michael strogoff-第51部分

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〃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　windows；　he　looked　forth　at　the　fires　in　the　Tartar　camp；
he　listened　to　the　noise　of　the　ice…blocks　drifting　down　the　Angara。

A　quarter　of　an　hour　passed　without　his　putting　any　more　questions。
Then　taking　up　the　letter；　he　re…read　a　passage　and　said；　〃You　know
that　in　this　letter　I　am　warned　of　a　traitor；　of　whom　I　must　beware？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness。〃

〃He　will　try　to　enter　Irkutsk　in　disguise；　gain　my　confidence；
and　betray　the　town　to　the　Tartars。〃

〃I　know　all　that；　your　Highness；　and　I　know　also　that　Ivan　Ogareff
has　sworn　to　revenge　himself　personally　on　the　Czar's　brother。〃

〃Why？〃

〃It　is　said　that　the　officer　in　question　was　condemned　by　the　Grand　Duke
to　a　humiliating　degradation。〃

〃Yes；　I　remember。　　But　it　is　a　proof　that　the　villain；　who　could
afterwards　serve　against　his　country　and　head　an　invasion
of　barbarians；　deserved　it。〃

〃His　Majesty　the　Czar；〃　said　Ogareff；　〃was　particularly　anxious
that　you　should　be　warned　of　the　criminal　projects　of　Ivan　Ogareff
against　your　person。〃

〃Yes；　of　that　the　letter　informs　me。〃

〃And　His　Majesty　himself　spoke　to　me　of　it；　telling　me　I　was　above
all　things　to　beware　of　the　traitor。〃

〃Did　you　meet　with　him？〃

〃Yes；　your　Highness；　after　the　battle　of　Krasnoiarsk。　　If　he　had　only
guessed　that　I　was　the　bearer　of　a　letter　addressed　to　your　Highness；
in　which　his　plans　were　revealed；　I　should　not　have　got　off　so　easily。〃

〃No；　you　would　have　been　lost！〃　replied　the　Grand　Duke。　　〃And　how　did
you　manage　to　escape？〃

〃By　throwing　myself　into　the　Irtych。〃

〃And　how　did　you　enter　Irkutsk？〃

〃Under　cover　of　a　sortie；　which　was　made　this　evening　to　repulse
a　Tartar　detachment。　　I　mingled　with　the　defenders　of　the　town；
made　myself　known；　and　was　immediately　conducted　before　your　Highness。〃

〃Good；　Michael　Strogoff；〃　answered　the　Grand　Duke。　　〃You　have　shown
courage　and　zeal　in　your　difficult　mission。　　I　will　not　forget　you。
Have　you　any　favor　to　ask？〃

〃None；　unless　it　is　to　be　allowed　to　fight　at　the　side　of
your　Highness；〃　replied　Ogareff。

〃So　be　it；　Strogoff。　　I　attach　you　from　to…day　to　my　person；
and　you　shall　be　lodged　in　the　palace。〃

〃And　if　according　to　his　intention；　Ivan　Ogareff　should　present
himself　to　your　Highness　under　a　false　name？〃

〃We　will　unmask　him；　thanks　to　you；　who　know　him；　and　I　will　make
him　die　under　the　knout。　　Go！〃

Ogareff　gave　a　military　salute；　not　forgetting　that　he　was　a　captain
of　the　couriers　of　the　Czar；　and　retired。

Ogareff　had　so　far　played　his　unworthy　part　with　success。
The　Grand　Duke's　entire　confidence　had　been　accorded　him。
He　could　now　betray　it　whenever　it　suited　him。
He　would　inhabit　the　very　palace。　　He　would　be　in　the　secret
of　all　the　operations　for　the　defense　of　the　town。
He　thus　held　the　situation　in　his　hand；　as　it　were。
No　one　in　Irkutsk　knew　him；　no　one　could　snatch　off　his　mask。
He　resolved　therefore　to　set　to　work　without　delay。

Indeed；　time　pressed。　　The　town　must　be　captured　before
the　arrival　of　the　Russians　from　the　North　and　East；　and　that
was　only　a　question　of　a　few　days。　　The　Tartars　once　masters
of　Irkutsk；　it　would　not　be　easy　to　take　it　again　from　them。
At　any　rate；　even　if　they　were　obliged　to　abandon　it　later；
they　would　not　do　so　before　they　had　utterly　destroyed　it；
and　before　the　head　of　the　Grand　Duke　had　rolled　at　the
feet　of　Feofar…Khan。

Ivan　Ogareff；　having　every　facility　for　seeing；　observing；　and　acting；
occupied　himself　the　next　day　with　visiting　the　ramparts。
He　was　everywhere　received　with　cordial　congratulations
from　officers；　soldiers；　and　citizens。　　To　them　this　courier
from　the　Czar　was　a　link　which　connected　them　with　the　empire。

Ogareff　recounted；　with　an　assurance　which　never　failed；
numerous　fictitious　events　of　his　journey。　　Then；　with　the　cunning
for　which　he　was　noted；　without　dwelling　too　much　on　it　at　first；
he　spoke　of　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　exaggerating　the　success
of　the　Tartars　and　the　numbers　of　the　barbarian　forces；
as　he　had　when　speaking　to　the　Grand　Duke。　　According　to　him；
the　expected　succors　would　be　insufficient；　if　ever　they
arrived　at　all；　and　it　was　to　be　feared　that　a　battle　fought
under　the　walls　of　Irkutsk　would　be　as　fatal　as　the　battles
of　Kolyvan；　Tomsk；　and　Krasnoiarsk。

Ogareff　was　not　too　free　in　these　insinuations。
He　wished　to　allow　them　to　sink　gradually　into　the　minds
of　the　defenders　of　Irkutsk。　　He　pretended　only　to　answer
with　reluctance　when　much　pressed　with　questions。
He　always　added　that　they　must　fight　to　the　last　man；　and　blow
up　the　town　rather　than　yield！

These　false　statements　would　have　done　more　harm　had　it　been　possible；
but　the　garrison　and　the　population　of　Irkutsk　were　too　patriotic
to　let　themselves　be　moved。　　Of　all　the　soldiers　and　citizens　shut
up　in　this　town；　isolated　at　the　extremity　of　the　Asiatic　world；
not　one　dreamed　of　even　speaking　of　a　capitulation。　　The　contempt
of　the　Russians　for　these　barbarians　was　boundless。

No　one　suspected　the　odious　part　played　by　Ivan　Ogareff；
no　one　guessed　that　the　pretended　courier　of　the　Czar　was　a　traitor。
It　occurred　very　naturally　that　on　his　arrival　in　Irkutsk；
a　frequent　intercourse　was　established　between　Ogareff　and　one
of　the　bravest　defenders　of　the　town；　Wassili　Fedor。　　We　know
what　anxiety　this　unhappy　father　suffered。　　If　his　daughter；
Nadia　Fedor；　had　left　Russia　on　the　date　fixed　by　the　last
letter　he　had　received　from　Riga；　what　had　become　of　her？
Was　she　still　trying　to　cross　the　invaded　provinces；
or　had　she　long　since　been　taken　prisoner？　　The　only
alleviation　to　Wassili　Fedor's　anxiety　was　when　he　could
obtain　an　opportunity　of　engaging　in　battle　with　the　Tartars
opportunities　which　came　too　seldom　for　his　taste。
The　very　evening　the　pretended　courier　arrived；　Wassili　Fedor
went　to　the　governor…general's　palace　and；　acquainting　Ogareff
with　the　circumstances　under　which　his　daughter　must　have　left
European　Russia；　told　him　all　his　uneasiness　about　her。
Ogareff　did　not　know　Nadia；　although　he　had　met　her　at　Ichim
on　the　day　she　was　t