　zeal　in　your　difficult　mission。　　I　will　not　forget　you。
Have　you　any　favor　to　ask？〃

〃None；　unless　it　is　to　be　allowed　to　fight　at　the　side　of
your　Highness；〃　replied　Ogareff。

〃So　be　it；　Strogoff。　　I　attach　you　from　to…day　to　my　person；
and　you　shall　be　lodged　in　the　palace。〃

〃And　if　according　to　his　intention；　Ivan　Ogareff　should　present
himself　to　your　Highness　under　a　false　name？〃

〃We　will　unmask　him；　thanks　to　you；　who　know　him；　and　I　will　make
him　die　under　the　knout。　　Go！〃

Ogareff　gave　a　military　salute；　not　forgetting　that　he　was　a　captain
of　the　couriers　of　the　Czar；　and　retired。

Ogareff　had　so　far　played　his　unworthy　part　with　success。
The　Grand　Duke's　entire　confidence　had　been　accorded　him。
He　could　now　betray　it　whenever　it　suited　him。
He　would　inhabit　the　very　palace。　　He　would　be　in　the　secret
of　all　the　operations　for　the　defense　of　the　town。
He　thus　held　the　situation　in　his　hand；　as　it　were。
No　one　in　Irkutsk　knew　him；　no　one　could　snatch　off　his　mask。
He　resolved　therefore　to　set　to　work　without　delay。

Indeed；　time　pressed。　　The　town　must　be　captured　before
the　arrival　of　the　Russians　from　the　North　and　East；　and　that
was　only　a　question　of　a　few　days。　　The　Tartars　once　masters
of　Irkutsk；　it　would　not　be　easy　to　take　it　again　from　them。
At　any　rate；　even　if　they　were　obliged　to　abandon　it　later；
they　would　not　do　so　before　they　had　utterly　destroyed　it；
and　before　the　head　of　the　Grand　Duke　had　rolled　at　the
feet　of　Feofar…Khan。

Ivan　Ogareff；　having　every　facility　for　seeing；　observing；　and　acting；
occupied　himself　the　next　day　with　visiting　the　ramparts。
He　was　everywhere　received　with　cordial　congratulations
from　officers；　soldiers；　and　citizens。　　To　them　this　courier
from　the　Czar　was　a　link　which　connected　them　with　the　empire。

Ogareff　recounted；　with　an　assurance　which　never　failed；
numerous　fictitious　events　of　his　journey。　　Then；　with　the　cunning
for　which　he　was　noted；　without　dwelling　too　much　on　it　at　first；
he　spoke　of　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　exaggerating　the　success
of　the　Tartars　and　the　numbers　of　the　barbarian　forces；
as　he　had　when　speaking　to　the　Grand　Duke。　　According　to　him；
the　expected　succors　would　be　insufficient；　if　ever　they
arrived　at　all；　and　it　was　to　be　feared　that　a　battle　fought
under　the　walls　of　Irkutsk　would　be　as　fatal　as　the　battles
of　Kolyvan；　Tomsk；　and　Krasnoiarsk。

Ogareff　was　not　too　free　in　these　insinuations。
He　wished　to　allow　them　to　sink　gradually　into　the　minds
of　the　defenders　of　Irkutsk。　　He　pretended　only　to　answer
with　reluctance　when　much　pressed　with　questions。
He　always　added　that　they　must　fight　to　the　last　man；　and　blow
up　the　town　rather　than　yield！

These　false　statements　would　have　done　more　harm　had　it　been　possible；
but　the　garrison　and　the　population　of　Irkutsk　were　too　patriotic
to　let　themselves　be　moved。　　Of　all　the　soldiers　and　citizens　shut
up　in　this　town；　isolated　at　the　extremity　of　the　Asiatic　world；
not　one　dreamed　of　even　speaking　of　a　capitulation。　　The　contempt
of　the　Russians　for　these　barbarians　was　boundless。

No　one　suspected　the　odious　part　played　by　Ivan　Ogareff；
no　one　guessed　that　the　pretended　courier　of　the　Czar　was　a　traitor。
It　occurred　very　naturally　that　on　his　arrival　in　Irkutsk；
a　frequent　intercourse　was　established　between　Ogareff　and　one
of　the　bravest　defenders　of　the　town；　Wassili　Fedor。　　We　know
what　anxiety　this　unhappy　father　suffered。　　If　his　daughter；
Nadia　Fedor；　had　left　Russia　on　the　date　fixed　by　the　last
letter　he　had　received　from　Riga；　what　had　become　of　her？
Was　she　still　trying　to　cross　the　invaded　provinces；
or　had　she　long　since　been　taken　prisoner？　　The　only
alleviation　to　Wassili　Fedor's　anxiety　was　when　he　could
obtain　an　opportunity　of　engaging　in　battle　with　the　Tartars
opportunities　which　came　too　seldom　for　his　taste。
The　very　evening　the　pretended　courier　arrived；　Wassili　Fedor
went　to　the　governor…general's　palace　and；　acquainting　Ogareff
with　the　circumstances　under　which　his　daughter　must　have　left
European　Russia；　told　him　all　his　uneasiness　about　her。
Ogareff　did　not　know　Nadia；　although　he　had　met　her　at　Ichim
on　the　day　she　was　there　with　Michael　Strogoff；　but　then；
he　had　not　paid　more　attention　to　her　than　to　the　two　reporters；
who　at　the　same　time　were　in　the　post…house；　he　therefore　could
give　Wassili　Fedor　no　news　of　his　daughter。

〃But　at　what　time；〃　asked　Ogareff；　〃must　your　daughter　have　left
the　Russian　territory？〃

〃About　the　same　time　that　you　did；〃　replied　Fedor。

〃I　left　Moscow　on　the　15th　of　July。〃

〃Nadia　must　also　have　quitted　Moscow　at　that　time。
Her　letter　told　me　so　expressly。〃

〃She　was　in　Moscow　on　the　15th　of　July？〃

〃Yes；　certainly；　by　that　date。〃

〃Then　it　was　impossible　for　herBut　no；　I　am　mistaken
I　was　confusing　dates。　　Unfortunately；　it　is　too　probable
that　your　daughter　must　have　passed　the　frontier；　and　you　can
only　have　one　hope；　that　she　stopped　on　learning　the　news
of　the　Tartar　invasion！〃

The　father's　head　fell！　　He　knew　Nadia；　and　he　knew　too　well
that　nothing　would　have　prevented　her　from　setting　out。
Ivan　Ogareff　had　just　committed　gratuitously　an　act　of　real　cruelty。
With　a　word　he　might　have　reassured　Fedor。　　Although　Nadia　had　passed
the　frontier　under　circumstances　with　which　we　are　acquainted；
Fedor；　by　comparing　the　date　on　which　his　daughter　would　have
been　at　Nijni…Novgorod；　and　the　date　of　the　proclamation　which
forbade　anyone　to　leave　it；　would　no　doubt　have　concluded　thus：
that　Nadia　had　not　been　exposed　to　the　dangers　of　the　invasion；
and　that　she　was　still；　in　spite　of　herself；　in　the　European
territory　of　the　Empire。

Ogareff　obedient　to　his　nature；　a　man　who　was　never　touched
by　the　sufferings　of　others；　might　have　said　that　word。
He　did　not　say　it。　　Fedor　retired　with　his　heart　broken。
In　that　interview　his　last　hope　was　crushed。

During　the　two　following　days；　the　3rd　and　4th　of　October；
the　Grand　Duke　often　spoke　to　the　pretended　Michael　Strogoff；
and　made　him　repeat　all　that　he　had　heard　in　the　Imperial　Cabinet
of　the　New　Palace。　　Ogareff；　prepared　for　all　these　questions；
replied　without　the　least　hesitation。　　He　intentionally　did　not
conceal　that　the　Czar's　government　had　been　utterly　surprised
by　the　invasion；　that　the　insurrection　had　been　prepared
in　the　greatest　possible　secrecy；　that　the　Tartars　were　already
masters　of　the　line　of　the　Obi　when　the　news　reached　Moscow；
and　lastly；　that　none　of　the　necessary　preparations　were　completed
in　the　Russian　provinces　for　sending　into　Siberia　the　troops
requisite　for　repulsing　the　invaders。

Ivan　Ogareff；　being　entirely　free　in　his　movements；　began　to
study　Irkutsk；　the　state　of　its　fortifications；　their　weak　points；
so　as　to　profit　subsequently　by　his　observations；　in　the　event
of　being　prevented　from　consummating　his　act　of　treason。
He　examined　particularly　the　Bolchaia　Gate；　the　one　he　wished
to　deliver　up。

Twice　in　the　evening　he　came　upon　the　glacis　of　this　gate。
He　walked　up　and　down；　without　fear　of　being　discovered　by　the　besiegers；
whose　nearest　posts　were　at　least　a　mile　from　the　ramparts。
He　fancied　that　he　was　recognized　by　no　one；　till　he　caught
sight　of　a　shadow　gliding　along　outside　the　ea