"The darling!" I said, half-aloud, as I turned over; then, "Woloda, are
you asleep?"

"No," he replied in a sleepy voice. "What's the matter?"

"I am in love, Woloda--terribly in love with Sonetchka"

"Well? Anything else?" he replied, stretching himself.

"Oh, but you cannot imagine what I feel just now, as I lay covered over
with the counterpane, I could see her and talk to her so clearly that
it was marvellous! And, do you know, while I was lying thinking about
her--I don't know why it was, but all at once I felt so sad that I could
have cried."

Woloda made a movement of some sort.

"One thing only I wish for," I continued; "and that is that I could
always be with her and always be seeing her. Just that. You are in love
too, I believe. Confess that you are."

It was strange, but somehow I wanted every one to be in love with
Sonetchka, and every one to tell me that they were so.

"So that's how it is with you? " said Woloda, turning round to me.
"Well, I can understand it."

"I can see that you cannot sleep," I remarked, observing by his bright
eyes that he was anything but drowsy. "Well, cover yourself over SO"