Leonardo da Vinci Lady With An Ermine painting

Leonardo da Vinci Lady With An Ermine paintingEdward Hopper Chop Suey paintingCaravaggio Adoration of the Shepherds painting
Victoria can hear you. Will you? Say yes if you will.”
“Yes.”
“Because even though you like the way she smells, you might hurt her feelings terribly if you said any such thing, and you wouldn’t want to hurt dear old Victoria’s feelings, I know. Would you, would you, Rufus?”
“No.”
“Because Victoria is—is colored, Rufus. That’s why her skin is so dark, and colored people are very sensitive about the way they smell. Do you know what sensitive means?”
He nodded cautiously.
“It means there are things that hurt your feelings so badly, things you can’t help, that you feel like crying, and nice colored people feel that way about the way they smell. So you be very careful. Will you? Say yes if you will?”
“Yes.”
“Now tell me what I’ve asked you to be careful about, Rufus.”
“Don’t tell Victoria she smells.”
“Or say anything about it where she can hear.”