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The old prince dressed leisurely in his study, frowning and

considering what he was to do. The coming of these visitors

annoyed him. "What are Prince Vasili and that son of his to me?

Prince Vasili is a shallow braggart and his son, no doubt, is a

fine specimen," he grumbled to himself. What angered him was that

the coming of these visitors revived in his mind an unsettled

question he always tried to stifle, one about which he always

deceived himself. The question was whether he could ever bring

himself to part from his daughter and give her to a husband. The

prince never directly asked himself that question, knowing

beforehand that he would have to answer it justly, and justice

clashed not only with his feelings but with the very possibility

of life. Life without Princess Mary, little as he seemed to value

her, was unthinkable to him. "And why should she marry?" he

thought. "To be unhappy for certain.