THE FACTS OF LIFE
391
the foreground alongside the pool, the clock will become a grand–
father's clock, and all be painted Prussian blue, even tho Miss
Coyle is trying to cajole especially the little girls into using warm
bright colors, because that is their natural bent.
"Well he was right, you are a Jewess," says Martha. "It's
nothing to be ashamed of."
"Said J oo, not Juice."
"A Jew is a boy; a Jewess is a girL"
"Oh! there are 2 kinds!"
It's worse and worse. She never dreamed that Harry was up
on anything, but perhaps even his veiled hints conceal something.
She feels, it seems inescapable to her, that boys have a power,
surely not obvious in school,-And the grown-ups even take it for
granted! She sees it every day, that these same boys when they
become men are superior to the women. Yet men's clothes don't
express
anything, and actresses are better than actors. But just
this
contradiction
confirms it all the more, for the explanations of
contradictions are in the indistinct region,-and everything there
is mutually involved. Marcia is already working on a system of
the mysteries. Especially when Momsy now tries to tell her some
reasonable anecdote about J ewesses and Jews, just like a previous
astringent account of the chickens and the flowers.
Martha never happens to have told little Marcia that they are
all Jews.
"Is Ronnie a Joo?"
"Of course."
"Are Louis and Bernie J oos?"
"Louis is a Jew but Bernie is a Gentile."
It's a lie, thinks Marcia; they are both the same. (She means
they are both effeminate. ) Why is Martha lying to her?
"What is ser-cum-si-zhun?" asks Marcia, calling the lie.
This inquisition has now become intolerable to Martha. "Good
night, Marcia," she explains.
"Is Rosina a Juice?" Marcia cries, asking about Ronnie's
mistress.
"Marcia! I said good night!"
"Tell me! tell me! is Rosina Juice?"
"No."
"Ah!"
