"Now, Sonya!" shesaid, goingtotheverymiddleoftheroom, wheresheconsideredtheresonancewasbest.
Havingliftedherheadandletherarmsdrooplifelessly, asballetdancersdo, Natasha, risingenergeticallyfromherheelstohertoes, steppedtothemiddleoftheroomandstoodstill.
"Yes, that'sme!" sheseemedtosay, answeringtheraptgazewithwhichDenisovfollowedher.
"Andwhatisshesopleasedabout?" thoughtNicholas, lookingathissister."Whyisn'tshedullandashamed?"
Natashatookthefirstnote, herthroatswelled, herchestrose, , andfromhersmilinglipsflowedsoundswhichanyonemayproduceatthesameintervalsandholdforthesametime, butwhichleaveyoucoldathousandtimesandthethousandandfirsttimethrillyouandmakeyouweep.
Natasha, thatwinter, hadforthefirsttimebeguntosingseriously, , therewasnolongerinhersingingthatcomical, childish, painstakingeffectthathadbeeninitbefore; butshedidnotyetsingwell, asalltheconnoisseurswhoheardhersaid: "Itisnottrained, butitisabeautifulvoicethatmustbetrained." , withitsincorrectbreathingandlaboredtransitions, wassounding, eventheconnoisseurssaidnothing, , anunconsciousnessofherownpowers, andanasyetuntrainedvelvetysoftness, whichsomingledwithherlackofartinsingingthatitseemedasifnothinginthatvoicecouldbealteredwithoutspoilingit.
"Whatisthis?" thoughtNicholas, listeningtoherwithwidelyopenedeyes."Whathashappenedtoher? Howsheissingingtoday!" Andsuddenlythewholeworldcenteredforhimonanticipationofthenextnote, thenextphrase, andeverythingintheworldwasdividedintothreebeats: "Ohmiocrudeleaffetto."...One, two, three...one, two, three...One..."Ohmiocrudeleaffetto."...One, two, three...One."Oh, thissenselesslifeofours!" thoughtNicholas."Allthismisery, andmoney, andDolokhov, andanger, andhonor—it'sallnonsense...butthisisreal....Nowthen, Natasha, nowthen, dearest! Nowthen, darling! Howwillshetakethatsi? She'stakenit! ThankGod!" Andwithoutnoticingthathewassinging, tostrengthenthesihesungasecond, athirdbelowthehighnote."Ah, God! Howfine! DidIreallytakeit? Howfortunate!" hethought.
Oh, howthatchordvibrated, andhowmovedwassomethingthatwasfinestinRostov'ssoul! Andthissomethingwasapartfromeverythingelseintheworldandaboveeverythingintheworld."Whatwerelosses, andDolokhov, andwordsofhonor?...Allnonsense! Onemightkillandrobandyetbehappy..."
