Natasha smiled through her tears.

　　"There now! It's true that all you women are crybabies," remarkedPetya, pacing the room with large, resolute strides. "Now I'm veryglad, very glad indeed, that my brother has distinguished himselfso. You are all blubberers and understand nothing."

　　Natasha smiled through her tears.

　　"You haven't read the letter?" asked Sonya.

　　"No, but she said that it was all over and that he's now anofficer."

　　"Thank God!" said Sonya, crossing herself. "But perhaps she deceivedyou. Let us go to Mamma."

　　Petya paced the room in silence for a time.

　　"If I'd been in Nikolenka's place I would have killed even more ofthose Frenchmen," he said. "What nasty brutes they are! I'd havekilled so many that there'd have been a heap of them."

　　"Hold your tongue, Petya, what a goose you are!"

　　"I'm not a goose, but they are who cry about trifles," said Petya.

　　"Do you remember him?" Natasha suddenly asked, after a moment'ssilence.

　　Sonya smiled.

　　"Do I remember Nicholas?"

　　"No, Sonya, but do you remember so that you remember himperfectly, remember everything?" said Natasha, with an expressivegesture, evidently wishing to give her words a very definitemeaning. "I remember Nikolenka too, I remember him well," she said."But I don't remember Boris. I don't remember him a bit."