michael strogoff-第50章

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〃Ah！〃　said　Nadia；　falling　into　Michael's　arms。　　Then　turning
towards　Wassili　Fedor；　〃My　father；〃　said　she；　blushing。

〃Nadia；〃　said　Captain　Fedor；　〃it　will　be　my　joy　to　call　you
both　my　children！〃

The　marriage　ceremony　took　place　in　Irkutsk　cathedral。

Jolivet　and　Blount　very　naturally　assisted　at　this　marriage；
of　which　they　wished　to　give　an　account　to　their　readers。

〃And　doesn't　it　make　you　wish　to　imitate　them？〃　asked　Alcide
of　his　friend。

〃Pooh！〃　said　Blount。　　〃Now　if　I　had　a　cousin　like　you〃

〃My　cousin　isn't　to　be　married！〃　answered　Alcide；　laughing。

〃So　much　the　better；〃　returned　Blount；　〃for　they　speak　of　difficulties
arising　between　London　and　Pekin。　　Have　you　no　wish　to　go　and　see
what　is　going　on　there？〃

〃By　Jove；　my　dear　Blount！〃　exclaimed　Alcide　Jolivet；　〃I　was　just　going
to　make　the　same　proposal　to　you。〃

And　that　was　how　the　two　inseparables　set　off　for　China。

A　few　days　after　the　ceremony；　Michael　and　Nadia　Strogoff；
accompanied　by　Wassili　Fedor；　took　the　route　to　Europe。　　The　road
so　full　of　suffering　when　going；　was　a　road　of　joy　in　returning。
They　traveled　swiftly；　in　one　of　those　sleighs　which　glide
like　an　express　train　across　the　frozen　steppes　of　Siberia。

However；　when　they　reached　the　banks　of　the　Dinka；　just　before　Birskoe；
they　stopped　for　a　while。　　Michael　found　the　place　where　he　had　buried
poor　Nicholas。　　A　cross　was　erected　there；　and　Nadia　prayed　a　last　time
on　the　grave　of　the　humble　and　heroic　friend；　whom　neither　of　them
would　ever　forget。

At　Omsk；　old　Marfa　awaited　them　in　the　little　house　of
the　Strogoffs。　　She　clasped　passionately　in　her　arms　the　girl　whom
in　her　heart　she　had　already　a　hundred　times　called　〃daughter。〃
The　brave　old　Siberian；　on　that　day；　had　the　right　to　recognize
her　son　and　say　she　was　proud　of　him。

After　a　few　days　passed　at　Omsk；　Michael　and　Nadia　entered
Europe；　and；　Wassili　Fedor　settling　down　in　St。　Petersburg；
neither　his　son　nor　his　daughter　had　any　occasion　to　leave　him；
except　to　go　and　see　their　old　mother。

The　young　courier　was　received　by　the　Czar；　who　attached　him　specially
to　his　own　person；　and　gave　him　the　Cross　of　St。　George。　　In　the　course
of　time；　Michael　Strogoff　reached　a　high　station　in　the　Empire。　　But　it
is　not　the　history　of　his　success；　but　the　history　of　his　trials；
which　deserves　to　be　related。





End