第83章 IN THE STEPPE(2)

Then later he added, "I have broken my oath, Nadia. I had sworn not to see my mother!""But you did not try to see her, Michael," replied Nadia. "Chance alone brought you into her presence.""I had sworn, whatever might happen, not to betray myself.""Michael, Michael! at sight of the lash raised upon Marfa, could you refrain? No! No oath could prevent a son from succoring his mother!""I have broken my oath, Nadia," returned Michael. "May God and the Father pardon me!""Michael," resumed the girl, "I have a question to ask you.

Do not answer it if you think you ought not. Nothing from you would vex me!""Speak, Nadia."

"Why, now that the Czar's letter has been taken from you, are you so anxious to reach Irkutsk?"Michael tightly pressed his companion's hand, but he did not answer.

"Did you know the contents of that letter before you left Moscow?""No, I did not know."

"Must I think, Michael, that the wish alone to place me in my father's hands draws you toward Irkutsk?""No, Nadia," replied Michael, gravely. "I should deceive you if I allowed you to believe that it was so. I go where duty orders me to go. As to taking you to Irkutsk, is it not you, Nadia, who are now taking me there?

Do I not see with your eyes; and is it not your hand that guides me?

Have you not repaid a hundred-fold the help which I was able to give you at first? I do not know if fate will cease to go against us; but the day on which you thank me for having placed you in your father's hands, I in my turn will thank you for having led me to Irkutsk.""Poor Michael!" answered Nadia, with emotion. "Do not speak so.

That does not answer me. Michael, why, now, are you in such haste to reach Irkutsk?""Because I must be there before Ivan Ogareff," exclaimed Michael.

"Even now?"

"Even now, and I will be there, too!"

In uttering these words, Michael did not speak solely through hatred to the traitor. Nadia understood that her companion had not told, or could not tell, her all.

On the 15th of September, three days later, the two reached the village of Kouitounskoe. The young girl suffered dreadfully.

Her aching feet could scarcely support her; but she fought, she struggled, against her weariness, and her only thought was this:

"Since he cannot see me, I will go on till I drop."There were no obstacles on this part of the journey, no danger either since the departure of the Tartars, only much fatigue.

For three days it continued thus. It was plain that the third invading column was advancing rapidly in the East;that could be seen by the ruins which they left after them--the cold cinders and the already decomposing corpses.

There was nothing to be seen in the West; the Emir's advance-guard had not yet appeared. Michael began to consider the various reasons which might have caused this delay.

Was a sufficient force of Russians directly menacing Tomsk or Krasnoiarsk? Did the third column, isolated from the others, run a risk of being cut off? If this was the case, it would be easy for the Grand Duke to defend Irkutsk, and any time gained against an invasion was a step towards repulsing it.

Michael sometimes let his thoughts run on these hopes, but he soon saw their improbability, and felt that the preservation of the Grand Duke depended alone on him.

Nadia dragged herself along. Whatever might be her moral energy, her physical strength would soon fail her.

Michael knew it only too well. If he had not been blind, Nadia would have said to him, "Go, Michael, leave me in some hut!

Reach Irkutsk! Accomplish your mission! See my father!

Tell him where I am! Tell him that I wait for him, and you both will know where to find me! Start! I am not afraid!

I will hide myself from the Tartars! I will take care of myself for him, for you! Go, Michael! I can go no farther!"Many times Nadia was obliged to stop. Michael then took her in his strong arms and, having no longer to think of her fatigue, walked more rapidly and with his indefatigable step.

On the 18th of September, at ten in the evening, Kimilteiskoe was at last entered. From the top of a hill, Nadia saw in the horizon a long light line. It was the Dinka River. A few lightning flashes were reflected in the water; summer lightning, without thunder.

Nadia led her companion through the ruined village.

The cinders were quite cold. The last of the Tartars had passed through at least five or six days before.

Beyond the village, Nadia sank down on a stone bench.

"Shall we make a halt?" asked Michael.

"It is night, Michael," answered Nadia. "Do you not want to rest a few hours?""I would rather have crossed the Dinka," replied Michael, "I should like to put that between us and the Emir's advance-guard. But you can scarcely drag yourself along, my poor Nadia!""Come, Michael," returned Nadia, seizing her companion's hand and drawing him forward.

Two or three versts further the Dinka flowed across the Irkutsk road.

The young girl wished to attempt this last effort asked by her companion.

She found her way by the light from the flashes. They were then crossing a boundless desert, in the midst of which was lost the little river.