‚ÄúAh, there‚Äôs the rub. You haven‚Äôt learned our language yet. We don‚Äôt just blurt into the Negro Problem; that‚Äôs voted bad form. We leave that to our white friends. We saunter to it sideways, touch it delicately because‚Äù‚ÅÝ‚Äîher face became a little graver‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äúbecause, you see, it hurts.‚Äù
Bles stood thoughtful and abashed.
‚ÄúI‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI think I understand,‚Äù he gravely said at last.
“Come here,” she said with a sudden turn, and they joined an absorbed group in the midst of a conversation.
‚Äú‚ÅÝ‚ÄîThinking of sending Jessie to Bryn Mawr,‚Äù Bles heard Miss Jones saying.
“Could she pass?”
“Oh, they might think her Spanish.”
“But it’s a snobbish place and she would have to give up all her friends.”
‚ÄúYes, Freddie could scarcely visit‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù the rest was lost.
“Which, being interpreted,” whispered Miss Wynn, “means that Bryn Mawr draws the color line while we at times surmount it.”
They moved on to another group.
‚Äú‚ÅÝ‚ÄîSplendid draughtsman,‚Äù a man was saying, ‚Äúand passed at the head of the crowd; but, of course, he has no chance.‚Äù
“Why, it’s civil-service, isn’t it?”
‚ÄúIt is. But what of that? There was Watson‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù