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Thiswastheunpleasantsideofthebusiness。Afavorableresultofhisarrival，however，wastheorderwhichwasgiventoraisethecampthatveryday，andremovetheheadquarterstoTomsk。ThiswastheaccomplishmentofMichael’smostferventdesire。Hisintention，ashasbeensaid，wastoreachTomskconcealedamongsttheotherprisoners；thatistosay，withoutanyriskoffallingintothehandsofthescoutswhoswarmedabouttheapproachestothisimportanttown。
However，inconsequenceofthearrivalofIvanOgareff，hequestionedwhetheritwouldnotbebettertogiveuphisfirstplanandattempttoescapeduringthejourney。
Michaelwould，nodoubt，havekepttothelatterplanhadhenotlearntthatFeofar-KhanandOgareffhadalreadysetoutforthetownwithsomethousandsofhorsemen。“Iwillwait，then，“saidhetohimself；
“atleast，unlesssomeexceptionalopportunityforescapeoccurs。
TheadversechancesarenumerousonthissideofTomsk，whilebeyondIshallinafewhourshavepassedthemostadvancedTartarpoststotheeast。Stillthreedaysofpatience，andmayGodaidme！“
Itwasindeedajourneyofthreedayswhichtheprisoners，undertheguardofanumerousdetachmentofTartars，weretomakeacrossthesteppe。
Ahundredandfiftyverstslaybetweenthecampandthetown——
aneasymarchfortheEmir’ssoldiers，whowantedfornothing，butawretchedjourneyforthesepeople，enfeebledbyprivations。
Morethanonecorpsewouldshowtheroadtheyhadtraversed。
Itwastwoo’clockintheafternoon，onthe12thofAugust，underahotsunandcloudlesssky，thatthetoptschi-baschigavetheordertostart。
AlcideandBlount，havingboughthorses，hadalreadytakentheroadtoTomsk，whereeventsweretoreunitetheprincipalpersonagesofthisstory。
AmongsttheprisonersbroughtbyIvanOgarefftotheTartarcampwasanoldwoman，whosetaciturnityseemedtokeepherapartfromallthosewhosharedherfate。Notamurmurissuedfromherlips。
Shewaslikeastatueofgrief。Thiswomanwasmorestrictlyguardedthananyoneelse，and，withoutherappearingtonotice，wasconstantlywatchedbytheTsiganeSangarre。Notwithstandingherageshewascompelledtofollowtheconvoyofprisonersonfoot，withoutanyalleviationofhersuffering。
However，akindProvidencehadplacednearheracourageous，kind-heartedbeingtocomfortandassisther。Amongsthercompanionsinmisfortuneayounggirl，remarkableforbeautyandtaciturnity，seemedtohavegivenherselfthetaskofwatchingoverher。
Nowordshadbeenexchangedbetweenthetwocaptives，butthegirlwasalwaysattheoldwoman’ssidewhenhelpwasuseful。
Atfirstthemuteassistanceofthestrangerwasacceptedwithsomemistrust。Gradually，however，theyounggirl’sclearglance，herreserve，andthemysterioussympathywhichdrawstogetherthosewhoareinmisfortune，thawedMarfaStrogoff’scoldness。
Nadia——foritwasshe——wasthusable，withoutknowingit，torendertothemotherthoseattentionswhichshehadherselfreceivedfromtheson。Herinstinctivekindnesshaddoublyinspiredher。
Indevotingherselftoherservice，Nadiasecuredtoheryouthandbeautytheprotectionaffordedbytheageoftheoldprisoner。
Onthecrowdofunhappypeople，embitteredbysufferings，thissilentpair——oneseemingtobethegrandmother，theotherthegrand-daughter——imposedasortofrespect。
AfterbeingcarriedoffbytheTartarscoutsontheIrtych，NadiahadbeentakentoOmsk。Keptprisonerinthetown，shesharedthefateofallthosecapturedbyIvanOgareff，andconsequentlythatofMarfaStrogoff。
IfNadiahadbeenlessenergetic，shewouldhavesuccumbedtothisdoubleblow。Theinterruptiontoherjourney，thedeathofMichael，madeherbothdesperateandexcited。Divided，perhapsforever，fromherfather，afterso
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