第677章

第677章fromthatfirstevening,whennatashahadsaidtoprincessmarya,withagailymockingsmile,thathelookedexactly,yes,exactly,asifhehadcomeoutofabathwithhisshortjacketandhiscroppedhair—fromthatminutesomethinghiddenandunrecognisedbyherself,yetirresistible,awakenedinnatasha’ssoul.

everything—face,gait,eyes,voice—everythingwasatoncetransformedinher.toherownsurprise,theforceoflifeandhopesofhappinessfloatedtothesurfaceanddemandedsatisfaction.fromthatfirsteveningnatashaseemedtohaveforgottenallthathadhappenedtoher.fromthattimesheneveroncecomplainedofherposition;shesaidnotonewordaboutthepast,andwasnotafraidofalreadymakinglight-heartedplansforthefuture.shespokelittleofpierre;butwhenprincessmaryamentionedhim,alightthathadlongbeendimgleamedinhereyes,andherlipscurvedinastrangesmile.

thechangethattookplaceinnatashaatfirstsurprisedprincessmarya;butwhensheunderstoodwhatitmeant,thatchangemortifiedher.“canshehavelovedmybrothersolittlethatshecansosoonforgethim？”thoughtprincessmarya,whenshethoughtoveritalone.butwhenshewaswithnatashashewasnotvexedwithher,anddidnotblameher.theawakenedforceoflifethathadregainedpossessionofnatashawasobviouslysoirresistibleandsounexpectedbyherself,thatinnatasha’spresenceprincessmaryafeltthatshehadnorighttoblamehereveninherheart.

natashagaveherselfupwithsuchcompletenessandsinceritytohernewfeelingthatshedidnotevenattempttoconcealthatshewasnotnowsorrowful,butgladandhappy.

whenprincessmaryahadreturnedtoherroomthatnightafterherinterviewwithpierre,natashametheronthethreshold.

“hehasspoken？yes？hehasspoken？”sherepeated.andajoyful,andatthesametimepiteous,expression,thatedforgivenessforitsjoy,wasinnatasha’sface.“iwantedtolistenatthedoor;butiknewyouwouldtellme.”

readyasprincessmaryawastounderstandandtobetouchedbytheexpressionwithwhichnatashalookedather,andmuchasshefeltforheragitation,yetherwordsforthefirstmomentmortifiedher.shethoughtofherbrotherandhislove.

“butwhatisonetodo？shecannothelpit,”thoughtprincessmarya;andwithasadandsomewhatseverefacesherepeatedtonatashaallpierrehadsaidtoher.natashawasstupefiedtohearhewasgoingtopetersburg.“topetersburg！”sherepeated,asthoughunabletotakeitin.

butlookingatthemournfulexpressionofprincessmarya’sfaceshedivinedthecauseofhersadness,andsuddenlyburstintotears.

“marie,”shesaid,“tellmewhatiamtodo.iamafraidofbeinghorrid.whateveryousay,iwilldo;tellme…”

“youlovehim？”

“yes！”whisperednatasha.

“whatareyoucryingfor,then？iamverygladforyou,”saidprincessmarya,movedbythosetearstocompleteforgivenessofnatasha’sjoy.

“itwillnotbesoon…someday.onlythinkhowhappyitwillbewheniamhiswifeandyoumarrynikolay！”

“natasha,ihaveedyounottospeakofthat.letustalkofyou.”

bothweresilent.

“onlywhygotopetersburg？”criednatashasuddenly,andshehastenedtoanswerherself.“no,no;itmustbeso…yes,marie？itmustbe…”