"Delicious! And why not?"
He regarded her earnestly.
"There are so many things to talk about," he said; "earnest things; things of importance. I--I think when our people--" he hesitated. Our?--was our right? But he went on: "When our people meet we ought to talk of our situation, and what to do and--"
Miss Wynn continued to smile.
"We're all talking of it all the time," she said.
He looked incredulous.
"Yes, we are," she insisted. "We veil it a little, and laugh as lightly as we can; but there is only one thought in this room, and that's grave and serious enough to suit even you, and quite your daily topic."
"But I don't understand."
"Ah, there's the rub. You haven't learned our language yet. We don't just blurt into the Negro Problem; that's voted bad form. We leave that to our white friends. We saunter to it sideways, touch it delicately because"--her face became a little graver--"because, you see, it hurts."
Bles stood thoughtful and abashed.
"I--I think I understand," 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.
"--Thinking of sending Jessie to Bryn Mawr," 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."
"Yes, Freddie could scarcely visit--" 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.
"--Splendid draughtsman," a man was saying, "and passed at the head of the crowd; but, of course, he has no chance."
"Why, it's civil-service, isn't it?"
"It is. But what of that? There was Watson--"
Miss Wynn did not pause. She whispered: "This is the tale of Civil Service Reform, and how this mighty government gets rid of black men who know too much."
"But--" Bles tried to protest.
"Hush," Miss Wynn commanded and they joined the group about the piano. Teerswell, who was speaking, affected not to notice them, and continued: "--I tell you, it's got to come. We must act independently and not be bought by a few offices."
"That's all well enough for you to talk, Teerswell; you have no wife and babies dependant on you. Why should we who have sacrifice the substance for the shadow?"