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"It's not that I don't remember-I know what he is like, but not

as I remember Nikolenka. Him-I just shut my eyes and remember,

but Boris... No!" (She shut her eyes.) "No! there's nothing at

all."

"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. But Natasha had not

yet felt anything like it. She believed it could be, but did not

understand it.

"Shall you write to him?" she asked.