Five days later, Irene has still not answered Clare’s letter. She determines that she will never do so. Silence, she decides, is the best way to deal with Clare. If Irene were to write back even to tell Clare she does not wish to meet with her, that would only encourage Clare to send another letter. The more Irene thinks about what Clare says in her note, the less she wants to become involved in Clare’s life. On top of this, Clare has provided no return address except a post office box number. Irene finds this to be rude, as if Clare worries that Irene will give her away by saying something in her letter about Clare’s being black. If Irene’s response were delivered to her home, Clare’s husband might read it. All of this—Clare’s dishonesty, lack of awareness of other people’s feelings, and lack of trust—convince Irene that she will see no more of Clare. So Irene returns all her attention to the details of her own life and tries not to think of Clare any more.

But then there is a knock on her door. Clare has tired of waiting for an answer to her letter and has come calling on Irene. Despite all the conclusions Irene had drawn, she greets Clare like an old friend. She tells her how lovely she looks. When Clare presses Irene for a reason why she did not respond, Irene only tells her that she felt scared for Clare. Clare should not be hanging out with Negroes, she says. Clare then asks, with tears in her eyes, if that means Irene no longer wants to see her. Irene insists that she is only thinking of Clare’s welfare: What if Clare’s husband found out? Even worse, what if Clare’s daughter discovered the truth—how would her daughter feel? She would not only learn that her mother was a Negro but that she was too. Might Clare’s husband take the child away from Clare? Or would he abandon both of them? Neither development would do anyone any good. What if Clare’s daughter became so angry with her mother that she never wanted to speak to or see Clare again?

Clare brushes these fears away. She does not think any of that would happen. Instead, she tells Irene that she misses her Negro friends. She wants to be with them and hear their stories and their laughter. She can never truly be herself around white people. She sees no danger in wanting some Negro companionship. Besides, she asks whose life is safe? At this, Irene has to reflect on her own recent feelings about her marriage. Irene wants to be safe. She wants her life to remain static and stable, but she worries that her husband is on the verge of changing all that. This makes her question if there is safety in anyone’s life. Certainly there is none in her life.

In the course of their conversation, Irene mentions that she is involved in a big charitable dance whose proceeds benefit a Negro organization. Clare begs Irene to invite her, but she asks this only after she learns that some very impressive white donors will be in attendance as well as blacks. Although Irene feels reluctant, she eventually gives in. After Clare leaves, Irene thinks about Clare and how persuasive she can be. Irene wonders if there is anything Clare ever wanted that she did not get.