Nicholas
incoherently and blushing.

"My dear boy, what a way to look at it! You know Sonya has nothing and
you yourself say your Papa's affairs are in a very bad way. And what
about your mother? It would kill her, that's one thing. And what sort of
life would it be for Sonya--if she's a girl with a heart? Your mother
in despair, and you all ruined.... No, my dear, you and Sonya ought to
understand that."

Nicholas remained silent. It comforted him to hear these arguments.

"All the same, Aunt, it is impossible," he rejoined with a sigh, after
a short pause. "Besides, would the princess have me? And besides, she is
now in mourning. How can one think of it!"

"But you don't suppose I'm going to get you married at once? There is
always a right way of doing things," replied the governor's wife.

"What a matchmaker you are, Aunt..." said Nicholas, kissing her plump
little hand.

CHAPTER VI

On reaching Moscow after her meeting with Rostov, Princess Mary had
found her nephew there with his tutor, and a letter from Prince Andrew
giving her instructions how to get to her Aunt Malvintseva at Voronezh.
That feeling akin to temptation which had tormented her during her
father's illness, since his death, and especially since her meeting with
Rostov was smothered by arrangements for the journey, anxiety about her
brother, settling in a new house, meeting new people, and attending to
her nephew's education. She was sad. Now, after a month passed in quiet
surroundings, she felt more and more deeply the loss of her father which
was associated in her mind with the ruin of Russia. She was agitated and
incessantly tortured by the thought of the dangers to which her brother,
the only intimate person now remaining to her, was exposed. She was
worried too about her nephew's education for which she had always felt
herself incompetent, but in the depths of her soul she felt at peace--a
peace arising from consciousness of having stifled those personal dreams
and hopes that had been on the point of awakening within her and were
related to her meeting with Rostov.

The day after her party the governor's wife came to see Malvintseva
and, after discussing her plan with the aunt, remarked that though
under present circumstances a formal betrothal was, of course, not to be
thought of, all the same the young people might be brought together and
could get to know one another. Malvintseva expressed approval, and the
governor's wife