be true? Can it be true that there can be no more playing with
life, that now I am grown up, that on me now lies a responsibility for
my every word and deed? Yes, but what did he ask me?"

"No," she replied, but she had not understood his question.

"Forgive me!" he said. "But you are so young, and I have already been
through so much in life. I am afraid for you, you do not yet know
yourself."

Natasha listened with concentrated attention, trying but failing to take
in the meaning of his words.

"Hard as this year which delays my happiness will be," continued Prince
Andrew, "it will give you time to be sure of yourself. I ask you to
make me happy in a year, but you are free: our engagement shall remain a
secret, and should you find that you do not love me, or should you come
to love..." said Prince Andrew with an unnatural smile.

"Why do you say that?" Natasha interrupted him. "You know that from the
very day you first came to Otradnoe I have loved you," she cried, quite
convinced that she spoke the truth.

"In a year you will learn to know yourself...."

"A whole year!" Natasha repeated suddenly, only now realizing that
the marriage was to be postponed for a year. "But why a year? Why a
year?..."

Prince Andrew began to explain to her the reasons for this delay.
Natasha did not hear him.

"And can't it be helped?" she asked. Prince Andrew did not reply, but
his face expressed the impossibility of altering that decision.

"It's awful! Oh, it's awful! awful!" Natasha suddenly cried, and again
burst into sobs. "I shall die, waiting a year: it's impossible, it's
awful!" She looked into her lover's face and saw in it a look of
commiseration and perplexity.

"No, no! I'll do anything!" she said, suddenly checking her tears. "I am
so happy."

The father and mother came into the room and gave the betrothed couple
their blessing.

From that day Prince Andrew began to frequent the Rostovs' as Natasha's
affianced lover.

CHAPTER XXIV

No betrothal ceremony took place and Natasha's engagement to Bolkonski
was not announced; Prince Andrew insisted on that. He said that as he
was responsible for the delay he ought to bear the whole burden of it;
that he had given his word and bound himself forever, but that he did
not wish to bind Natasha and gave her perfect freedom. If after six
months she felt that she did not love him she would have full right to
reject him. Naturally neither Natasha nor her paren