THE PRETENDER
547
going to just stay in there all by yourself and let me cry all by my–
self? Is that how things are going to
be
from now on? I won't wait
out here for you, Jesse.
If
you don't come right out, I'll go over to
Henry's, just like this, without even a coat. Jesse, am I never going
to see you again?
The door opens,
JESSE
emerges. He has changed his clothes
and is immaculate in a splendidly fitting tuxedo, with a
white tie and white gloves.
MARIANNE
is startle,d at the ap–
parition. She bursts out laughing hysterically.
MARIANNE:
Why, you were just changing your clothes! Where are you
going, Jesse? Are we going to a party?
JESSE:
(in a state of controlled fury)
You're not going to any party,
Marianne.
MARIANNE:
Where are you going?
JESSE:
I don't know yet. I haven't made up my mind. I'll think about
it now, now that I'm dressed up. Maybe I'll think of the proper
place to go and the proper thing to do under the circumstances.
He lights a cigarette, trying to give the impression of icy self-
control.
You know, Marianne, one of the troubles with Negroes, and after all
we're Negroes, you and I, one of the things wrong with Negroes, to
take up one of my favorite topics, is that they don't know how to
dress up mentally. It's worse than that, they don't know how to
dress; they only know how to undress, and have taught the whole
world that, but when they dress up, it's lamentable: those red blouses,
(He looks at her dress.)
those loud bright ties, those shiny yellow
shoes. Might just as well be undressed altogether. How could anyone
meet a real situation in life wearing clothes like that? You know some–
thing, Marianne? After you told me your story, I didn't even allow
myself to think of what you said until I had put on this tuxedo. Now,
maybe, with the proper coldness and formality, I can consider what
you told me.
MARIANNE:
(horrified)
You just changed your clothes! I was break–
ing my heart out here and you were just putting on a new suit!
JESSE:
Yes, I was changing my clothes, Marianne, and trying to dress
my mind up too so that my thoughts about us would
be
fitting. And
to put myself in the right frame of mind, I recalled the play I read
just the other day by a great Spanish playwright, Pedro Calderon de
la Barca.
He rings off the great name with perfect Spanish pronunciation
