michael strogoff-第41章

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parts　of　the　journey；　the　girl　was　there　to　support　her。
When　the　provisions　were　given　out；　the　old　woman　would　not
have　moved；　but　Nadia　shared　her　small　portion　with　her；　and　thus
this　painful　journey　was　performed。　　Thanks　to　her　companion；
Marfa　was　able　to　follow　the　soldiers　who　guarded　the　prisoners
without　being　fastened　to　a　saddle…bow；　as　were　many　other
unfortunate　wretches；　and　thus　dragged　along　this　road　of　sorrow。

〃May　God　reward　you；　my　daughter；　for　what　you　have　done　for　my　old　age！〃
said　Marfa　Strogoff　once；　and　for　some　time　these　were　the　only　words
exchanged　between　the　two　unfortunate　beings。

During　these　few　days；　which　to　them　appeared　like　centuries；
it　would　seem　that　the　old　woman　and　the　girl　would　have　been　led
to　speak　of　their　situation。　　But　Marfa　Strogoff；　from　a　caution
which　may　be　easily　understood；　never　spoke　about　herself　except
with　the　greatest　brevity。　　She　never　made　the　smallest　allusion
to　her　son；　nor　to　the　unfortunate　meeting。

Nadia　also；　if　not　completely　silent；　spoke　little。　　However；　one　day
her　heart　overflowed；　and　she　told　all　the　events　which　had　occurred
from　her　departure　from　Wladimir　to　the　death　of　Nicholas　Korpanoff。

All　that　her　young　companion　told　intensely　interested
the　old　Siberian。　　〃Nicholas　Korpanoff！〃　said　she。
〃Tell　me　again　about　this　Nicholas。　　I　know　only　one　man；
one　alone；　in　whom　such　conduct　would　not　have　astonished　me。
Nicholas　Korpanoff！　　Was　that　really　his　name？　　Are　you　sure
of　it；　my　daughter？〃

〃Why　should　he　have　deceived　me　in　this；〃　replied　Nadia；
〃when　he　deceived　me　in　no　other　way？〃

Moved；　however；　by　a　kind　of　presentiment；　Marfa　Strogoff　put
questions　upon　questions　to　Nadia。

〃You　told　me　he　was　fearless；　my　daughter。　　You　have　proved
that　he　has　been　so？〃　asked　she。

〃Yes；　fearless　indeed！〃　replied　Nadia。

〃It　was　just　what　my　son　would　have　done；〃　said　Marfa　to　herself。

Then　she　resumed；　〃Did　you　not　say　that　nothing　stopped　him；
nor　astonished　him；　that　he　was　so　gentle　in　his　strength　that　you
had　a　sister　as　well　as　a　brother　in　him；　and　he　watched　over　you
like　a　mother？〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Nadia。　　〃Brother；　sister；　motherhe　has　been
all　to　me！〃

〃And　defended　you　like　a　lion？〃

〃A　lion　indeed！〃　replied　Nadia。　　〃A　lion；　a　hero！〃

〃My　son；　my　son！〃　thought　the　old　Siberian。　　〃But　you　said；　however；
that　he　bore　a　terrible　insult　at　that　post…house　in　Ichim？〃

〃He　did　bear　it；〃　answered　Nadia；　looking　down。

〃He　bore　it！〃　murmured　Marfa；　shuddering。

〃Mother；　mother；〃　cried　Nadia；　〃do　not　blame　him！　　He　had　a　secret。
A　secret　of　which　God　alone　is　as　yet　the　judge！〃

〃And；〃　said　Marfa；　raising　her　head　and　looking　at　Nadia　as　though
she　would　read　the　depths　of　her　heart；　〃in　that　hour　of　humiliation
did　you　not　despise　this　Nicholas　Korpanoff？〃

〃I　admired　without　understanding　him；〃　replied　the　girl。
〃I　never　felt　him　more　worthy　of　respect。〃

The　old　woman　was　silent　for　a　minute。

〃Was　he　tall？〃　she　asked。

〃Very　tall。〃

〃And　very　handsome？　　Come；　speak；　my　daughter。〃

〃He　was　very　handsome；〃　replied　Nadia；　blushing。

〃It　was　my　son！　　I　tell　you　it　was　my　son！〃　exclaimed　the
old　woman；　embracing　Nadia。

〃Your　son！〃　said　Nadia　amazed；　〃your　son！〃

〃Come；〃　said　Marfa；　〃let　us　get　to　the　bottom　of　this；　my　child。
Your　companion；　your　friend；　your　protector　had　a　mother。
Did　he　never　speak　to　you　of　his　mother？〃

〃Of　his　mother？〃　said　Nadia。　　〃He　spoke　to　me　of　his　mother　as　I
spoke　to　him　of　my　fatheroften；　always。　　He　adored　her。〃

〃Nadia；　Nadia；　you　have　just　told　me　about　my　own　son；〃
said　the　old　woman。

And　she　added　impetuously；　〃Was　he　not　going　to　see　this　mother；
whom　you　say　he　loved；　in　Omsk？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Nadia；　〃no；　he　was　not。〃

〃Not！〃　cried　Marfa。　　〃You　dare　to　tell　me　not！〃

〃I　say　so：　　but　it　remains　to　me　to　tell　you　that　from　motives　which
outweighed　everything　else；　motives　which　I　do　not　know；　I　understand
that　Nicholas　Korpanoff　had　to　traverse　the　country　completely　in　secret。
To　him　it　was　a　question　of　life　and　death；　and　still　more；　a　question
of　duty　and　honor。〃

〃Duty；　indeed；　imperious　duty；〃　said　the　old　Siberian；
〃of　those　who　sacrifice　everything；　even　the　joy　of　giving
a　kiss；　perhaps　the　last；　to　his　old　mother。　　All　that　you　do
not　know；　Nadiaall　that　I　did　not　know　myselfI　now　know。
You　have　made　me　understand　everything。　　But　the　light　which　you
have　thrown　on　the　mysteries　of　my　heart；　I　cannot　return　on　yours。
Since　my　son　has　not　told　you　his　secret；　I　must　keep　it。
Forgive　me；　Nadia；　I　can　never　repay　what　you　have　done　for　me。〃

〃Mother；　I　ask　you　nothing；〃　replied　Nadia。

All　was　thus　explained　to　the　old　Siberian；　all；　even　the　conduct
of　her　son　with　regard　to　herself　in　the　inn　at　Omsk。　　There　was
no　doubt　that　the　young　girl's　companion　was　Michael　Strogoff；
and　that　a　secret　mission　in　the　invaded　country　obliged　him
to　conceal　his　quality　of　the　Czar's　courier。

〃Ah；　my　brave　boy！〃　thought　Marfa。　　〃No；　I　will　not　betray　you；
and　tortures　shall　not　wrest　from　me　the　avowal　that　it　was　you
whom　I　saw　at　Omsk。〃

Marfa　could　with　a　word　have　paid　Nadia　for　all　her　devotion　to　her。
She　could　have　told　her　that　her　companion；　Nicholas　Korpanoff；
or　rather　Michael　Strogoff；　had　not　perished　in　the　waters　of　the　Irtych；
since　it　was　some　days　after　that　incident　that　she　had　met　him；
that　she　had　spoken　to　him。

But　she　restrained　herself；　she　was　silent；　and　contented　herself
with　saying；　〃Hope；　my　child！　　Misfortune　will　not　overwhelm　you。
You　will　see　your　father　again；　I　feel　it；　and　perhaps　he　who　gave
you　the　name　of　sister　is　not　dead。　　God　cannot　have　allowed　your
brave　companion　to　perish。　　Hope；　my　child；　hope！　　Do　as　I　do。
The　mourning　which　I　wear　is　not　yet　for　my　son。〃


CHAPTER　III　BLOW　FOR　BLOW

SUCH　were　now　the　relative　situations　of　Marfa　Strogoff
and　Nadia。　　All　was　understood　by　the　old　Siberian；　and　though　the　young
girl　was　ignorant　that　her　much…regretted　companion　still　lived；
she　at　least　knew　his　relationship　to　her　whom　she　had　made　her　mother；
and　she　thanked　God　for　having　given　her　the　joy　of　taking　the　place
of　the　son　whom　the　prisoner　had　lost。

But　what　neither　of　them　could　know　was　that　Michael；　having　been
captured　at　Kolyvan；　was　in　the　same　convoy　and　was　on　his　way
to　Tomsk　with　them。

The　prisoners　brought　by　Ivan　Ogareff　had　been　added　to　those　already　kept
by　the　Emir　in　the　Tartar　camp。　　These　unfortunate　people；　consisting
of　Russians；　Siberians；　soldiers　and　civilians；　numbered　some　thousands；
and　formed　a　column　which　extended　over　several　versts。　　Some　among　them
being　considered　dangerous　were　handcuffed　and　fastened　to　a　long　chain。
There　were；　too；　women　and　children；　many　of　the　latter　suspended
to　the　pommels　of　the　saddles；　while　the　former　were　dragged　mercilessly
along　the　road　on　foot；　or　driven　forward　as　if　they　were　animals。
The　horsemen　compelled　them　to　maintain　a　certain　order；　and　there　were
no　laggards　with　the　exception　of　those　who　fell　never　to　rise　again。

In　consequence　of　this　arrangement；　Michael　Strogoff；
marching　in　the　first　ranks　of　those　who　had　left　the　Tartar　camp
that　is　to　say；　among　the　Kolyvan　prisonerswas　unable　to　mingle
with　the　prisoners　who　had　arrived　after　him　from　Omsk。　　He　had
therefore　no　suspicion　that　his　mother　and　Nadia　were　present　in
the　convoy；　nor　did　they　suppose　that　he　was　among　those　in　front。
This　journey　from　the　camp　to　Tomsk；　performed　under　the　lashes　and
spear…points　of　the　soldiers；　proved　fatal　to　many；　and　terrible　to　all。
The　prisoners　traveled　across　the　steppe；　over　a　road　made
still　more　dusty　by　the　passage　of　the　Emir　and　his　vanguard。
Orders　had　been　given　to　march　rapidly。　　The　short　halts　were　rare。
The　hundred　miles　under　a　burning　sky　seemed　interminable；
though　they　were　performed　as　rapidly　as　possible。

The　country；　which　extends　from　the　right　of　the　Obi　to
the　base　of　the　spur　detached　from　the　Sayanok　Mountains；
is　very　sterile。　　Only　a　few　stunted　and　burnt…up　shrubs
here　and　there　break　the　monotony　of　the　immense　plain。
There　was　no　cultivation；　for　there　was　no　water；