served her with interest, but, himself reserved,
he sought no opportunity of accosting her. Once only, when her
neighbor--the merchant who had jumbled together so imprudently in his
remarks tallow and shawls--being asleep, and threatening her with his
great head, which was swaying from one shoulder to the other, Michael
Strogoff awoke him somewhat roughly, and made him understand that he
must hold himself upright.

The merchant, rude enough by nature, grumbled some words against "people
who interfere with what does not concern them," but Michael Strogoff
cast on him a glance so stern that the sleeper leant on the opposite
side, and relieved the young traveler from his unpleasant vicinity.

The latter looked at the young man for an instant, and mute and modest
thanks were in that look.

But a circumstance occurred which gave Strogoff a just idea of
the character of the maiden. Twelve versts before arriving at
Nijni-Novgorod, at a sharp curve of the iron way, the train experienced
a very violent shock. Then, for a minute, it ran onto the slope of an
embankment.

Travelers more or less shaken about, cries, confusion, general disorder
in the carriages--such was the effect at first produced. It was to
be feared that some serious accident had happened. Consequently,
even before the train had stopped, the doors were opened, and the
panic-stricken passengers thought only of getting out of the carriages.

Michael Strogoff thought instantly of the young girl; but, while the
passengers in her compartment were precipitating themselves outside,
screaming and struggling, she had remained quietly in her place, her
face scarcely changed by a slight pallor.

She waited--Michael Strogoff waited also.

Both remained quiet.

"A determined nature!" thought Michael Strogoff.

However, all danger had quickly disappeared. A breakage of the coupling
of the luggage-van had first caused the shock to, and then the stoppage
of, the train, which in another instant would have been thrown from the
top of the embankment into a bog. There was an hour's delay. At last,
the road being cleared, the train proceeded, and at half-past eight in
the evening arrived at the station of Nijni-Novgorod.

Before anyone could get out of the carriages, the inspectors of police
presented themselves at the doors and examined the passengers.

Michael Strogoff showed his podorojna, made out in the name of Nicholas
Korpanoff. He had consequently no difficul