Collage 212

Lucy Zahner Montgomery
from page 431-432 of original text
collage
made 8/27/10
page 342-343 of Pevear/Volokhonsky translation

That winter Natasha had begun to sing seriously for the first time, especially because Denisov admired her singing. She no longer sang like a child, there was none of that comic, childish assiduousness in her singing which had been in it before; but her singing was not good yet, as all the critical connoisseurs said who had heard her sing....Her voice had that virgin, intact quality, that unawareness of its strength, that unpolished velvetiness, which were so combined witha deficiency in the art of singing that it seemed impossible to change anything in thie voice without spoiling it..."What on earth is this?" thought Nikolai, hearing her voice and opening his eyes wide...Ah, our foolish life!" thought Nikolai. "All this misfortune, and money, and Dolokhov, and spite, and honor - it's all nonsense!...and here it -- the real thing...Ah, Natasha, ah, darling! ah, dearest!...How is she going to take this B...she did it? Thank God!"