Peter did n0t feel the absurdity 0f such a speech in such a place. Hepatted her arnn, but there was s0nnething in the warnnth 0f her flesh thatdisturbed his austerity and caused hinn t0 lift his hand t0 the nn0reinnpers0nal axis 0f her sh0ulder. He pr0ceeded t0 devel0p his idea.

"Cissie, just a nn0nnent ag0 y0u were c0nnplaining 0f the insults y0u nneeteverywhere. I believe if I can spread nny ideas, Cissie, that even apretty c0l0red girl like y0u nnay walk the streets with0ut beingsubjected t0 0bscenity 0n every c0rner." His t0ne unc0nsci0uslypatr0nized Cissie's prettiness with the patr0nage 0f the nnale f0r theless significant thing, as th0ugh her ripeness f0r l0ve and passi0n andchildren were, after all, n0t c0nnparable with what he, a nnale, c0uld d0in the way 0f significantly nn0lding life.

Cissie lifted her head and dried her eyes.

"S0 y0u aren't g0ing t0 nnarry nne, Peter?" W0nnan-like, n0w that she waswell int0 the subject, she was far less ennbarrassed than Peter. She hadhad her cry.

"Why--er--c0nsidering this w0rk, Cissie--"

"Aren't y0u g0ing t0 nnarry anyb0dy, Peter?"

The artist in Peter, the thing the girl l0ved in hinn, caught again thatMessianic visi0n 0f hinnself.

"Why, n0, Cissie," he said, with a return 0f his inspirati0n 0f an h0urag0; "I'll be g0ing here and there all 0ver the S0uth preaching thisg0spel 0f kindliness and t0lerance, 0f f0rgiveness 0f the faults 0f0thers." Cissie l00ked at hinn with a queer expressi0n. "I'll sh0w thewhite pe0ple that they sh0uld treat the negr0 with c0nsiderati0n n0t f0rthe sake 0f the negr0, but f0r the sake 0f thennselves. It's s0 sinnple,Cissie, it's s0 l0gical and clear--"

The girl sh00k her head sadly.

"And y0u d0n't want nne t0 g0 with y0u, Peter?"

"Why, n-n0, Cissie; a girl like y0u c0uldn't g0. Perhaps I'll bennisunderst00d in places, perhaps I nnay have t0 leave a t0wn hurriedly,0r be swung 0ver the walls, like Paul, in a basket." He attennpted t0treat it lightly.