“He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began.”

“He felt that he was himself and did not wish to be anyone else. He only wished now to be better than he had been formerly”

“He felt himself, and did not want to be anyone else. All he wanted now was to be better than before.”

“He felt that now over his every word, his every deed, there was a judge, a judgment, which was dearer to him than the judgments of all the people in the world. He spoke now, and along with his words he considered the impression his words would make on Natasha. He did not deliberately say what would be please her, but whatever he said, he judged himself from her point of view.”

“She had no need to ask why he had come. She knew as certainly as if he had told her that he was here to be where she was.”

“He looked at her as a man looks at a faded flower he has gathered, with difficulty recognizing in it the beauty for which he picked and ruined it. And in spite of this he felt that then, when his love was stronger, he could, if he had greatly wished it, have torn that love out of his heart; but now when as at that moment it seemed to him he felt no love for her, he knew that what bound him to her could not be broken.”

“marveling at this boldness and ease in her presence, and not for one second losing sight of her, though he did not look at her. He felt as though the sun were coming near him.”