HarryBlount，speakinglittle，butlisteningmuch，hadnotinspiredhiscompanionswiththesuspicionswhichAlcideJolivethadaroused。
Hewasnottakenforaspy，andthereforehisneighbors，withoutconstraint，gossipedinhispresence，allowingthemselveseventogofartherthantheirnaturalcautionwouldinmostcaseshaveallowedthem。ThecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraphhadthusanopportunityofobservinghowmuchrecenteventspreoccupiedthemerchantsofNijni-Novgorod，andtowhatadegreethecommercewithCentralAsiawasthreatenedinitstransit。
Hethereforenotedinhisbookthisperfectlycorrectobservation，“Myfellow-travelersextremelyanxious。Nothingistalkedofbutwar，andtheyspeakofit，withafreedomwhichisastonishing，ashavingbrokenoutbetweentheVolgaandtheVistula。“
ThereadersoftheDailyTelegraphwouldnotfailtobeaswellinformedasAlcideJolivet’s“cousin。“ButasHarryBlount，seatedattheleftofthetrain，onlysawonepartofthecountry，whichwashilly，withoutgivinghimselfthetroubleoflookingattherightside，whichwascomposedofwideplains，headded，withBritishassurance，“CountrymountainousbetweenMoscowandWladimir。“
ItwasevidentthattheRussiangovernmentpurposedtakingseveremeasurestoguardagainstanyseriouseventualitiesevenintheinterioroftheempire。TherebellionhadnotcrossedtheSiberianfrontier，butevilinfluencesmightbefearedintheVolgaprovinces，soneartothecountryoftheKirghiz。