ng.

"You should not laugh," said the maid, very gravely.

Natacha settled herself to gaze without blinking into the mirror; she
put on a solemn face and sat in silence for some time, wondering what
she should see. Would a coffin rise before her, or would Prince Andre
presently stand revealed against the confused background in the shining
glass? Her eyes were weary and could hardly distinguish even the
flickering light of the candles. But with the best will in the world
she could see nothing; not a spot to suggest the image either of a
coffin or of a human form. She rose.

"Why do other people see things and I never see anything at all? Take my
place, Sonia; you must look for yourself and for me, too. I am so
frightened; if I could but know!"

Sonia sat down and fixed her eyes on the mirror.

"Sofia Alexandrovna will be sure to see something," whispered Douniacha;
"but you always are laughing at such things." Sonia heard the remark and
Natacha's whispered reply: "Yes, she is sure to see something; she did
last year." Three minutes they waited in total silence. "She is sure to
see something," Natacha repeated, trembling.

Sonia started back, covered her face with one hand, and cried out:

"Natacha!"

"You saw something? What did you see?" And Natacha rushed forward to
hold up the glass.

But Sonia had seen nothing; her eyes were getting dim, and she was on
the point of giving it up when Natacha's exclamation had stopped her;
she did not want to disappoint them; but there is nothing so tiring as
sitting motionless. She did not know why she had called out and hidden
her face.

"Did you see him?" asked Natacha.

"Yes; stop a minute. I saw him," said Sonia, not quite sure whether
"him" was to mean Nicolas or Prince Andre. "Why not make them believe
that I saw something?" she thought. "A great many people have done so
before, and no one can prove the contrary. Yes, I saw him," she
repeated.

"How? standing up or lying down?"

"I saw him--at first there was nothing; then suddenly I saw him lying
down."

"Andre, lying down? Then he is ill!" And Natacha gazed horror-stricken
at her companion.

"Not at all; he seemed quite cheerful, on the contrary," said she,
beginning to believe in her own inventions.

"And then--Sonia, what then?"

"Then I saw only confusion--red and blue."

"And when will he come back, Sonia? When shall I see him again? O God! I
am afraid for him--afraid of everything."

And, withou