r that seemed to give vigor to his lungs--all was enough to make him
fancy that they were transported to a land of magic.

"Sonia, are you not cold?"

"No; and you?"

Nicolas pulled up, and giving the reins to a man to drive, he ran back
to the sleigh in which Natacha was sitting.

"Listen," he said, in a whisper and in French; "I have made up my mind
to tell Sonia."

"And you have spoken to her?" exclaimed Natacha, radiant with joy.

"Oh, Natacha, how queer that mustache makes you look! Are you glad?"

"Glad! I am delighted. I did not say anything, you know, but I have been
so vexed with you. She is a jewel, a heart of gold. I--I am often
naughty, and I have no right to have all the happiness to myself now.
Go, go back to her."

"No. Wait one minute. Mercy, how funny you look!" he repeated, examining
her closely and discovering in her face, too, an unwonted tenderness and
emotion that struck him deeply. "Natacha, is there not some magic at the
bottom of it all, heh?"

"You have acted very wisely. Go."

"If I had ever seen Natacha look as she does at this moment I should
have asked her advice and have obeyed her, whatever she had bid me do;
and all would have gone well. So you are glad?" he said, aloud. "I have
done right?"

"Yes, yes, of course you have! I was quite angry with mamma the other
day about you two. Mamma would have it that Sonia was running after you.
I will not allow any one to say--no, nor even to think--any evil of her,
for she is sweetness and truth itself."

"So much the better." Nicolas jumped down and in a few long strides
overtook his own sleigh, where the little Circassian received him with
a smile from under the fur hood; and the Circassian was Sonia, and Sonia
beyond a doubt would be his beloved little wife!

When they got home the two girls went into the countess's room and gave
her an account of their expedition; then they went to bed. Without
stopping to wipe off their mustaches they stood chattering as they
undressed; they had so much to say of their happiness, their future
prospects, the friendship between their husbands:

"But, oh! when will it all be? I am so afraid it will never come to
pass," said Natacha, as she went toward a table on which two
looking-glasses stood.

"Sit down," said Sonia, "and look in the glass; perhaps you will see
something about it." Natacha lighted two pairs of candles and seated
herself. "I certainly see a pair of mustaches," she said, laughi