CHAPTER XXIII

　　CHAPTER XXIII

　　Prince Andrew needed his father's consent to his marriage, and toobtain this he started for the country next day.

　　His father received his son's communication with external composure,but inward wrath. He could not comprehend how anyone could wish toalter his life or introduce anything new into it, when his own lifewas already ending. "If only they would let me end my days as I wantto," thought the old man, "then they might do as they please." Withhis son, however, he employed the diplomacy he reserved forimportant occasions and, adopting a quiet tone, discussed the wholematter.

　　In the first place the marriage was not a brilliant one as regardsbirth, wealth, or rank. Secondly, Prince Andrew was no longer as youngas he had been and his health was poor (the old man laid specialstress on this), while she was very young. Thirdly, he had a sonwhom it would be a pity to entrust to a chit of a girl. "Fourthlyand finally," the father said, looking ironically at his son, "I begyou to put it off for a year: go abroad, take a cure, look out asyou wanted to for a German tutor for Prince Nicholas. Then if yourlove or passion or obstinacy- as you please- is still as great, marry!And that's my last word on it. Mind, the last..." concluded theprince, in a tone which showed that nothing would make him alter hisdecision.

　　Prince Andrew saw clearly that the old man hoped that hisfeelings, or his fiancee's, would not stand a year's test, or thathe (the old prince himself) would die before then, and he decided toconform to his father's wish- to propose, and postpone the wedding fora year.

　　Three weeks after the last evening he had spent with the Rostovs,Prince Andrew returned to Petersburg.

　　Next day after her talk with her mother Natasha expected Bolkonskiall day, but he did not come. On the second and third day it was thesame. Pierre did not come either and Natasha, not knowing thatPrince Andrew had gone to see his father, could not explain hisabsence to herself.

　　Three weeks passed in this way. Natasha had no desire to go outanywhere and wandered from room to room like a shadow, idle andlistless; she wept secretly at night and did not go to her mother inthe evenings. She blushed continually and was irritable. It seemedto her that everybody knew about her disappointment and was laughingat her and pitying her. Strong as was her inward grief, this woundto her vanity intensified her misery.