ha really forgot how much she owed to Jane
Harden's teaching.

Melanctha began now to feel that she had always had world wisdom. She
really knew of course, that it was Jane who had taught her, but all
that began to be covered over by the trouble between them, that was
now always getting stronger.

Jane Harden was a roughened woman. Once she had been very strong, but
now she was weakened in all her kinds of strength by her drinking.
Melanctha had tried the drinking but it had had no real attraction for
her.

Jane's strong and roughened nature and her drinking made it always
harder for her to forgive Melanctha, that now Melanctha did not really
need her any longer. Now it was Melanctha who was stronger and it was
Jane who was dependent on her.

Melanctha was now come to be about eighteen years old. She was a
graceful, pale yellow, good looking, intelligent, attractive negress,
a little mysterious sometimes in her ways, and always good and
pleasant, and always ready to do things for people.

Melanctha from now on saw very little of Jane Harden. Jane did not
like that very well and sometimes she abused Melanctha, but her
drinking soon covered everything all over.

It was not in Melanctha's nature to really lose her sense for Jane
Harden. Melanctha all her life was ready to help Jane out in any of
her trouble, and later, when Jane really went to pieces, Melanctha
always did all that she could to help her.

But Melanctha Herbert was ready now herself to do teaching. Melanctha
could do anything now that she wanted. Melanctha knew now what
everybody wanted.

Melanctha had learned how she might stay a little longer; she had
learned that she must decide when she wanted really to stay longer,
and she had learned how when she wanted to, she could escape.

And so Melanctha began once more to wander. It was all now for her
very different. It was never rougher men now that she talked to, and
she did not care much now to know white men of the, for her, very
better classes. It was now something realler that Melanctha wanted,
something that would move her very deeply, something that would fill
her fully with the wisdom that was planted now within her, and that
she wanted badly, should really wholly fill her.

Melanctha these days wandered very widely. She was always alone now
when she wandered. Melanctha did not need help now to know, or to stay
longer, or when she wanted, to escape.

Melanctha tried a great many men, in t