had been a frequent visitor at their house for six weeks, had appeared like a man who was hesitating, watching, and questioning whether, if he should offer himself, the honor which he conferred on them would not be too great, and that he did not seem to understand that when a man comes assiduously to a house where there is a marriageable daughter, it is proper for him to declare his intentions. And then he suddenly departed without any explanation!
"It is fortunate," the mother thought, "that he is so unattractive, and that Kitty has not fallen in love with him."
Vronsky satisfied all her requirements: he was very rich, intelligent, of good birth, with a brilliant career at court or in the army before him, and, moreover, he was charming. Nothing better could be desired. Vronsky was devoted to Kitty at the balls, danced with her, and called upon her parents; there could be no doubt that his intentions were serious. But, notwithstanding this, the mother had passed this whole winter full of doubts and perplexities.
The princess herself had been married thirty years before, through the match-making of an aunt. Her suitor, who was well known by reputation, came, saw the young lady, and was seen by the family; the aunt who served as intermediary gave and received the report of the impression produced on both sides; the impression was favorable. Then on a designated day the expected proposal was made on the parents, and granted. Everything had passed off very easily and simply. At least, so it seemed to the princess. But in the case of her own daughters, she learned by experience how difficult and complicated this apparently simple matter of getting girls married really was. How many fears she had to go through! How many things had to be thought over, how much money had to be lavished, how many collisions with her husband, when the time came for Darya and Natali to be married! And now that the youngest was in the matrimonial market, she was obliged to suffer from the same anxi-
