Inshort，ofsuchimportanceisthisfairofNijni-Novgorod，thatthesumtotalofitstransactionsamountsyearlytonearlyahundredmilliondollars。
Ononeoftheopenspacesbetweenthequartersofthistemporarycitywerenumbersofmountebanksofeverydescription；
gypsiesfromthemountains，tellingfortunestothecredulousfoolswhoareevertobefoundinsuchassemblies；ZingarisorTsiganes——
anamewhichtheRussiansgivetothegypsieswhoarethedescendantsoftheancientCopts——singingtheirwildestmelodiesanddancingtheirmostoriginaldances；comediansofforeigntheaters，actingShakespeare，adaptedtothetasteofspectatorswhocrowdedtowitnessthem。Inthelongavenuesthebearshowmenaccompaniedtheirfour-footeddancers，menageriesresoundedwiththehoarsecriesofanimalsundertheinfluenceofthestingingwhiporred-hotironsofthetamer；and，besidesallthesenumberlessperformers，inthemiddleofthecentralsquare，surroundedbyacirclefourdeepofenthusiasticamateurs，wasabandof“marinersoftheVolga，“
sittingontheground，asonthedeckoftheirvessel，imitatingtheactionofrowing，guidedbythestickofthemasteroftheorchestra，theveritablehelmsmanofthisimaginaryvessel！
Awhimsicalandpleasingcustom！
Suddenly，accordingtoatime-honoredobservanceinthefairofNijni-Novgorod，abovetheheadsofthevastconcourseaflockofbirdswasallowedtoescapefromthecagesinwhichtheyhadbeenbroughttothespot。Inreturnforafewcopeckscharitablyofferedbysomegoodpeople，thebird-fanciersopenedtheprisondoorsoftheircaptives，whoflewoutinhundreds，utteringtheirjoyousnotes。
ItshouldbementionedthatEnglandandFrance，atallevents，werethisyearrepresentedatthegreatfairofNijni-Novgorodbytwoofthemostdistinguishedproductsofmoderncivilization，Messrs。HarryBlountandAlcideJolivet。Jolivet，anoptimistbynature，foundeverythingagreeable，andasbychancebothlodgingandfoodweretohistaste，hejotteddowninhisbooksomememorandaparticularlyfavorabletothetownofNijni-Novgorod。Blount，onthecontrary，havinginvainhuntedforasupper，hadbeenobligedtofindaresting-placeintheopenair。
Hethereforelookedatitallfromanotherpointofview，andwaspreparinganarticleofthemostwitheringcharacteragainstatowninwhichthelandlordsoftheinnsrefusedtoreceivetravelerswhoonlybeggedleavetobeflayed，“morallyandphysically。“
MichaelStrogoff，onehandinhispocket，theotherholdinghischerry-stemmedpipe，appearedthemostindifferentandleastimpatientofmen；yet，fromacertaincontractionofhiseyebrowseverynowandthen，acarefulobserverwouldhaveseenthathewasburningtobeoff。
Fortwohourshekeptwalkingaboutthestreets，onlytofindhimselfinvariablyatthefairagain。AshepassedamongthegroupsofbuyersandsellershediscoveredthatthosewhocamefromcountriesontheconfinesofAsiamanifestedgreatuneasiness。
Theirtradewasvisiblysuffering。Anothersymptomalsowasmarked。
InRussiamilitaryuniformsappearoneveryoccasion。Soldiersarewonttomixfreelywiththecrowd，thepoliceagentsbeingalmostinvariablyaidedbyanumberofCossacks，who，lanceonshoulder，keeporderinthecrowdofthreehundredthousandstrangers。
Butonthisoccasionthesoldiers，Cossacksandtherest，didnotputinanappearanceatthegreatmarket。Doubtless，asuddenordertomovehavingbeenforeseen，theywererestrictedtotheirbarracks。
Moreover，whilenosoldiersweretobeseen，itwasnotsowiththeirofficers。Sincetheeveningbefore，aides-decamp，leavingthegovernor’spalace，gallopedineverydirection。Anunusualmovementwasgoingforwardwhichaseriousstateofaffairscouldaloneaccountfor。
TherewereinnumerablecouriersontheroadsbothtoWladimirandtotheUralMountains。TheexchangeoftelegraphicdispatcheswithMoscowwasincessant。
MichaelStrogofffoundhimselfinthecentralsquarewhenthereportspreadthattheheadofpolicehadbeensummonedbyacouriertothepalaceofthegovernor-general。AnimportantdispatchfromMoscow，itwassaid，wasthecauseofit。
“Thefairistobeclosed，“saidone。
“TheregimentofNijni-Novgorodhasreceivedtheroute，“declaredanother。
“TheysaythattheTartarsmenaceTomsk！“
“Hereistheheadofpolice！“wasshoutedoneveryside。
Aloudclappingofhandswassuddenlyraised，whichsubsidedbydegrees，andfinallywassucceededbyabsolutesilence。
Theheadofpolicearrivedinthemiddleofthecentralsquare，anditwasseenbyallthatheheldinhishandadispatch。
Then，inaloudvoice，hereadthefollowingannouncements:
“ByorderoftheGovernorofNijni-Novgorod。
“1st。AllRussiansubjectsareforbiddentoquittheprovinceuponanypretextwhatsoever。
“2nd。AllstrangersofAsiaticoriginarecommandedtoleavetheprovincewithintwenty-fourhours。“
HOWEVERdisastrousthesemeasuresmightbetoprivateinterests，theywere，underthecircumstances，perfectlyjustifiable。
“AllRussiansubjectsareforbiddentoleavetheprovince；“
ifIvanOgareffwasstillintheprovince，thiswouldatanyratepreventhim，unlesswiththegreatestdifficulty，fromrejoiningFeofar-Khan，andbecomingaveryformidablelieutenanttotheTartarchief。
“AllforeignersofAsiaticoriginareorderedtoleavetheprovinceinfour-and-twentyhours；“thiswouldsendoffinabodyallthetradersfromCentralAsia，aswellasthebandsofBohemians，gipsies，etc。，havingmoreorlesssympathywiththeTartars。Somanyheads，somanyspies——
undoubtedlyaffairsrequiredtheirexpulsion。
Itiseasytounderstandtheeffectproducedbythesetwothunder-clapsburstingoveratownlikeNijni-Novgorod，sodenselycrowdedwithvisitors，andwithacommercesogreatlysurpassingthatofallotherplacesinRussia。ThenativeswhombusinesscalledbeyondtheSiberianfrontiercouldnotleavetheprovinceforatimeatleast。
Thetenorofthefirstarticleoftheorderwasexpress；itadmittedofnoexception。Allprivateinterestsmustyieldtothepublicweal。
Astothesecondarticleoftheproclamation，theorderofexpulsionwhichitcontainedadmittedofnoevasioneither。
ItonlyconcernedforeignersofAsiaticorigin，butthesecoulddonothingbutpackuptheirmerchandiseandgobackthewaytheycame。
Astothemountebanks，ofwhichtherewereaconsiderablenumber，theyhadnearlyathousandverststogobeforetheycouldreachthenearestfrontier。Forthemitwassimplymisery。
Atfirstthereroseagainstthisunusualmeasureamurmurofprotestation，acryofdespair，butthiswasquicklysuppressedbythepresenceoftheCossacksandagentsofpolice。
Immediately，whatmightbecalledtheexodusfromtheimmenseplainbegan。Theawningsinfrontofthestallswerefoldedup；
thetheatersweretakentopieces；thefireswereputout；
theacrobats’ropeswerelowered；theoldbroken-windedhorsesofthetravelingvanscamebackfromtheirsheds。
Agentsandsoldierswithwhiporstickstimulatedthetardyones，andmadenothingofpullingdownthetentsevenbeforethepoorBohemianshadleftthem。
UndertheseenergeticmeasuresthesquareofNijni-Novgorodwould，itwasevident，beentirelyevacuatedbeforetheevening，andtothetumultofthegreatfairwouldsucceedthesilenceofthedesert。
Itmustagainberepeated——foritwasanecessaryaggravationoftheseseveremeasures——thattoallthosenomadschieflyconcernedintheorderofexpulsioneventhesteppesofSiberiawereforbidden，andtheywouldbeobligedtohastentothesouthoftheCaspianSea，eithertoPersia，Turkey，ortheplainsofTurkestan。ThepostoftheUral，andthemountainswhichform，asitwere，aprolongationoftheriveralongtheRussianfrontier，theywerenotallowedtopass。
Theywerethereforeunderthenecessityoftravelingsixhundredmilesbeforetheycouldtreadafreesoil。
Justasthereadingoftheproclamationbytheheadofthepolicecametoanend，anideadartedinstinctivelyintothemindofMichaelStrogoff。“Whatasingularcoincidence，“thoughthe，“betweenthisproclamationexpellingallforeignersofAsiaticorigin，andthewordsexchangedlasteveningbetweenthosetwogipsiesoftheZingarirace。’TheFatherhimselfsendsuswherewewishtogo，’thatoldmansaid。But’theFather’istheemperor！
Heisnevercalledanythingelseamongthepeople。Howcouldthosegipsieshaveforeseenthemeasuretakenagainstthem？howcouldtheyhaveknownitbeforehand，andwheredotheywishtogo？
Thosearesuspiciouspeople，anditseemstomethattothemthegovernmentproclamationmustbemoreusefulthaninjurious。“
ButthesereflectionswerecompletelydispelledbyanotherwhichdroveeveryotherthoughtoutofMichael’smind。
HeforgottheZingaris，theirsuspiciouswords，thestrangecoincidencewhichresultedfromtheproclamation。
TheremembranceoftheyoungLivoniangirlsuddenlyrushedintohismind。“Poorchild！“hethoughttohimself。
“Shecannotnowcrossthefrontier。“
IntruththeyounggirlwasfromRiga；shewasLivonian，consequentlyRussian，andnowcouldnotleaveRussianterritory！
Thepermitwhichhadbeengivenherbeforethenewmeasureshadbeenpromulgatedwasnolongeravailable。
AlltheroutestoSiberiahadjustbeenpitilesslyclosedtoher，and，whateverthemotivetakinghertoIrkutsk，shewasnowforbiddentogothere。
ThisthoughtgreatlyoccupiedMichaelStrogoff。Hesaidtohimself，vaguelyatfirst，that，withoutneglectinganythingofwhatwasduetohisimportantmission，itwouldperhapsbepossibleforhimtobeofsomeusetothisbravegirl；andthisideapleasedhim。Knowinghowseriouswerethedangerswhichhe，anenergeticandvigorousman，wouldhavepersonallytoencounter，hecouldnotconcealfromhimselfhowinfinitelygreatertheywouldprovetoayoungunprotectedgirl。
AsshewasgoingtoIrkutsk，shewouldbeobligedtofollowthesameroadashimself，shewouldhavetopassthroughthebandsofinvaders，ashewasabouttoattemptdoinghimself。If，moreover，shehadatherdisposalonlythemoneynecessaryforajourneytakenunderordinarycircumstances，howcouldshemanagetoaccomplishitunderconditionswhichmadeitnotonlyperilousbutexpensive？
“Well，“saidhe，“ifshetakestheroutetoPerm，itisnearlyimpossiblebutthatIshallfallinwithher。
Then，Iwillwatchoverherwithouthersuspectingit；
andassheappearstomeasanxiousasmyselftoreachIrkutsk，shewillcausemenodelay。“
Butonethoughtleadstoanother。MichaelStrogoffhadtillnowthoughtonlyofdoingakindaction；butnowanotherideaflashedintohisbrain；
thequestionpresenteditselfunderquiteanewaspect。
“Thefactis，“saidhetohimself，“thatIhavemuchmoreneedofherthanshecanhaveofme。Herpresencewillbeusefulindrawingoffsuspicionfromme。Amantravelingaloneacrossthesteppe，maybeeasilyguessedtobeacourieroftheCzar。If，onthecontrary，thisyounggirlaccompaniesme，Ishallappear，intheeyesofall，theNicholasKorpanoffofmypodorojna。Therefore，shemustaccompanyme。Therefore，Imustfindheragainatanycost。
ItisnotprobablethatsinceyesterdayeveningshehasbeenabletogetacarriageandleaveNijni-Novgorod。Imustlookforher。
AndmayGodguideme！“
