ncrease of work from him.

Nicholas gave in to all these reasons. He was much moved at the
situation of these two young people, going to share their father's
exile. Nothing had ever appeared so touching to him. With what a smile
he said to Nadia: "Divine goodness! what joy will Mr. Korpanoff feel,
when his eyes behold you, when his arms open to receive you! If I go to
Irkutsk--and that appears very probable now--will you permit me to be
present at that interview! You will, will you not?" Then, striking his
forehead: "But, I forgot, what grief too when he sees that his poor son
is blind! Ah! everything is mingled in this world!"

However, the result of all this was the kibitka went faster, and,
according to Michael's calculations, now made almost eight miles an
hour.

After crossing the little river Biriousa, the kibitka reached
Biriousensk on the morning of the 4th of September. There, very
fortunately, for Nicholas saw that his provisions were becoming
exhausted, he found in an oven a dozen "pogatchas," a kind of cake
prepared with sheep's fat and a large supply of plain boiled rice. This
increase was very opportune, for something would soon have been needed
to replace the koumyss with which the kibitka had been stored at
Krasnoiarsk.

After a halt, the journey was continued in the afternoon. The distance
to Irkutsk was not now much over three hundred miles. There was not
a sign of the Tartar vanguard. Michael Strogoff had some grounds for
hoping that his journey would not be again delayed, and that in eight
days, or at most ten, he would be in the presence of the Grand Duke.

On leaving Biriousinsk, a hare ran across the road, in front of the
kibitka. "Ah!" exclaimed Nicholas.

"What is the matter, friend?" asked Michael quickly, like a blind man
whom the least sound arouses.

"Did you not see?" said Nicholas, whose bright face had become suddenly
clouded. Then he added, "Ah! no! you could not see, and it's lucky for
you, little father!"

"But I saw nothing," said Nadia.

"So much the better! So much the better! But I--I saw!"

"What was it then?" asked Michael.

"A hare crossing our road!" answered Nicholas.

In Russia, when a hare crosses the path, the popular belief is that
it is the sign of approaching evil. Nicholas, superstitious like the
greater number of Russians, stopped the kibitka.

Michael understood his companion's hesitation, without sharing his
credulity, and endeavored to reassure him,