For a moment he hung back and a glint of mischief shone in Helga’s eyes. “I see,” she said, “you’re just the same. However, you needn’t be anxious. This isn’t Naxos, you know. Nobody’s watching us, or if they are, they don’t care a bit what we do.”

At that he flushed a little, protested a little, and followed her. And when at last they had found seats in another room, not so crowded, he said: “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you were still abroad.”

“Oh, I’ve been back some time, ever since Dr. Anderson’s marriage. Anne, you know, is a great friend of mine. I used to live with her. I came for the wedding. But, of course, I’m not staying. I didn’t think I’d be here this long.”

“You don’t mean that you’re going to live over there? Do you really like it so much better?”

“Yes and no, to both questions. I was awfully glad to get back, but I wouldn’t live here always. I couldn’t. I don’t think that any of us who’ve lived abroad for any length of time would ever live here altogether again if they could help it.”

“Lot of them do, though,” James Vayle pointed out.

“Oh, I don’t mean tourists who rush over to Europe and rush all over the continent and rush back to America thinking they know Europe. I mean people who’ve actually lived there, actually lived among the people.”

“I still maintain that they nearly all come back here eventually to live.”

“That’s because they can’t help it,” Helga Crane said firmly. “Money, you know.”

“Perhaps, I’m not so sure. I was in the war. Of course, that’s not really living over there, but I saw the country and the difference in treatment. But, I can tell you, I was pretty darn glad to get back. All the fellows were.” He shook his head solemnly. “I don’t think anything, money or lack of money, keeps us here. If it was only that, if we really wanted to leave, we’d go all right. No, it’s something else, something deeper than that.”

“And just what do you think it is?”

“I’m afraid it’s hard to explain, but I suppose it’s just that we like to be together. I simply can’t imagine living forever away from colored people.”

A suspicion of a frown drew Helga’s brows. She threw out rather tartly: “I’m a Negro too, you know.”

“Well, Helga, you were always a little different, a little dissatisfied, though I don’t pretend to understand you at all. I never did,” he said a little wistfully.