“Don’t think we’re sure we’re right,” Julia broke in. “Damon told you,” she went on with a visible effort, “that Edward had shut the door on us, walked out of this house two nights before—” Julia’s face looked absolutely drained. This then was the explanation of the undercurrents of violent emotion Isabel had sensed at the dinner table.

“I’m sorry.” She felt ashamed now. She should have learned from Dr. Willoughby, from Professor Goldberg that it was all far more complicated and human than it seemed under the surface of this safe Victorian room. Henry would lump all these people together as a bunch of radicals, but it was not as black and white as it looked. Was anything when you came close enough to see? “I wish you’d tell me about it, if you feel you could.” The question was addressed to Julia, but Isabel saw her glance over at Grace, hesitate, then decide to take the plunge.

She explained briefly what had happened at the Civil Liberties Union. She was interrupted by Grace who hammered out that to Edward the point in question was not unimportant. But for once Julia was determined and brushed Grace aside firmly. “Isabel doesn’t want to hear all the details and ramifications. After all we’ve lived all this out for years, she hasn’t.” Grace answered, “Well, it’s time she learned. She’s an American citizen, isn’t she?” Isabel blushed, but Julia pointedly ignored the sally. “Ever since it happened, ever since Edward walked out of the house I’ve been trying to understand the essence—maybe I can try to say it now. You see, we all felt when Wallace led the Progressive Party that here was a chance to start with a clean slate, to have a truly liberal party without commitments to party bosses, to a reactionary South and so on. It was very hard for many of us to admit that he had been taken in by the extreme Left and that this might be as dangerous as commitments which the Democratic Party has to the extreme Right in the shape of Southern Democrats.” Isabel listened like a child at school, but none of it hit home for her. She was painfully aware that what made Grace visibly bristle and Julia obviously suffer meant little or nothing to her.

“Some people are not afraid of the extreme Left,” Grace said flatly.

“Right. Edward and Grace stuck by Wallace, and this was the beginning of our fight with Edward. He never forgave Damon, quite, for withdrawing from the Progressive Party before the election. These are the facts, you see, but they are not the essence.”

“And what is the essence, Julia?” Grace Kimlock inquired.

“You won’t like this, Grace,” Julia half-smiled.

“I don’t expect to. I don’t like any of it.”