without having been perceived, and, taking a seat by himself,
he buried his face in his hands. It might have been supposed
that he was asleep.

He was not asleep, however, and did not even think of sleeping.
He was reflecting, not without a lively apprehension:
"Who is it knows of my departure, and who can have any interest
in knowing it?"


CHAPTER VIII GOING UP THE KAMA

THE next day, the 18th of July, at twenty minutes to seven in the morning,
the Caucasus reached the Kasan quay, seven versts from the town.

Kasan is situated at the confluence of the Volga
and Kasanka. It is an important chief town of the government,
and a Greek archbishopric, as well as the seat of a university.
The varied population preserves an Asiatic character.
Although the town was so far from the landing-place, a large
crowd was collected on the quay. They had come for news.
The governor of the province had published an order identical
with that of Nijni-Novgorod. Police officers and a few Cossacks kept
order among the crowd, and cleared the way both for the passengers
who were disembarking and also for those who were embarking on
board the Caucasus, minutely examining both classes of travelers.
The one were the Asiatics who were being expelled; the other,
mujiks stopping at Kasan.

Michael Strogoff unconcernedly watched the bustle which occurs at