"You'll manage quite comfortably," Vershina assured him; "you and Marta can sit at the back, and Vladya and Ignaty in front. Look, there's the cart in the yard now."
Peredonov followed them into the yard where the cart was standing. Vladya was fussing about, putting various things in it. The cart was quite a large one, but Peredonov morosely surveyed it and announced:
"I'm not going. There isn't enough room. There are four of us and those things besides."
"Well, if you think it's going to be a tight squeeze," said Varshina, "Vladya can go on foot."
"Of course," said Vladya, with a suppressed grin. "I'll start at once and I'll get there before you."
Then Peredonov declared that the cart would jolt and that he did not like jolts. They returned to the summer-house. Everything was ready, but Ignaty was still in the kitchen eating slowly and solidly.
"How does Vladya get on with his lessons?" asked Marta.
She did not know what else to talk about with Peredonov, and Vershina had more than once reproached her for not knowing how to entertain him.
"Badly," said Peredonov; "he's lazy and doesn't pay attention."
Vershina loved to grumble. She began to scold Vladya.