‚ÄúBut‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI don‚Äôt understand, Miss Smith‚ÅÝ‚Äîwhy can‚Äôt you accept my offer?‚Äù
‚ÄúBecause you ask me to put my school in control of those who do not wish for the best interests of black folk, and in particular I object to Mr. ¬ÝCresswell,‚Äù said Miss Smith, slowly but very distinctly, ‚Äúbecause his relation to the forces of evil in this community has been such that he can direct no school of mine.‚Äù Mrs. ¬ÝVanderpool moved toward the door and Mr. ¬ÝCresswell bowing slightly followed. Dr. ¬ÝBoldish looked indignant and Mr. ¬ÝBocombe dove after his notebook. Mary Taylor, her head in a whirl, came forward. She felt that in some way she was responsible for this dreadful situation and she wanted desperately to save matters from final disaster.
‚ÄúCome,‚Äù she said, ‚Äú Mrs. ¬ÝGrey, we‚Äôll talk this matter over again later. I am sure Miss Smith does not mean quite all she says‚ÅÝ‚Äîshe is tired and nervous. You join the others and don‚Äôt wait for me and I will be along directly.‚Äù
Mrs. ¬ÝGrey was only too glad to escape and Mr. ¬ÝBocombe got a chance to talk. He drew out his notebook.
‚ÄúAwfully interesting,‚Äù he said, ‚Äúawfully. Now‚ÅÝ‚Äîer‚ÅÝ‚Äîlet‚Äôs see‚ÅÝ‚Äîoh, yes. Did you notice how unhealthy the children looked? Race is undoubtedly dying out; fact. No hope. Weak. No spontaneity either‚ÅÝ‚Äîrather languid, did you notice? Yes, and their heads‚ÅÝ‚Äîsmall and narrow‚ÅÝ‚Äîno brain capacity. They can‚Äôt concentrate; notice how some slept when Dr. ¬ÝBoldish was speaking? Mr. ¬ÝCresswell says they own almost no land here; think of it? This land was worth only ten dollars an acre a decade ago, he says. Negroes might have bought all and been rich. Very shiftless‚ÅÝ‚Äîand that singing. Now, I wonder where they got the music? Imitation, of course.‚Äù And so he rattled on, noting not the silence of the others.
As the carriage drove off Mary turned to Miss Smith.