THEdooroftheimperialcabinetwasagainopenedandGeneralKissoffwasannounced。
“Thecourier？“inquiredtheCzareagerly。
“Heishere，sire，“repliedGeneralKissoff。
“Haveyoufoundafittingman？“
“Iwillanswerforhimtoyourmajesty。“
“HashebeenintheserviceofthePalace？“
“Yes，sire。“
“Youknowhim？“
“Personally，andatvarioustimeshehasfulfilleddifficultmissionswithsuccess。“
“Abroad？“
“InSiberiaitself。“
“Wheredoeshecomefrom？“
“FromOmsk。HeisaSiberian。“
“Hashecoolness，intelligence，courage？“
“Yes，sire；hehasallthequalitiesnecessarytosucceed，evenwhereothersmightpossiblyfail。“
“Whatishisage？“
“Thirty。“
“Ishestrongandvigorous？“
“Sire，hecanbearcold，hunger，thirst，fatigue，totheverylastextremities。“
“Hemusthaveaframeofiron。“
“Sire，hehas。“
“Andaheart？“
“Aheartofgold。“
“Hisname？“
“MichaelStrogoff。“
“Ishereadytosetout？“
“Heawaitsyourmajesty’sordersintheguard-room。“
“Lethimcomein，“saidtheCzar。
InafewmomentsMichaelStrogoff，thecourier，enteredtheimperiallibrary。Hewasatall，vigorous，broad-shouldered，deep-chestedman。
HispowerfulheadpossessedthefinefeaturesoftheCaucasianrace。
Hiswell-knitframeseemedbuiltfortheperformanceoffeatsofstrength。Itwouldhavebeenadifficulttasktomovesuchamanagainsthiswill，forwhenhisfeetwereonceplantedontheground，itwasasiftheyhadtakenroot。AshedoffedhisMuscovitecap，locksofthickcurlyhairfelloverhisbroad，massiveforehead。
Whenhisordinarilypalefacebecameatallflushed，itarosesolelyfromamorerapidactionoftheheart。
Hiseyes，ofadeepblue，lookedwithclear，frank，firmgaze。
Theslightly-contractedeyebrowsindicatedloftyheroism——“thehero’scoolcourage，“accordingtothedefinitionofthephysiologist。
Hepossessedafinenose，withlargenostrils；andawell-shapedmouth，withtheslightly-projectinglipswhichdenoteagenerousandnobleheart。
MichaelStrogoffhadthetemperamentofthemanofaction，whodoesnotbitehisnailsorscratchhisheadindoubtandindecision。
Sparingofgesturesasofwords，healwaysstoodmotionlesslikeasoldierbeforehissuperior；butwhenhemoved，hisstepshowedafirmness，afreedomofmovement，whichprovedtheconfidenceandvivacityofhismind。
MichaelStrogoffworeahandsomemilitaryuniformsomethingresemblingthatofalight-cavalryofficerinthefield——
boots，spurs，halftightly-fittingtrousers，brownpelisse，trimmedwithfurandornamentedwithyellowbraid。
Onhisbreastglitteredacrossandseveralmedals。
MichaelStrogoffbelongedtothespecialcorpsoftheCzar’scouriers，rankingasanofficeramongthosepickedmen。
Hismostdiscerniblecharacteristic——particularlyinhiswalk，hisface，inthewholeman，andwhichtheCzarperceivedataglance——was，thathewas“afulfilleroforders。“
HethereforepossessedoneofthemostserviceablequalitiesinRussia——onewhich，asthecelebratednovelistTourgueneffsays，“willleadtothehighestpositionsintheMuscoviteempire。“
Inshort，ifanyonecouldaccomplishthisjourneyfromMoscowtoIrkutsk，acrossarebelliouscountry，surmountobstacles，andbraveperilsofallsorts，MichaelStrogoffwastheman。
Acircumstanceespeciallyfavorabletothesuccessofhisplanwas，thathewasthoroughlyacquaintedwiththecountrywhichhewasabouttotraverse，andunderstooditsdifferentdialects——
notonlyfromhavingtraveledtherebefore，butbecausehewasofSiberianorigin。
Hisfather——oldPeterStrogoff，deadtenyearssince——
inhabitedthetownofOmsk，situatedinthegovernmentofthesamename；andhismother，MarfaStrogoff，livedtherestill。
There，amidthewildsteppesoftheprovincesofOmskandTobolsk，hadthefamoushuntsmanbroughtuphissonMichaeltoendurehardship。
PeterStrogoffwasahuntsmanbyprofession。Summerandwinter——
intheburningheat，aswellaswhenthecoldwassometimesfiftydegreesbelowzero——hescouredthefrozenplains，thethicketsofbirchandlarch，thepineforests；settingtraps；watchingforsmallgamewithhisgun，andforlargegamewiththespearorknife。
ThelargegamewasnothinglessthantheSiberianbear，aformidableandferociousanimal，insizeequalingitsfellowofthefrozenseas。
PeterStrogoffhadkilledmorethanthirty-ninebears——thatistosay，thefortiethhadfallenunderhisblows；and，accordingtoRussianlegends，mosthuntsmenwhohavebeenluckyenoughuptothethirty-ninthbear，havesuccumbedtothefortieth。
PeterStrogoffhad，however，passedthefatalnumberwithoutevenascratch。Fromthattime，hissonMichael，agedelevenyears，neverfailedtoaccompanyhimtothehunt，carryingtheragatinaorspeartoaidhisfather，whowasarmedonlywiththeknife。
Whenhewasfourteen，MichaelStrogoffhadkilledhisfirstbear，quitealone——thatwasnothing；butafterstrippingithedraggedthegiganticanimal’sskintohisfather’shouse，manyverstsdistant，exhibitingremarkablestrengthinaboysoyoung。
Thisstyleoflifewasofgreatbenefittohim，andwhenhearrivedatmanhoodhecouldbearanyamountofcold，heat，hunger，thirst，orfatigue。LiketheYakoutofthenortherncountries，hewasmadeofiron。Hecouldgofour-and-twentyhourswithouteating，tennightswithoutsleeping，andcouldmakehimselfashelterintheopensteppewhereotherswouldhavebeenfrozentodeath。
Giftedwithmarvelousacuteness，guidedbytheinstinctoftheDelawareofNorthAmerica，overthewhiteplain，wheneveryobjectishiddeninmist，oreveninhigherlatitudes，wherethepolarnightisprolongedformanydays，hecouldfindhiswaywhenotherswouldhavehadnoideawhithertoturn。Allhisfather’ssecretswereknowntohim。Hehadlearnttoreadalmostimperceptiblesigns——
theformsoficicles，theappearanceofthesmallbranchesoftrees，mistsrisingfarawayinthehorizon，vaguesoundsintheair，distantreports，theflightofbirdsthroughthefoggyatmosphere，athousandcircumstanceswhicharesomanywordstothosewhocandecipherthem。Moreover，temperedbysnowlikeaDamascusbladeinthewatersofSyria，hehadaframeofiron，asGeneralKissoffhadsaid，and，whatwasnolesstrue，aheartofgold。
TheonlysentimentoflovefeltbyMichaelStrogoffwasthatwhichheentertainedforhismother，theagedMarfa，whocouldneverbeinducedtoleavethehouseoftheStrogoffs，atOmsk，onthebanksoftheIrtish，wheretheoldhuntsmanandshehadlivedsolongtogether。
Whenhersonlefther，hewentawaywithafullheart，butpromisingtocomeandseeherwheneverhecouldpossiblydoso；andthispromisehehadalwaysreligiouslykept。
WhenMichaelwastwenty，itwasdecidedthatheshouldenterthepersonalserviceoftheEmperorofRussia，inthecorpsofthecouriersoftheCzar。Thehardy，intelligent，zealous，well-conductedyoungSiberianfirstdistinguishedhimselfespecially，inajourneytotheCaucasus，throughthemidstofadifficultcountry，ravagedbysomerestlesssuccessorsofSchamyl；thenlater，inanimportantmissiontoPetropolowski，inKamtschatka，theextremelimitofAsiaticRussia。Duringtheselongjourneyshedisplayedsuchmarvelouscoolness，prudence，andcourage，astogainhimtheapprobationandprotectionofhischiefs，whorapidlyadvancedhiminhisprofession。
Thefurloughswhichwerehisdueafterthesedistantmissions，heneverfailedtodevotetohisoldmother。Havingbeenmuchemployedinthesouthoftheempire，hehadnotseenoldMarfaforthreeyears——
threeages！——thefirsttimeinhislifehehadbeensolongabsentfromher。Now，however，inafewdayshewouldobtainhisfurlough，andhehadaccordinglyalreadymadepreparationsfordepartureforOmsk，whentheeventswhichhavebeenrelatedoccurred。
MichaelStrogoffwasthereforeintroducedintotheCzar’spresenceincompleteignoranceofwhattheemperorexpectedfromhim。
TheCzarfixedapenetratinglookuponhimwithoututteringaword，whilstMichaelstoodperfectlymotionless。
TheCzar，apparentlysatisfiedwithhisscrutiny，motionedtothechiefofpolicetoseathimself，anddictatedinalowvoicealetterofnotmorethanafewlines。
Theletterpenned，theCzarre-readitattentively，thensignedit，precedinghisnamewiththewords“Bytposemou，“which，signifying“Sobeit，“constitutesthedecisiveformulaoftheRussianemperors。
Theletterwasthenplacedinanenvelope，whichwassealedwiththeimperialarms。
TheCzar，rising，toldMichaelStrogofftodrawnear。
Michaeladvancedafewsteps，andthenstoodmotionless，readytoanswer。
TheCzaragainlookedhimfullinthefaceandtheireyesmet。
Theninanabrupttone，“Thyname？“heasked。
“MichaelStrogoff，sire。“
“Thyrank？“
“CaptaininthecorpsofcouriersoftheCzar。“
“ThoudostknowSiberia？“
“IamaSiberian。“
“Anativeof？“
“Omsk，sire。“
“Hastthourelationsthere？“
“Yessire。“
“Whatrelations？“
“Myoldmother。“
TheCzarsuspendedhisquestionsforamoment。Then，pointingtotheletterwhichheheldinhishand，“HereisaletterwhichIchargethee，MichaelStrogoff，todeliverintothehandsoftheGrandDuke，andtonootherbuthim。“
“Iwilldeliverit，sire。“
“TheGrandDukeisatIrkutsk。“
“IwillgotoIrkutsk。“
“Thouwilthavetotraversearebelliouscountry，invadedbyTartars，whoseinterestitwillbetointerceptthisletter。“
“Iwilltraverseit。“
“Aboveall，bewareofthetraitor，IvanOgareff，whowillperhapsmeettheeontheway。“
“Iwillbewareofhim。“
“WiltthoupassthroughOmsk？“
“Sire，thatismyroute。“
“Ifthoudostseethymother，therewillbetheriskofbeingrecognized。
Thoumustnotseeher！“
MichaelStrogoffhesitatedamoment。
“Iwillnotseeher，“saidhe。
“Sweartomethatnothingwillmaketheeacknowledgewhothouart，norwhitherthouartgoing。“
“Iswearit。“
“MichaelStrogoff，“continuedtheCzar，givingthelettertotheyoungcourier，“takethisletter；onitdependsthesafetyofallSiberia，andperhapsthelifeofmybrothertheGrandDuke。“
“ThislettershallbedeliveredtohisHighnesstheGrandDuke。“
“Thenthouwiltpasswhateverhappens？“
“Ishallpass，ortheyshallkillme。“
“Iwanttheetolive。“
“Ishalllive，andIshallpass，“answeredMichaelStrogoff。
TheCzarappearedsatisfiedwithStrogoff’scalmandsimpleanswer。
“Gothen，MichaelStrogoff，“saidhe，“goforGod，forRussia，formybrother，andformyself！“
Thecourier，havingsalutedhissovereign，immediatelylefttheimperialcabinet，and，inafewminutes，theNewPalace。
“Youmadeagoodchoicethere，General，“saidtheCzar。
“Ithinkso，sire，“repliedGeneralKissoff；“andyourmajestymaybesurethatMichaelStrogoffwilldoallthatamancando。“
“Heisindeedaman，“saidtheCzar。