MichaelleftthegreatsquareofNijni-Novgorod，wherethetumultproducedbythecarryingoutoftheprescribedmeasureshadnowreacheditsheight。Recriminationsfromthebanishedstrangers，shoutsfromtheagentsandCossackswhowereusingthemsobrutally，togethermadeanindescribableuproar。Thegirlforwhomhesearchedcouldnotbethere。Itwasnownineo’clockinthemorning。
Thesteamboatdidnotstarttilltwelve。MichaelStrogoffhadthereforenearlytwohourstoemployinsearchingforherwhomhewishedtomakehistravelingcompanion。
HecrossedtheVolgaagainandhuntedthroughthequartersontheotherside，wherethecrowdwasmuchlessconsiderable。
Heenteredthechurches，thenaturalrefugeforallwhoweep，forallwhosuffer。NowheredidhemeetwiththeyoungLivonian。
“Andyet，“herepeated，“shecouldnothaveleftNijni-Novgorodyet。
We’llhaveanotherlook。“Hewanderedaboutthusfortwohours。
Hewentonwithoutstopping，feelingnofatigue，obeyingapotentinstinctwhichallowednoroomforthought。Allwasinvain。
Itthenoccurredtohimthatperhapsthegirlhadnotheardoftheorder——thoughthiswasimprobableenough，forsuchathunder-clapcouldnothaveburstwithoutbeingheardbyall。
EvidentlyinterestedinknowingthesmallestnewsfromSiberia，howcouldshebeignorantofthemeasurestakenbythegovernor，measureswhichconcernedhersodirectly？
But，ifshewasignorantofit，shewouldcomeinanhourtothequay，andtheresomemercilessagentwouldrefuseherapassage！
Atanycost，hemustseeherbeforehand，andenablehertoavoidsucharepulse。
Butallhisendeavorswereinvain，andheatlengthalmostdespairedoffindingheragain。Itwaseleveno’clock，andMichaelthoughtofpresentinghispodorojnaattheofficeoftheheadofpolice。
Theproclamationevidentlydidnotconcernhim，sincetheemergencyhadbeenforeseenforhim，buthewishedtomakesurethatnothingwouldhinderhisdeparturefromthetown。
MichaelthenreturnedtotheothersideoftheVolga，tothequarterinwhichwastheofficeoftheheadofpolice。
Animmensecrowdwascollectedthere；forthoughallforeignerswereorderedtoquittheprovince，theyhadnotwithstandingtogothroughcertainformsbeforetheycoulddepart。
Withoutthisprecaution，someRussianmoreorlessimplicatedintheTartarmovementwouldhavebeenable，inadisguise，topassthefrontier——justthosewhomtheorderwishedtopreventgoing。
Thestrangersweresentaway，butstillhadtogainpermissiontogo。
Mountebanks，gypsies，Tsiganes，Zingaris，mingledwithmerchantsfromPersia，Turkey，India，Turkestan，China，filledthecourtandofficesofthepolicestation。
Everyonewasinahurry，forthemeansoftransportwouldbemuchsoughtafteramongthiscrowdofbanishedpeople，andthosewhodidnotsetaboutitsoonranagreatriskofnotbeingabletoleavethetownintheprescribedtime，whichwouldexposethemtosomebrutaltreatmentfromthegovernor’sagents。
OwingtothestrengthofhiselbowsMichaelwasabletocrossthecourt。
Buttogetintotheofficeanduptotheclerk’slittlewindowwasamuchmoredifficultbusiness。However，awordintoaninspector’searandafewjudiciouslygivenroubleswerepowerfulenoughtogainhimapassage。
Theman，aftertakinghimintothewaiting-room，wenttocallanupperclerk。MichaelStrogoffwouldnotbelonginmakingeverythingrightwiththepoliceandbeingfreeinhismovements。
Whilstwaiting，helookedabouthim，andwhatdidhesee？
There，fallen，ratherthanseated，onabench，wasagirl，preytoasilentdespair，althoughherfacecouldscarcelybeseen，theprofilealonebeingvisibleagainstthewall。
MichaelStrogoffcouldnotbemistaken。HeinstantlyrecognizedtheyoungLivonian。
Notknowingthegovernor’sorders，shehadcometothepoliceofficetogetherpasssigned。Theyhadrefusedtosignit。NodoubtshewasauthorizedtogotoIrkutsk，buttheorderwasperemptory——
itannulledallpreviousau-thorizations，andtheroutestoSiberiawereclosedtoher。Michael，delightedathavingfoundheragain，approachedthegirl。
Shelookedupforamomentandherfacebrightenedonrecognizinghertravelingcompanion。Sheinstinctivelyroseand，likeadrowningmanwhoclutchesataspar，shewasabouttoaskhishelp。
AtthatmomenttheagenttouchedMichaelontheshoulder，“Theheadofpolicewillseeyou，“hesaid。
“Good，“returnedMichael。Andwithoutsayingawordtoherforwhomhehadbeensearchingallday，withoutreassuringherbyevenagesture，whichmightcompromiseeitherherorhimself，hefollowedtheman。
TheyoungLivonian，seeingtheonlybeingtowhomshecouldlookforhelpdisappear，fellbackagainonherbench。
ThreeminuteshadnotpassedbeforeMichaelStrogoffreappeared，accompaniedbytheagent。Inhishandheheldhispodorojna，whichthrewopentheroadstoSiberiaforhim。HeagainapproachedtheyoungLivonian，andholdingouthishand:
“Sister，“saidhe。
Sheunderstood。Sheroseasifsomesuddeninspirationpreventedherfromhesitatingamoment。
“Sister，“repeatedMichaelStrogoff，“weareauthorizedtocontinueourjourneytoIrkutsk。Willyoucomewithme？“
“Iwillfollowyou，brother，“repliedthegirl，puttingherhandintothatofMichaelStrogoff。Andtogethertheyleftthepolicestation。
ALITTLEbeforemidday，thesteamboat’sbelldrewtothewharfontheVolgaanunusuallylargeconcourseofpeople，fornotonlywerethoseabouttoembarkwhohadintendedtogo，butthemanywhowerecompelledtogocontrarytotheirwishes。
TheboilersoftheCaucasuswereunderfullpressure；aslightsmokeissuedfromitsfunnel，whilsttheendoftheescape-pipeandthelidsofthevalveswerecrownedwithwhitevapor。
ItisneedlesstosaythatthepolicekeptaclosewatchoverthedepartureoftheCaucasus，andshowedthemselvespitilesstothosetravelerswhodidnotsatisfactorilyanswertheirquestions。
NumerousCossackscameandwentonthequay，readytoassisttheagents，buttheyhadnottointerfere，asnooneventuredtooffertheslightestresistancetotheirorders。
Exactlyatthehourthelastclangofthebellsounded，thepowerfulwheelsofthesteamboatbegantobeatthewater，andtheCaucasuspassedrapidlybetweenthetwotownsofwhichNijni-Novgorodiscomposed。
MichaelStrogoffandtheyoungLivonianhadtakenapassageonboardtheCaucasus。Theirembarkationwasmadewithoutanydifficulty。
Asisknown，thepodorojna，drawnupinthenameofNicholasKorpanoff，authorizedthismerchanttobeaccompaniedonhisjourneytoSiberia。Theyappeared，therefore，tobeabrotherandsistertravelingundertheprotectionoftheimperialpolice。
Both，seatedtogetheratthestern，gazedattherecedingtown，sodisturbedbythegovernor’sorder。Michaelhadasyetsaidnothingtothegirl，hehadnotevenquestionedher。
Hewaiteduntilsheshouldspeaktohim，whenthatwasnecessary。
Shehadbeenanxioustoleavethattown，inwhich，butfortheprovidentialinterventionofthisunexpectedprotector，shewouldhaveremainedimprisoned。Shesaidnothing，butherlooksspokeherthanks。
TheVolga，theRhaoftheancients，thelargestriverinallEurope，isalmostthreethousandmilesinlength。
Itswaters，ratherunwholesomeinitsupperpart，areimprovedatNijni-NovgorodbythoseoftheOka，arapidaffluent，issuingfromthecentralprovincesofRussia。ThesystemofRussiancanalsandrivershasbeenjustlycomparedtoagigantictreewhosebranchesspreadovereverypartoftheempire。
TheVolgaformsthetrunkofthistree，andithasforrootsseventymouthsopeningintotheCaspianSea。ItisnavigableasfarasRjef，atowninthegovernmentofTver，thatis，alongthegreaterpartofitscourse。
ThesteamboatsplyingbetweenPermandNijni-NovgorodrapidlyperformthetwohundredandfiftymileswhichseparatethistownfromthetownofKasan。ItistruethattheseboatshaveonlytodescendtheVolga，whichaddsnearlytwomilesofcurrentperhourtotheirownspeed；
butonarrivingattheconfluenceoftheKama，alittlebelowKasan，theyareobligedtoquittheVolgaforthesmallerriver，upwhichtheyascendtoPerm。Powerfulaswerehermachines，theCaucasuscouldnotthus，afterenteringtheKama，makeagainstthecurrentmorethantenmilesanhour。Includinganhour’sstoppageatKasan，thevoyagefromNijni-NovgorodtoPermwouldtakefrombetweensixtytosixty-twohours。
Thesteamerwasverywellarranged，andthepassengers，accordingtotheirconditionorresources，occupiedthreedistinctclassesonboard。
MichaelStrogoffhadtakencaretoengagetwofirst-classcabins，sothathisyoungcompanionmightretireintoherswheneversheliked。
TheCaucasuswasloadedwithpassengersofeverydescription。
AnumberofAsiatictradershadthoughtitbesttoleaveNijni-Novgorodimmediately。Inthatpartofthesteamerreservedforthefirst-classmightbeseenArmeniansinlongrobesandasortofmiterontheirheads；Jews，knownbytheirconicalcaps；richChineseintheirtraditionalcostume，averywideblue，violet，orblackrobe；
Turks，wearingthenationalturban；Hindoos，withsquarecaps，andasimplestringforagirdle，someofwhom，holdintheirhandsallthetrafficofCentralAsia；and，lastly，Tartars，wearingboots，ornamentedwithmany-coloredbraid，andthebreastamassofembroidery。
Allthesemerchantshadbeenobligedtopileuptheirnumerousbalesandchestsintheholdandonthedeck；andthetransportoftheirbaggagewouldcostthemdear，for，accordingtotheregulations，eachpersonhadonlyarighttotwentypounds’weight。
InthebowsoftheCaucasusweremorenumerousgroupsofpassengers，notonlyforeigners，butalsoRussians，whowerenotforbiddenbytheordertogobacktotheirtownsintheprovince。
Thereweremujikswithcapsontheirheads，andwearingcheckedshirtsundertheirwidepelisses；peasantsoftheVolga，withbluetrousersstuffedintotheirboots，rose-coloredcottonshirts，drawninbyacord，feltcaps；
afewwomen，habitedinflowery-patternedcottondresses，gay-coloredaprons，andbrighthandkerchiefsontheirheads。
Thesewereprincipallythird-classpassengers，whowere，happily，nottroubledbytheprospectofalongreturnvoyage。
TheCaucasuspassednumerousboatsbeingtowedupthestream，carryingallsortsofmerchandisetoNijni-Novgorod。Thenpassedraftsofwoodinterminablylong，andbargesloadedtothegunwale，andnearlysinkingunderwater。Abootlessvoyagetheyweremaking，sincethefairhadbeenabruptlybrokenupatitsoutset。
Thewavescausedbythesteamersplashedonthebanks，coveredwithflocksofwildduck，whoflewawayutteringdeafeningcries。
Alittlefarther，onthedryfields，borderedwithwillows，andaspens，werescatteredafewcows，sheep，andherdsofpigs。
Fields，sownwiththinbuckwheatandrye，stretchedawaytoabackgroundofhalf-cultivatedhills，offeringnoremarkableprospect。
Thepencilofanartistinquestofthepicturesquewouldhavefoundnothingtoreproduceinthismonotonouslandscape。
TheCaucasushadbeensteamingonforalmosttwohours，whentheyoungLivonian，addressingherselftoMichael，said，“AreyougoingtoIrkutsk，brother？“
“Yes，sister，“answeredtheyoungman。“Wearegoingthesameway。
Consequently，whereIgo，youshallgo。“
“To-morrow，brother，youshallknowwhyIlefttheshoresoftheBaltictogobeyondtheUralMountains。“
“Iaskyounothing，sister。“
“Youshallknowall，“repliedthegirl，withafaintsmile。
“Asistershouldhidenothingfromherbrother。ButIcannotto-day。Fatigueandsorrowhavebrokenme。“
“Willyougoandrestinyourcabin？“askedMichaelStrogoff。
“Yes——yes；andto-morrow——“
“Comethen——“
Hehesitatedtofinishhissentence，asifhehadwishedtoenditbythenameofhiscompanion，ofwhichhewasstillignorant。
“Nadia，“saidshe，holdingoutherhand。
“Come，Nadia，“answeredMichael，“andmakewhatuseyoulikeofyourbrotherNicholasKorpanoff。“Andheledthegirltothecabinengagedforheroffthesaloon。