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"Do you think so?... Really? Truly?" she said, quickly smoothing

her frock and hair.

"Really, truly!" answered Natasha, pushing in a crisp lock that

had strayed from under her friend's plaits.

Both laughed.

"Well, let's go and sing 'The Brook.'"

"Come along!"

"Do you know, that fat Pierre who sat opposite me is so funny!"

said Natasha, stopping suddenly. "I feel so happy!"

And she set off at a run along the passage.

Sonya, shaking off some down which clung to her and tucking away

the verses in the bosom of her dress close to her bony little

chest, ran after Natasha down the passage into the sitting room

with flushed face and light, joyous steps. At the visitors'

request the young people sang the quartette, "The Brook," with

which everyone was delighted. Then Nicholas sang a song he had

just learned:

At nighttime in the moon's fair glow How sweet, as fancies wander

free, To feel that in this world there's one Who still is

thinking but of thee!