michael strogoff-第7节

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who　know　that　spies　are　ever　on　the　watch　for　any　treasonable　expressions
which　may　be　uttered。

These　travelers；　as　well　as　the　large　number　of　persons
in　the　train；　were　merchants　on　their　way　to　the　celebrated
fair　of　Nijni…Novgorod；a　very　mixed　assembly；　composed　of
Jews；　Turks；　Cossacks；　Russians；　Georgians；　Kalmucks；　and　others；
but　nearly　all　speaking　the　national　tongue。

They　discussed　the　pros　and　cons　of　the　serious　events　which
were　taking　place　beyond　the　Ural；　and　those　merchants　seemed
to　fear　lest　the　government　should　be　led　to　take　certain
restrictive　measures；　especially　in　the　provinces　bordering　on
the　frontiermeasures　from　which　trade　would　certainly　suffer。
They　apparently　thought　only　of　the　struggle　from　the　single
point　of　view　of　their　threatened　interests。　　The　presence
of　a　private　soldier；　clad　in　his　uniformand　the　importance
of　a　uniform　in　Russia　is　greatwould　have　certainly　been　enough
to　restrain　the　merchants'　tongues。　　But　in　the　compartment　occupied
by　Michael　Strogoff；　there　was　no　one　who　seemed　a　military　man；
and　the　Czar's　courier　was　not　the　person　to　betray　himself。
He　listened；　then。

〃They　say　that　caravan　teas　are　up；〃　remarked　a　Persian；
known　by　his　cap　of　Astrakhan　fur；　and　his　ample　brown　robe；
worn　threadbare　by　use。

〃Oh；　there's　no　fear　of　teas　falling；〃　answered　an　old　Jew
of　sullen　aspect。　　〃Those　in　the　market　at　Nijni…Novgorod　will
be　easily　cleared　off　by　the　West；　but；　unfortunately；　it　won't
be　the　same　with　Bokhara　carpets。〃

〃What！　are　you　expecting　goods　from　Bokhara？〃　asked　the　Persian。

〃No；　but　from　Samarcand；　and　that　is　even　more　exposed。
The　idea　of　reckoning　on　the　exports　of　a　country　in　which　the　khans
are　in　a　state　of　revolt　from　Khiva　to　the　Chinese　frontier！〃

〃Well；〃　replied　the　Persian；　〃if　the　carpets　do　not　arrive；
the　drafts　will　not　arrive　either；　I　suppose。〃

〃And　the　profits；　Father　Abraham！〃　exclaimed　the　little　Jew；
〃do　you　reckon　them　as　nothing？〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　another；　〃goods　from　Central　Asia　run　a　great
risk　in　the　market；　and　it　will　be　the　same　with　the　tallow　and　shawls
from　the　East。〃

〃Why；　look　out；　little　father；〃　said　a　Russian　traveler；
in　a　bantering　tone；　〃you'll　grease　your　shawls　terribly　if　you
mix　them　up　with　your　tallow。〃

〃That　amuses　you；〃　sharply　answered　the　merchant；　who　had　little
relish　for　that　sort　of　joke。

〃Well；　if　you　tear　your　hair；　or　if　you　throw　ashes　on　your　head；〃
replied　the　traveler；　〃will　that　change　the　course　of　events？
No；　no　more　than　the　course　of　the　Exchange。〃

〃One　can　easily　see　that　you　are　not　a　merchant；〃　observed　the　little　Jew。

〃Faith；　no；　worthy　son　of　Abraham！　　I　sell　neither　hops；
nor　eider…down；　nor　honey；　nor　wax；　nor　hemp…seed；　nor　salt　meat；
nor　caviare；　nor　wood；　nor　wool；　nor　ribbons；　nor；　hemp；　nor　flax；
nor　morocco；　nor　furs。〃

〃But　do　you　buy　them？〃　asked　the　Persian；　interrupting
the　traveler's　list。

〃As　little　as　I　can；　and　only　for　my　own　private　use；〃
answered　the　other；　with　a　wink。

〃He's　a　wag；〃　said　the　Jew　to　the　Persian。

〃Or　a　spy；〃　replied　the　other；　lowering　his　voice。
〃We　had　better　take　care；　and　not　speak　more　than　necessary。
The　police　are　not　over…particular　in　these　times；　and　you
never　can　know　with　whom　you　are　traveling。〃

In　another　corner　of　the　compartment　they　were　speaking
less　of　mercantile　affairs；　and　more　of　the　Tartar　invasion
and　its　annoying　consequences。

〃All　the　horses　in　Siberia　will　be　requisitioned；〃　said　a　traveler；
〃and　communication　between　the　different　provinces　of　Central　Asia
will　become　very　difficult。〃

〃Is　it　true；〃　asked　his　neighbor；　〃that　the　Kirghiz　of　the　middle
horde　have　joined　the　Tartars？〃

〃So　it　is　said；〃　answered　the　traveler；　lowering　his　voice；
〃but　who　can　flatter　themselves　that　they　know　anything　really
of　what　is　going　on　in　this　country？〃

〃I　have　heard　speak　of　a　concentration　of　troops　on　the　frontier。
The　Don　Cossacks　have　already　gathered　along　the　course　of　the　Volga；
and　they　are　to　be　opposed　to　the　rebel　Kirghiz。〃

〃If　the　Kirghiz　descend　the　Irtish；　the　route　to　Irkutsk　will　not
be　safe；〃　observed　his　neighbor。　　〃Besides；　yesterday　I　wanted
to　send　a　telegram　to　Krasnoiarsk；　and　it　could　not　be　forwarded。
It's　to　be　feared　that　before　long　the　Tartar　columns　will　have
isolated　Eastern　Siberia。〃

〃In　short；　little　father；〃　continued　the　first　speaker；　〃these　merchants
have　good　reason　for　being　uneasy　about　their　trade　and　transactions。
After　requisitioning　the　horses；　they　will　take　the　boats；　carriages；
every　means　of　transport；　until　presently　no　one　will　be　allowed　to　take
even　one　step　in　all　the　empire。〃

〃I'm　much　afraid　that　the　Nijni…Novgorod　fair　won't　end　as　brilliantly
as　it　has　begun；〃　responded　the　other；　shaking　his　head。
〃But　the　safety　and　integrity　of　the　Russian　territory　before　everything。
Business　is　business。〃

If　in　this　compartment　the　subject　of　conversation　varied　but　little
nor　did　it；　indeed；　in　the　other　carriages　of　the　trainin　all　it
might　have　been　observed　that　the　talkers　used　much　circumspection。
When　they　did　happen　to　venture　out　of　the　region　of　facts；
they　never　went　so　far　as　to　attempt　to　divine　the　intentions
of　the　Muscovite　government；　or　even　to　criticize　them。

This　was　especially　remarked　by　a　traveler　in　a　carriage　at
the　front　part　of　the　train。　　This　personevidently　a　stranger
made　good　use　of　his　eyes；　and　asked　numberless　questions；
to　which　he　received　only　evasive　answers。　　Every　minute　leaning
out　of　the　window；　which　he　would　keep　down；　to　the　great　disgust
of　his　fellow…travelers；　he　lost　nothing　of　the　views　to　the　right。
He　inquired　the　names　of　the　most　insignificant　places；
their　position；　what　were　their　commerce；　their　manufactures；
the　number　of　their　inhabitants；　the　average　mortality；
etc。；　and　all　this　he　wrote　down　in　a　note…book；　already　full。

This　was　the　correspondent　Alcide　Jolivet；　and　the　reason　of　his　putting
so　many　insignificant　questions　was；　that　amongst　the　many　answers
he　received；　he　hoped　to　find　some　interesting　fact　〃for　his　cousin。〃
But；　naturally　enough；　he　was　taken　for　a　spy；　and　not　a　word　treating
of　the　events　of　the　day　was　uttered　in　his　hearing。

Finding；　therefore；　that　he　could　learn　nothing　of　the　Tartar
invasion；　he　wrote　in　his　book；　〃Travelers　of　great　discretion。
Very　close　as　to　political　matters。〃

Whilst　Alcide　Jolivet　noted　down　his　impressions　thus　minutely；
his　confrere；　in　the　same　train；　traveling　for　the　same　object；
was　devoting　himself　to　the　same　work　of　observation　in
another　compartment。　　Neither　of　them　had　seen　each　other
that　day　at　the　Moscow　station；　and　they　were　each　ignorant
that　the　other　had　set　out　to　visit　the　scene　of　the　war。
Harry　Blount；　speaking　little；　but　listening　much；　had　not　inspired
his　companions　with　the　suspicions　which　Alcide　Jolivet　had　aroused。
He　was　not　taken　for　a　spy；　and　therefore　his　neighbors；
without　constraint；　gossiped　in　his　presence；　allowing　themselves
even　to　go　farther　than　their　natural　caution　would　in　most　cases
have　allowed　them。　　The　correspondent　of　the　Daily　Telegraph
had　thus　an　opportunity　of　observing　how　much　recent　events
preoccupied　the　merchants　of　Nijni…Novgorod；　and　to　what　a　degree
the　commerce　with　Central　Asia　was　threatened　in　its　transit。

He　therefore　noted　in　his　book　this　perfectly　correct　observation；
〃My　fellow…travelers　extremely　anxious。　　Nothing　is　talked　of　but　war；
and　they　speak　of　it；　with　a　freedom　which　is　astonishing；　as　having
broken　out　between　the　Volga　and　the　Vistula。〃

The　readers　of　the　Daily　Telegraph　would　not　fail　to　be　as　well　informed
as　Alcide　Jolivet's　〃cousin。〃　　But　as　Harry　Blount；　seated　at　the　left
of　the　train；　only　saw　one　part　of　the　country；　which　was　hilly；
without　giving　himself　the　trouble　of　looking　at　the　right　side；
which　was　composed　of　wide　plains；　he　added；　with　British　assurance；
〃Country　mountainous　between　Moscow　and　Wladimir。〃

It　was　evident　that　the　Russian　government　purposed　taking　severe
measures　to　guard　against　any　serious　eventualities　even　in　the　interior
of　the　empire。　　The　rebel　lion　had　not　crossed　the　Siberian　frontier；
but　evil　influences　might　be　feared　in　the　Volga　provinces；　so　near
to　the　country　of　the　Kirghiz。

The　police　had　as　yet　found　no　traces　of　Ivan　Ogareff。　　It　was　not
known　whether　the　traitor；　calling　in　the　foreigner　to　avenge　his
personal　rancor；　had　rejoined　Feofar…Khan；　or　whether　he　was　endeavoring
to　foment　a　revolt　in　the　government　of　Nijni…Novgorod；　which　at　this　time
of　year　contained　a　population　of　such　diverse　elements。　　Perhaps　among
the　Persians；　Armenians；　or　Kalmucks；　who　flocked　to　the　great　market；
he　had　agents；　instructed　to　provoke　a　rising　in　the　interior。
All　this　was　possible；　especially　in　such　a　country　as　Russia。　　In　fact；
this　vast　empire；　4；000；000　square　miles　in　extent；　does　not　possess
the　homogeneousness　of　the　states　of　Western　Europe。　　The　Russian
territory　in　Europe　and　Asia　contains　more　than　seventy　millions
of　inhabitants。　　In　it　thirty　different　languages　are　spoken。
The　Sclavonian　race　predominates；　no　doubt；　but