Book 3 Chapter 3 Mary Pavlovna

In spite of the hard conditions in which they were placed, life
among the political prisoners seemed very good to Katusha after
the depraved, luxurious and effeminate life she had led in town
for the last six years, and after two months' imprisonment with
criminal prisoners. The fifteen to twenty miles they did per day,
with one day's rest after two days' marching, strengthened her
physically, and the fellowship with her new companions opened out
to her a life full of interests such as she had never dreamed of.
People so wonderful (as she expressed it) as those whom she was
now going with she had not only never met but could not even have
imagined.

"There now, and I cried when I was sentenced," she said. "Why, I
must thank God for it all the days of my life. I have learned to
know what I never should have found out else."

The motives she understood easily and without effort that guided
these people, and, being of the people, fully sympathised with
them. She understood that these persons were for the people and
against the upper classes, and though themselves belonging to the
upper classes had sacrificed their privileges, their liberty and
their lives for the people. This especially made her value and
admire them. She was charmed with all the new companions, but
particularly with Mary Pavlovna, and she was not only charmed
with her, but loved her with a peculiar, respectful and rapturous
love. She was struck by the fact that this beautiful girl, the
daughter of a rich general, who could speak three languages, gave
away all that her rich brother sent her, and lived like the
simplest working girl, and dressed not only simply, but poorly,
paying no heed to her appearance. This trait and a complete
absence of coquetry was particularly surprising and therefore
attractive to Maslova. Maslova could see that Mary Pavlovna knew,
and was even pleased to know, that she was handsome, and yet the
effect her appearance had on men was not at all pleasing to her;
she was even afraid of it, and felt an absolute disgust to all
love affairs. Her men companions knew it, and if they felt
attracted by her never permitted themselves to show it to her,
but treated her as they would a man; but with strangers, who
often molested her, the great physical strength on which she
prided herself stood her in good stead.