The boy flushed and smiled, and shrivelled into his clothes as if he were cold, lifting one shoulder higher than the other, as his habit was.
"The year has only just begun," he said, "I've got plenty of time to catch up."
"You ought to start from the very beginning," said Marta in a very grown-up way, which slightly embarrassed her.
"Yes, he's always in mischief," said Peredonov. "Only yesterday, he was running about with some of the others as if they were street boys. He's impertinent too. Last Thursday he was quite cheeky to me."
Vladya suddenly flushed up with indignation, yet still smiled, and said:
"I wasn't impertinent. I only told the truth. The other copy-books had five mistakes not marked, and all mine were marked. And I only got two though mine was better than the boys who got three."
"And that wasn't the only time you were impertinent," persisted Peredonov.
"I wasn't impertinent, I only said that I would tell the inspector," said Vladya heatedly.
"Vladya, you forget yourself!" said Vershina angrily; "instead of apologising you're only repeating what you said."
Vladya suddenly remembered that he ought not to provoke Peredonov, as he might marry Marta. He grew even redder and in his confusion shifted his belt and said timidly: