Melanctha, darling." "I suppose, Jeff," said Melanctha, very low and
bitter, "I suppose you are always thinking, Jeff, somebody had ought
to be ashamed with us two together, and you certainly do think you
don't see any way to it, Jeff, for me to be feeling that way ever, so
you certainly don't see any way to it, only to do it just so often
for me. That certainly is the way always with you, Jeff Campbell, if
I understand you right the way you are always acting to me. That
certainly is right the way I am saying it to you now, Jeff Campbell.
You certainly didn't anyway trust me now no more, did you, when you
just acted so bad to me. I certainly am right the way I say it Jeff
now to you. I certainly am right when I ask you for it now, to tell me
what I ask you, about not trusting me more then again, Jeff, just like
you never really knew me. You certainly never did trust me just then,
Jeff, you hear me?" "Yes, Melanctha," Jeff answered slowly. Melanctha
paused. "I guess I certainly never can forgive you this time, Jeff
Campbell," she said firmly. Jeff paused too, and thought a little. "I
certainly am afraid you never can no more now again, Melanctha," he
said sadly.

They lay there very quiet now a long time, each one thinking very hard
on their own trouble. At last Jeff began again to tell Melanctha
what it was he was always thinking with her. "I certainly do know,
Melanctha, you certainly now don't want any more to be hearing me
just talking, but you see, Melanctha, really, it's just like this way
always with me. You see, Melanctha, its like this way now all the time
with me. You remember, Melanctha, what I was once telling to you, when
I didn't know you very long together, about how I certainly never did
know more than just two kinds of ways of living, one way the way it is
good to be in families and the other kind of way, like animals are all
the time just with each other, and how I didn't ever like that last
kind of way much for any of the colored people. You see Melanctha,
it's like this way with me. I got a new feeling now, you been teaching
to me, just like I told you once, just like a new religion to me,
and I see perhaps what really loving is like, like really having
everything together, new things, little pieces all different, like
I always before been thinking was bad to be having, all go together
like, to make one good big feeling. You see, Melanctha, it's certainly
like that you make me been seeing, like I neve