d very
little understanding. She was young then and she had a good mind. Jane
Harden never would say Melanctha never had a good mind, but in those
days Melanctha certainly had not been very understanding. Jane began
to explain to Jeff Campbell how in every way, she Jane, had taught
Melanctha. Jane then began to explain how eager Melanctha always had
been for all that kind of learning. Jane Harden began to tell how they
had wandered. Jane began to tell how Melanctha once had loved her,
Jane Harden. Jane began to tell Jeff of all the bad ways Melanctha had
used with her. Jane began to tell all she knew of the way Melanctha
had gone on, after she had left her. Jane began to tell all about the
different men, white ones and blacks, Melanctha never was particular
about things like that, Jane Harden said in passing, not that
Melanctha was a bad one, and she had a good mind, Jane Harden never
would say that she hadn't, but Melanctha always liked to use all the
understanding ways that Jane had taught her, and so she wanted to know
everything, always, that they knew how to teach her.

Jane was beginning to make Jeff Campbell see much clearer. Jane Harden
did not know what it was that she was really doing with all this
talking. Jane did not know what Jeff was feeling. Jane was always
honest when she was talking, and now it just happened she had started
talking about her old times with Melanctha Herbert. Jeff understood
very well that it was all true what Jane was saying. Jeff Campbell was
beginning now to see very clearly. He was beginning to feel very sick
inside him. He knew now many things Melanctha had not yet taught
him. He felt very sick and his heart was very heavy, and Melanctha
certainly did seem very ugly to him. Jeff was at last beginning to
know what it was to have deep feeling. He took care a little longer of
Jane Harden, and then he went to his other patients, and then he went
home to his room, and he sat down and at last he had stopped thinking.
He was very sick and his heart was very heavy in him. He was very
tired and all the world was very dreary to him, and he knew very well
now at last, he was really feeling. He knew it now from the way it
hurt him. He knew very well that now at last he was beginning to
really have understanding. The next day he had arranged to spend, long
and happy, all alone in the spring fields with Melanctha, wandering.
He wrote her a note and said he could not go, he had a sick patient
an