“But what does ‘yes’ mean?”
“Means a meeting.”
“No, it means not a meeting.”
“I voted for a meeting,” cried the schoolboy to Madame Virginsky.
“Then why didn’t you hold up your hand?”
“I was looking at you. You didn’t hold up yours, so I didn’t hold up mine.”
“How stupid! I didn’t hold up my hand because I proposed it. Gentlemen, now I propose the contrary. Those who want a meeting, sit still and do nothing; those who don’t, hold up their right hands.”
“Those who don’t want it?” inquired the schoolboy. “Are you doing it on purpose?” cried Madame Virginsky wrathfully.
“No. Excuse me, those who want it, or those who don’t want it? For one must know that definitely,” cried two or three voices.
“Those who don’t want it—those who don’t want it.”