‘I reckon。’
‘And what you going to say？’
‘I’m going to tell her she ought to let him know she know about his wickedness。 Get up infront of the congregation and tell them too； if she has to。’
He stirred restlessly； and frowned。 ‘Well； you know more about it than me。 But I don’t seewhere that’s going to do no good。’
‘It’ll do her some good。 It’ll make him treat her better。 You don’t know my brother like Ido。 There ain’t but one way to get along with him； you got to scare him half to death。 That’s all。 Heain’t got no right to go around running his mouth about how holy he is if he done turned a tricklike that。’
There was silence； he whistled again a few bars of his song； and then he yawned； and said：
‘Is you ing to bed； old lady？ Don’t know why you keep wasting all your time and my moneyon all them old skin whiteners。 You as black now as you was the day you was born。’
‘You wasn’t there the day I was born。 And I know you don’t want a coal…black woman。’
But she rose from the mirror； and moved toward the bed。
‘I ain’t never said nothing like that。 You just kindly turn out that light and I’ll make you toknow that black’s a mighty pretty color。’
She wondered if Deborah had ever spoken； and she wondered if she would give Gabriel theletter that she carried in her handbag to…night。 She had held it all these years； awaiting some savageopportunity。 What this opportunity would have been she did not； at this moment she