From an instinctive feeling of prudence not a word was exchanged between Nadia and Marfa Strogoff. The next day, the 16th of August, about ten in the morning, trumpet-calls resounded throughout the encampment.
The Tartar soldiers were almost immediately under arms.
Ivan Ogareff arrived, surrounded by a large staff of Tartar officers.
His face was more clouded than usual, and his knitted brow gave signs of latent wrath which was waiting for an occasion to break forth.
Michael Strogoff, hidden in a group of prisoners, saw this man pass.
He had a presentiment that some catastrophe was imminent:
for Ivan Ogareff knew now that Marfa was the mother of Michael Strogoff.
Ogareff dismounted, and his escort cleared a large circle round him.
Just then Sangarre approached him, and said, "I have no news."Ivan Ogareff's only reply was to give an order to one of his officers.
Then the ranks of prisoners were brutally hurried up by the soldiers.
The unfortunate people, driven on with whips, or pushed on with lances, arranged themselves round the camp. A strong guard of soldiers drawn up behind, rendered escape impossible.
Silence then ensued, and, on a sign from Ivan Ogareff, Sangarre advanced towards the group, in the midst of which stood Marfa.
The old Siberian saw her, and knew what was going to happen.
A scornful smile passed over her face. Then leaning towards Nadia, she said in a low tone, "You know me no longer, my daughter.
Whatever may happen, and however hard this trial may be, not a word, not a sign. It concerns him, and not me."At that moment Sangarre, having regarded her for an instant, put her hand on her shoulder.
"What do you want with me?" said Marfa.
"Come!" replied Sangarre, and pushing the old Siberian before her, she took her to Ivan Ogareff, in the middle of the cleared ground.
Michael cast down his eyes that their angry flashings might not appear.
Marfa, standing before Ivan Ogareff, drew herself up, crossed her arms on her breast, and waited.
"You are Marfa Strogoff?" asked Ogareff.
"Yes," replied the old Siberian calmly.
"Do you retract what you said to me when, three days ago, I interrogated you at Omsk?""No!"
"Then you do not know that your son, Michael Strogoff, courier of the Czar, has passed through Omsk?""I do not know it."
"And the man in whom you thought you recognized your son, was not he your son?""He was not my son."
"And since then you have not seen him amongst the prisoners?""No."
"If he were pointed out, would you recognize him?""No."
On this reply, which showed such determined resolution, a murmur was heard amongst the crowd.
Ogareff could not restrain a threatening gesture.
"Listen," said he to Marfa, "your son is here, and you shall immediately point him out to me.""No."
"All these men, taken at Omsk and Kolyvan, will defile before you;and if you do not show me Michael Strogoff, you shall receive as many blows of the knout as men shall have passed before you."Ivan Ogareff saw that, whatever might be his threats, whatever might be the tortures to which he submitted her, the indomitable Siberian would not speak. To discover the courier of the Czar, he counted, then, not on her, but on Michael himself.
He did not believe it possible that, when mother and son were in each other's presence, some involuntary movement would not betray him.
Of course, had he wished to seize the imperial letter, he would simply have given orders to search all the prisoners;but Michael might have destroyed the letter, having learnt its contents; and if he were not recognized, if he were to reach Irkutsk, all Ivan Ogareff's plans would be baffled.
It was thus not only the letter which the traitor must have, but the bearer himself.
Nadia had heard all, and she now knew who was Michael Strogoff, and why he had wished to cross, without being recognized, the invaded provinces of Siberia.