“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

This is highly amusing, for he did not want to have a chair available for the owner of the second gallery. He did not want him in the house. However he felt quite guilty over this, for the man is a Negro, and he feared that his dislike would be taken as discrimination. To prove to himself that this indeed was not the case, he began a nervous, frenzied and altogether desperate attempt to make certain that enough chairs were available.

He was very fond as a child of Edward Briscoe, who was also Negro. Edward was poor and the victim of circumstances. He helped out in Ruburt’s household, therefore Ruburt feels that he should be extremely pleasant and helpful to any Negro, for this other boy’s sake. And so he felt extremely guilty because he did not welcome the thought of this other Negro into his house.

So Edward and this Negro owner of the gallery became entwined in Ruburt’s mind. He knew that it would be quite an occasion for this young man to visit informally, so to speak, with the mayor, though he would vehemently deny it; and yet Ruburt did not want the man in the house, therefore denying him such a privilege at least in thought.

Mark, in attempting to help this other young man, may indeed end up helping himself, for it will turn him outward. But the situation also has other dangers. Because of Mark’s background, subconsciously he fears Negroes; and the fear is so great, unfortunately, that it becomes a fascination. He is repelled and fascinated at the same time.