michael strogoff-第63章

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what　could　have　become　of　her　in　the　midst　of　the　invaders？
The　anxiety　of　the　unhappy　father　may　be　supposed　when；　from　that　time；
he　had　no　further　news　of　his　daughter。

Wassili　Fedor　entered　the　presence　of　the　Grand　Duke；　bowed；　and　waited
to　be　questioned。

〃Wassili　Fedor；〃　said　the　Grand　Duke；　〃your　companions
in　exile　have　asked　to　be　allowed　to　form　a　select　corps。
They　are　not　ignorant　that　in　this　corps　they　must　make　up
their　minds　to　be　killed　to　the　last　man？〃

〃They　are　not　ignorant　of　it；〃　replied　Fedor。

〃They　wish　to　have　you　for　their　captain。〃

〃I；　your　Highness？〃

〃Do　you　consent　to　be　placed　at　their　head？〃

〃Yes；　if　it　is　for　the　good　of　Russia。〃

〃Captain　Fedor；〃　said　the　Grand　Duke；　〃you　are　no　longer　an　exile。〃

〃Thanks；　your　Highness；　but　can　I　command　those　who　are　so　still？〃

〃They　are　so　no　longer！〃　　The　brother　of　the　Czar　had　granted　a　pardon
to　all　Fedor's　companions　in　exile；　now　his　companions　in　arms！

Wassili　Fedor　wrung；　with　emotion；　the　hand　which　the　Grand　Duke　held
out　to　him；　and　retired。

The　latter；　turned　to　his　officers；　〃The　Czar　will　not　refuse　to　ratify
that　pardon；〃　said　he；　smiling；　〃we　need　heroes　to　defend　the　capital
of　Siberia；　and　I　have　just　made　some。〃

This　pardon；　so　generously　accorded　to　the　exiles　of　Irkutsk；
was　indeed　an　act　of　real　justice　and　sound　policy。

It　was　now　night。　　Through　the　windows　of　the　palace　burned　the　fires
of　the　Tartar　camp；　flickering　beyond　the　Angara。　　Down　the　river
drifted　numerous　blocks　of　ice；　some　of　which　stuck　on　the　piles
of　the　old　bridges；　others　were　swept　along　by　the　current　with
great　rapidity。　　It　was　evident；　as　the　merchant　had　observed；
that　it　would　be　very　difficult　for　the　Angara　to　freeze　all　over。
The　defenders　of　Irkutsk　had　not　to　dread　being　attacked　on　that　side。
Ten　o'clock　had　just　struck。　　The　Grand　Duke　was　about　to　dismiss
his　officers　and　retire　to　his　apartments；　when　a　tumult　was　heard
outside　the　palace。

Almost　immediately　the　door　was　thrown　open；　an　aide…de…camp　appeared；
and　advanced　rapidly　towards　the　Grand　Duke。

〃Your　Highness；〃　said　he；　〃a　courier　from　the　Czar！〃


CHAPTER　XIII　THE　CZAR'S　COURIER

ALL　the　members　of　the　council　simultaneously　started　forward。
A　courier　from　the　Czar　arrived　in　Irkutsk！　　Had　these　officers
for　a　moment　considered　the　improbability　of　this　fact；
they　would　certainly　not　have　credited　what　they　heard。

The　Grand　Duke　advanced　quickly　to　his　aide…de…camp。　〃This　courier！〃
he　exclaimed。

A　man　entered。　　He　appeared　exhausted　with　fatigue。
He　wore　the　dress　of　a　Siberian　peasant；　worn　into　tatters；
and　exhibiting　several　shot…holes。　A　Muscovite　cap　was　on　his　head。
His　face　was　disfigured　by　a　recently…healed　scar。
The　man　had　evidently　had　a　long　and　painful　journey；
his　shoes　being　in　a　state　which　showed　that　he　had　been　obliged
to　make　part　of　it　on　foot。

〃His　Highness　the　Grand　Duke？〃　he　asked。

The　Grand　Duke　went　up　to　him。　　〃You　are　a　courier　from
the　Czar？〃　he　asked。

〃Yes；　your　Highness。〃

〃You　come？〃

〃From　Moscow。〃

〃You　left　Moscow？〃

〃On　the　15th　of　July。〃

〃Your　name？〃

〃Michael　Strogoff。〃

It　was　Ivan　Ogareff。　　He　had　taken　the　designation　of　the　man　whom
he　believed　that　he　had　rendered　powerless。　　Neither　the　Grand　Duke　nor
anyone　knew　him　in　Irkutsk；　and　he　had　not　even　to　disguise　his　features。
As　he　was　in　a　position　to　prove　his　pretended　identity；　no　one　could
have　any　reason　for　doubting　him。　　He　came；　therefore；　sustained　by　his
iron　will；　to　hasten　by　treason　and　assassination　the　great　object
of　the　invasion。

After　Ogareff　had　replied；　the　Grand　Duke　signed　to　all　his　officers
to　withdraw。　　He　and　the　false　Michael　Strogoff　remained　alone
in　the　saloon。

The　Grand　Duke　looked　at　Ivan　Ogareff　for　some　moments　with
extreme　attention。　　Then　he　said；　〃On　the　15th　of　July　you
were　at　Moscow？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness；　and　on　the　night　of　the　14th　I　saw　His　Majesty
the　Czar　at　the　New　Palace。〃

〃Have　you　a　letter　from　the　Czar？〃

〃Here　it　is。〃

And　Ivan　Ogareff　handed　to　the　Grand　Duke　the　Imperial　letter；
crumpled　to　almost　microscopic　size。

〃Was　the　letter　given　you　in　this　state？〃

〃No；　your　Highness；　but　I　was　obliged　to　tear　the　envelope；
the　better　to　hide　it　from　the　Emir's　soldiers。〃

〃Were　you　taken　prisoner　by　the　Tartars？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness；　I　was　their　prisoner　for　several　days；〃
answered　Ogareff。　　〃That　is　the　reason　that；　having　left　Moscow　on
the　15th　of　July；　as　the　date　of　that　letter　shows；　I　only　reached
Irkutsk　on　the　2d　of　October；　after　traveling　seventy…nine　days。〃

The　Grand　Duke　took　the　letter。　　He　unfolded　it　and　recognized
the　Czar's　signature；　preceded　by　the　decisive　formula；
written　by　his　brother's　hand。　　There　was　no　possible　doubt
of　the　authenticity　of　this　letter；　nor　of　the　identity　of
the　courier。　　Though　Ogareff's　countenance　had　at　first　inspired
the　Grand　Duke　with　some　distrust；　he　let　nothing　of　it　appear；
and　it　soon　vanished。

The　Grand　Duke　remained　for　a　few　minutes　without　speaking。
He　read　the　letter　slowly；　so　as　to　take　in　its　meaning　fully。
〃Michael　Strogoff；　do　you　know　the　contents　of　this　letter？〃　he　asked。

〃Yes；　your　Highness。　　I　might　have　been　obliged　to　destroy　it；
to　prevent　its　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　Tartars；　and　should
such　have　been　the　case；　I　wished　to　be　able　to　bring　the　contents
of　it　to　your　Highness。〃

〃You　know　that　this　letter　enjoins　us　all　to　die；　rather　than　give
up　the　town？〃

〃I　know　it。〃

〃You　know　also　that　it　informs　me　of　the　movements　of　the　troops
which　have　combined　to　stop　the　invasion？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness；　but　the　movements　have　failed。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　that　Ichim；　Omsk；　Tomsk；　to　speak　only　of　the　more
important　towns　of　the　two　Siberias；　have　been　successively
occupied　by　the　soldiers　of　Feofar…Khan。〃

〃But　there　has　been　fighting？　　Have　not　our　Cossacks　met　the　Tartars？〃

〃Several　times；　your　Highness。〃

〃And　they　were　repulsed？〃

〃They　were　not　in　sufficient　force　to　oppose　the　enemy。〃

〃Where　did　the　encounters　take　place？〃

〃At　Kolyvan；　at　Tomsk。〃　　Until　now；　Ogareff　had　only　spoken　the　truth；
but；　in　the　hope　of　troubling　the　defenders　of　Irkutsk　by　exaggerating
the　defeats；　he　added；　〃And　a　third　time　before　Krasnoiarsk。〃

〃And　what　of　this　last　engagement？〃　asked　the　Grand　Duke；
through　whose　compressed　lips　the　words　could　scarcely　pass。

〃It　was　more　than　an　engagement；　your　Highness；〃　answered　Ogareff；
〃it　was　a　battle。〃

〃A　battle？〃

〃Twenty　thousand　Russians；　from　the　frontier　provinces　and　the　government
of　Tobolsk；　engaged　with　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　Tartars；　and；
notwithstanding　their　courage；　were　overwhelmed。〃

〃You　lie！〃　exclaimed　the　Grand　Duke；　endeavoring　in　vain
to　curb　his　passion。

〃I　speak　the　truth；　your　Highness；〃　replied　Ivan　Ogareff　coldly。
〃I　was　present　at　the　battle　of　Krasnoiarsk；　and　it　was　there　I
was　made　prisoner！〃

The　Grand　Duke　grew　calmer；　and　by　a　significant　gesture　he　gave
Ogareff　to　understand　that　he　did　not　doubt　his　veracity。
〃What　day　did　this　battle　of　Krasnoiarsk　take　place？〃　he　asked。

〃On　the　2d　of　September。〃

〃And　now　all　the　Tartar　troops　are　concentrated　here？〃

〃All。〃

〃And　you　estimate　them？〃

〃At　about　four　hundred　thousand　men。〃

Another　exaggeration　of　Ogareff's　in　the　estimate　of　the　Tartar　army；
with　the　same　object　as　before。

〃And　I　must　not　expect　any　help　from　the　West　provinces？〃
asked　the　Grand　Duke。

〃None；　your　Highness；　at　any　rate　before　the　end　of　the　winter。〃

〃Well；　hear　this；　Michael　Strogoff。　　Though　I　must　expect　no　help
either　from　the　East　or　from　the　West；　even　were　these　barbarians
six　hundred　thousand　strong；　I　will　never　give　up　Irkutsk！〃

Ogareff's　evil　eye　slightly　contracted。　　The　traitor　thought　to　himself
that　the　brother　of　the　Czar　did　not　reckon　the　result　of　treason。

The　Grand　Duke；　who　was　of　a　nervous　temperament；　had　great
difficulty　in　keeping　calm　whilst　hearing　this　disastrous　news。
He　walked　to　and　fro　in　the　room；　under　the　gaze　of　Ogareff；
who　eyed　him　as　a　victim　reserved　for　vengeance。　　He　stopped
at　the