Prepolovenskaya, confused and angry, was putting on her jacket. Peredonov did not offer to help her. He kept on mumbling excuses, but she paid no attention to him. He returned to the parlour. Ershova began to reproach him loudly, while Varvara ran out on the verandah to try and mollify Prepolovenskaya:
"You know yourself what a fool he is, he sometimes says anything that comes into his head."
"All right, all right! Don't mention it," replied Prepolovenskaya. "A drunken woman might babble anything."
Tall, dense nettles grew in the yard near the verandah. Prepolovenskaya smiled slightly and the last shadow of displeasure vanished from her plump white face. She became affable again towards Varvara. She would be revenged without an open quarrel. Together they went into the garden to wait until the landlady's eruption was over.
Prepolovenskaya kept looking at the nettles which grew in abundance along the garden fence. She said at last:
"You have enough nettles here. Don't you find any use for them?"
Varvara laughed and answered:
"What an idea! What could I do with them?"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take some with me, as I haven't any."
"What will you do with them?" asked Varvara, in astonishment.