" "Oh, Natasha!" said Sonya, looking ecstatically and earnestly at her friend as if she did not consider her worthy to hear what she meant to say and as if she were saying it to someone else, with whom joking was out of the question, "I am in love with your brother once for all and, whatever may happen to him or to me, shall never cease to love him as long as I live.

" Natasha looked at Sonya with wondering and inquisitive eyes, and said nothing.

She felt that Sonya was speaking the truth, that there was such love as Sonya was speaking of.