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"Here he is at last!" shouted Rostov. "And Berg too! Oh, you

petisenfans, allay cushay dormir!" he exclaimed, imitating his

Russian nurse's French, at which he and Boris used to laugh long

ago.

"Dear me, how you have changed!"

Boris rose to meet Rostov, but in doing so did not omit to steady

and replace some chessmen that were falling. He was about to

embrace his friend, but Nicholas avoided him. With that peculiar

feeling of youth, that dread of beaten tracks, and wish to

express itself in a manner different from that of its elders

which is often insincere, Nicholas wished to do something special

on meeting his friend. He wanted to pinch him, push him, do

anything but kiss him-a thing everybody did. But notwithstanding

this, Boris embraced him in a quiet, friendly way and kissed him

three times.