WHEN NATASHA ran out of the drawing-room she only ran as far as the conservatory. There she stopped listening to the talk in the drawing-room, and waiting for Boris to come out. She was beginning to get impatient, and stamping her foot was almost ready to cry at his not coming at once, when she heard the young man's footsteps coming out discreetly, not too slowly nor too quickly. Natasha darted swiftly away and hid among the tubs of shrubs.

Boris stood still in the middle of the room, looked round him, brushed a speck of dirt off the sleeve of his uniform, and going up to the looking-glass examined his handsome face. Natasha, keeping quiet, peeped out of her hiding-place, waiting to see what he would do. He stood a little while before the glass, smiled at his reflection, and walked towards the other door. Natasha was on the point of calling to him, but she changed her mind. “Let him look for me,” she said to herself. Boris had only just gone out, when at the other door Sonya came in, flushed and muttering something angrily through her tears. Natasha checked her first impulse to run out to her, and remained in her hiding-place, as it were under the invisible cap, looking on at what was going on in the world. She began to feel a peculiar novel sort of enjoyment in it. Sonya was murmuring something as she looked towards the drawing-room door. The door opened and Nikolay came in.

“Sonya! what is the matter? how can you?” said Nikolay, running up to her.

“Nothing, nothing, leave me alone!” Sonya was sobbing.

“No, I know what it is.”

“Very well, you do, so much the better then, and you can go back to her.”

“So-o-onya! one word! How can you torture me and yourself for a mere fancy?” said Nikolay, taking her hand. Sonya did not pull her hand away, and left off crying.

Natasha, not stirring and hardly breathing, looked with shining eyes from her hiding-place. “What's coming now?” she thought.

“Sonya! I care for nothing in the whole world! You're everything to me,” said Nikolay. “I'll prove it to you.”

“I don't like you to talk like that.”

“Well, I won't then; come, forgive me, Sonya.” He drew her to him and kissed her.