Peredonov looked angrily at Volodin and rose. He thought that Volodin was a fool, he couldn't make the young woman fall in love with him.
Volodin stood beside his chair with lowered head. He asked reproachfully:
"So that means it's all over, Nadezhda Vassilyevna? Ah! If so," said he waving his hand, "then may God be good to you, Nadezhda Vassilyevna. It means that is my miserable fate. Ah! A youth loved a maiden and she did not love him. God sees all! Ah, well, I'll grieve and that's all."
"You're rejecting a good man and you don't know what sort you may get," persisted Peredonov.
"Ah!" exclaimed Volodin once more and turned to the door.
But suddenly he decided to be magnanimous and returned to shake hands with the young woman and even with the juvenile offender Misha.
In the street Peredonov grumbled angrily. All the way Volodin complained bleatingly in an offended voice.
"Why did you give up your lessons?" growled Peredonov. "You must be a rich man!"
"Ardalyon Borisitch, I only said that if this is so I ought to give them up, and she said to me that I needn't give them up, and as I replied nothing then it follows that she begged me to continue. And now it all depends upon me—if I like, I'll refuse; if I like, I'll continue them."