the sun shone intermittently the next morning and the hard wind that drove dark cloudsswiftly across its face rattled the windowpanes and moaned faintly about the house. scarlett said abrief prayer of thanksgiving that the rain of the previous night had ceased, for she had lain awakelistening to it, knowing that it would mean the ruin of her velvet dress and new bonnet. now thatshe could catch fleeting glimpses of the sun, her spirits soared. she could hardly remain in bed andlook languid and make croaking noises until aunt pitty, mammy and uncle peter were out of thehouse and on their way to mrs. bonnell’s. when, at last, the front gate banged and she was alone inthe house, except for cookie who was singing in the kitchen, she leaped from the bed and liftedher new clothes from the closet hooks.
sleep had refreshed her and given her strength and from the cold hard core at the bottom of herheart, she drew courage. there was something about the prospect of a straggle of wits with a man—with any man—that put her on her mettle and, after months of battling against countlessdiscouragements, the knowledge that she was at last facing a definite adversary, one whom shemight unhorse by her own efforts, gave her a buoyant sensation.
dressing unaided was difficult but she finally accomplished it and putting on the bonnet with itsrakish feathers she ran to aunt pitty’s room to preen herself in front of the long mirror. how prettyshe looked! the cock feathers gave her a dashing air and the dull-green velvet of the bonnet madeher eyes startlingly bright, almost emerald colored. and the dress was incomparable, so rich andhandsome looking and yet so dignified! it was wonderful to have a lovely dress again. it was sonice to know that she looked pretty and provocative, and she impulsively bent forward and kissedher reflection in the mirror and then laughed at her own foolishness. she picked up ellen’s paisleyshawl to wrap about her but the colors of the faded old square clashed with the moss-green dressand made her appear a little shabby. opening aunt pitty’s closet she removed a black broadclothcloak, a thin fall garment which pitty used only for sunday wear, and put it on. she slipped intoher pierced ears the diamond earrings she had brought from tara, and tossed her head to observethe effect. they made pleasant clicking noises which were very satisfactory and she thought thatshe must remember to toss her head frequently when with rhett. dancing earrings always attracteda man and gave a girl such a spirited air.
what a shame aunt pitty had no other gloves than the ones now on her fat hands! no womancould really feel like a lady without gloves, but scarlett had not had a pair since she left atlanta.
and the long months of hard work at tara had roughened her hands until they were far from pretty.
well, it couldn’t be helped. she’d take aunt pitty’s little seal muff and hide her bare hands in itscarlett felt that it gave her the final finishing touch of elegance. no one, looking at her now,would suspect that poverty and want were standing at her shoulder.
it was so important that rhett should not suspect. he must not think that anything but tenderfeelings were driving her.
she tiptoed down the stairs and out of the house while cookie bawled on unconcernedly in thekitchen. she hastened down baker street to avoid the all seeing eyes of the neighbors and sat downon a carriage block on ivy street in front of a burned house, to wait for some passing carriage orwagon which would give her a ride. the sun dipped in and out from behind hurrying clouds,lighting the street with a false brightness which had no warmth in it, and the wind fluttered the laceof her pantalets. it was colder than she had expected and she wrapped aunt pitty’s thin cloak abouther and shivered impatiently. just as she was preparing to start walking the long way across townto the yankee encampment, a battered wagon appeared. in it was an old woman with a lip full ofsnuff and a weather-beaten face under a drab sunbonnet, driving a dawdling old mule. she wasgoing in the direction of the city hall and she grudgingly gave scarlett a ride. but it was obviousthat the dress, bonnet and muff found no favor with her.
“she thinks i’m a hussy,” thought scarlett “and perhaps she’s right at that!”
when at last they reached the town square and the tall white cupola of the city hall loomed up,she made her thanks, climbed down from the wagon and watched the country woman drive off.
looking around carefully to see that she was not observed, she pinched her cheeks to give themcolor and bit her lips until they stung to make them red. she adjusted the bonnet and smoothedback her hair and looked about the square. the two-story red-brick city hall had survived theburning of the city. but it looked forlorn and unkempt under the gray sky. surrounding the buildingcompletely and covering the square of land of which it was the center were row after row of armyhuts, dingy and mud splashed. yankee soldiers loitered everywhere and scarlett looked at themuncertainly, some of her courage deserting her. how would she go about finding rhett in thisenemy camp?
she looked down the street toward the firehouse and saw that the wide arched doors were closedand heavily barred and two sentries passed and repassed on each side of the building. rhett was inthere. but what should she say to the yankee soldiers? and what would they say to her? shesquared her shoulders. if she hadn’t been afraid to kill one yankee, she shouldn’t fear merelytalking to another.
she picked her way precariously across the stepping stones of the muddy street and walkedforward until a sentry, his blue overcoat buttoned high against the wind, stopped her.
“what is it, ma’m?” his voice had a strange mid-western twang but it was polite and respectful.
“i want to see a man in there—he is a prisoner.”
“well, i don’t know,” said the sentry, scratching his head. “they are mighty particular aboutvisitors and—” he stopped and peered into her face sharply. “lord, lady! don’t you cry! you goover to post headquarters and ask the officers. they’ll let you see him, i bet.”
scarlett, who had no intention of crying, beamed at him. he turned to another sentry who wasslowly pacing his beat: “yee-ah, bill. come’eer.”
the second sentry, a large man muffled in a blue overcoat from which villainous black whiskersburst, came through the mud toward them.
“you take this lady to headquarters.”
scarlett thanked him and followed the sentry.
“mind you don’t turn your ankle on those stepping stones,” said the soldier, taking her arm.
“and you’d better hist up your skirts a little to keep them out of the mud.”
the voice issuing from the whiskers had the same nasal twang but was kind and pleasant and hishand was firm and respectful. why, yankees weren’t bad at all!
“it’s a mighty cold day for a lady to be out in,” said her escort. “have you come a fer piece?”
“oh, yes, from clear across the other side of town,” she said, warming to the kindness in hisvoice.
“this ain’t no weather for a lady to be out in,” said the soldier reprovingly, “with all this lagrippe in the air. here’s post command, lady— what’s the matter?”
“this house—this house is your headquarters?” scarlett looked up at the lovely old dwellingfacing on the square and could have cried. she had been to so many parties in this house during thewar. it had been a gay beautiful place and now—there was a large united states flag floating over it.
“what’s the matter?”
“nothing—only—only—i used to know the people who lived here.”
“well, that’s too bad. i guess they wouldn’t know it themselves if they saw it, for it shore is tornup on the inside. now, you go on in, ma’m, and ask for the captain.”
she went up the steps, caressing the broken white banisters, and pushed open the front door. thehall was dark and as cold as a vault and a shivering sentry was leaning against the closed foldingdoors of what had been, in better days, the dining room.
“i want to see the captain,” she said.
he pulled back the doors and she entered the room, her heart beating rapidly, her face flushingwith embarrassment and excitement. there was a close stuffy smell in the room, compounded ofthe smoking fire, tobacco fames, leather, damp woolen uniforms and unwashed bodies. she had aconfused impression of bare walls with torn wallpaper, rows of blue overcoats and slouch hatshung on nails, a roaring fire, a long table covered with papers and a group of officers in blueuniforms with brass buttons.
she gulped once and found her voice. she mustn’t let these yankees know she was afraid. shemust look and be her prettiest and most unconcerned self. “the captain?”
“i’m one captain,” said a fat man whose tunic was unbuttoned.
“i want to see a prisoner, captain rhett butler.”
“butler again? he’s popular, that man,” laughed the captain, taking a chewed cigar from hismouth. “you a relative, ma’m?”
“yes—his—his sister.”
he laughed again.
“he’s got a lot of sisters, one of them here yesterday.”
scarlett flushed. one of those creatures rhett consorted with, probably that watling woman.
and these yankees thought she was another one. it was unendurable. not even for tara would shestay here another minute and be insulted. she turned to the door and reached angrily for the knobbut another officer was by her side quickly. he was clean shaven and young and had merry, kindeyes.
“just a minute, ma’m. won’t you sit down here by the fire where it’s warm? i’ll go see what ican do about it. what is your name? he refused to see the—lady who called yesterday.”
she sank into the proffered chair, glaring at the discomfited fat captain, and gave her name. thenice young officer slipped on his overcoat and left the room and the others took themselves off tothe far end of the table where they talked in low tones and pawed at the papers. she stretched herfeet gratefully toward the fire, realizing for the first time how cold they were and wishing she hadthought to put a piece of cardboard over the hole in the sole of one slipper. after a time, voicesmurmured outside the door and she heard rhett’s laugh. the door opened, a cold draft swept the room and rhett appeared, hatless, a long cape thrown carelessly across his shoulders. he was dirtyand unshaven and without a cravat but somehow jaunty despite his dishabille, and his dark eyeswere snapping joyfully at the sight of her.
“scarlett!”
he had her hands in both of his and, as always, there was something hot and vital and excitingabout his grip. before she quite knew what he was about, he had bent and kissed her cheek, hismustache tickling her. as he felt the startled movement of her body away from him, he hugged herabout the shoulders and said: “my darling little sister!” and grinned down at her as if he relishedher helplessness in resisting his caress. she couldn’t help laughing back at him for the advantagehe had taken. what a rogue he was! jail had not changed him one bit.
the fat captain was muttering through his cigar to the merry-eyed officer.
“most irregular. he should be in the firehouse. you know the orders.”
“oh, for god’s sake, henry! the lady would freeze in that barn.”
“oh, all right, all right! it’s your responsibility.”
“i assure you, gentlemen,” said rhett, turning to them but still keeping a grip on scarlett’sshoulders, “my—sister hasn’t brought me any saws or files to help me escape.”
they all laughed and, as they did, scarlett looked quickly about her. good heavens, was shegoing to have to talk to rhett before six yankee officers! was he so dangerous a prisoner theywouldn’t let him out of their sight? seeing her anxious glance, the nice officer pushed open a doorand spoke brief low words to two privates who had leaped to their feet at his entrance. they pickedup their rifles and went out into the hall, closing the door behind them.
“if you wish, you may sit here in the orderly room,” said the young captain, “and don’t try tobolt through that door. the men are just outside.”
“you see what a desperate character i am, scarlett,” said rhett “thank you, captain. this ismost kind of you.”
he bowed carelessly and taking scarlett’s arm pulled her to her feet and propelled her into thedingy orderly room. she was never to remember what the room looked like except that it wassmall and dim and none too warm and there were handwritten papers tacked on the mutilated wallsand chairs which had cowhide seats with the hair still on them.
when he had closed the door behind them. rhett came to her swiftly and bent over her.
knowing his desire, she turned her head quickly but smiled provocatively at him out of the cornersof her eyes.
“can’t i really kiss you now?”
“on the forehead, like a good brother,” she answered demurely.
“thank you, no. i prefer to wait and hope for better things.” his eyes sought her lips andlingered there a moment. “but how good of you to come to see me, scarlett! you are the firstrespectable citizen who has called on me since my incarceration, and being in jail makes oneappreciate friends. when did you come to town?”
“yesterday afternoon.”
“and you came out this morning? why, my dear, you are more than good.” he smiled down ather with the first expression of honest pleasure she had ever seen on his face. scarlett smiledinwardly with excitement and ducked her head as if embarrassed.
“of course, i came out right away. aunt pitty told me about you last night and i—i just couldn’tsleep all night for thinking how awful it was. rhett, i’m so distressed!”
“why, scarlett!”
his voice was soft but there was a vibrant note in it, and looking up into his dark face she saw init none of the skepticism, the jeering humor she knew so well. before his direct gaze her eyes fellagain in real confusion. things were going even better than she hoped.
“it’s worth being in jail to see you again and to hear you say things like that. i really couldn’tbelieve my ears when they brought me your name. you see, i never expected you to forgive me formy patriotic conduct that night on the road near rough and ready. but i take it that this call meansyou have forgiven me?”
she could feel swift anger stir, even at this late date, as she thought of that night but she subduedit and tossed her head until the earrings danced.
“no, i haven’t forgiven you,” she said and pouted.
“another hope crushed. and after i offered up myself for my country and fought barefooted inthe snow at franklin and got the finest case of dysentery you ever heard of for my pains!”
“i don’t want to hear about your—pains,” she said, still pouting hut smiling at him from tip-tilted eyes. “i still think you were hateful that night and i never expect to forgive you. leaving mealone like that when anything might have happened to me!”
“but nothing did happen to you. so, you see, my confidence in you was justified. i knew you’dget home safely and god help any yankee who got in your way!”
“rhett, why on earth did you do such a silly thing—enlisting at the last minute when you knewwe were going to get licked? and after all you’d said about idiots who went out and got shot!”
“scarlett, spare me! i am always overcome with shame when i think about it.”
“well, i’m glad to learn you are ashamed of the way you treated me.”
“you misunderstand. i regret to say that my conscience has not troubled me at all aboutdeserting you. but as for enlisting—when i think of joining the army in varnished boots and awhite linen suit and armed with only a pair of dueling pistols— and those long cold miles in thesnow after my boots wore out and i had no overcoat and nothing to eat ... i cannot understand whyi did not desert. it was all the purest insanity. but it’s in one’s blood. southerners can never resist alosing cause. but never mind my reasons. it’s enough that i’m forgiven.”
“you’re not. i think you’re a hound.” but she caressed the last word until it might have been“darling.”
“don’t fib. you’ve forgiven me. young ladies don’t dare yankee sentries to see a prisoner, just for charity’s sweet sake, and come all dressed up in velvet and feathers and seal muffs too. scarlett,how pretty you look! thank god, you aren’t in rags or mourning! i get so sick of women in dowdyold clothes and perpetual crêpe. you look like the rue de la paix. turn around, my dear, and let melook at you.”
so he had noticed the dress. of course, he would notice such things, being rhett. she laughed insoft excitement and spun about on her toes, her arms extended, her hoops tilting up to show herlace trimmed pantalets. his black eyes took her in from bonnet to heels in a glance that missednothing, that old impudent unclothing glance which always gave her goose bumps.
“you look very prosperous and very, very tidy. and almost good enough to eat. if it wasn’t forthe yankees outside—but you are quite safe, my dear. sit down. i won’t take advantage of you as idid the last time i saw you.” he rubbed his cheek with pseudo ruefulness. “honestly, scarlett,don’t you think you were a bit selfish, that night? think of all i had done for you, risked my life—stolen a horse—and such a horse! rushed to the defense of our glorious cause! and what did iget for my pains? some hard words and a very hard slap in the face.”
she sat down. the conversation was not going in quite the direction she hoped. he had seemedso nice when he first saw her, so genuinely glad she had come. he had almost seemed like ahuman being and not the perverse wretch she knew so well.
“must you always get something for your pains?”
“why, of course! i am a monster of selfishness, as you ought to know. i always expect paymentfor anything i give.”
that sent a slight chill through her but she rallied and jingled her earbobs again.
“oh, you really aren’t so bad, rhett. you just like to show off.”
“my word, but you have changed!” he said and laughed. “what has made a christian of you? ihave kept up with you through miss pittypat but she gave me no intimation that you had developedwomanly sweetness. tell me more about yourself, scarlett. what have you been doing since i lastsaw you?”
the old irritation and antagonism which he roused in her was hot in her heart and she yearned tospeak tart words. but she smiled instead and the dimple crept into her cheek. he had drawn a chairclose beside hers and she leaned over and put a gentle hand on his arm, in an unconscious manner.
“oh, i’ve been doing nicely, thank you, and everything at tara is fine now. of course, we had adreadful time right after sherman went through but, after all, he didn’t burn the house and thedarkies saved most of the livestock by driving it into the swamp. and we cleared a fair crop thislast fall, twenty bales. of course, that’s practically nothing compared with what tara can do but wehaven’t many field hands. pa says, of course, we’ll do better next year. but, rhett, it’s so dull inthe country now! imagine, there aren’t any balls or barbecues and the only thing people talk aboutis hard times! goodness, i get sick of it! finally last week i got too bored to stand it any longer, sopa said i must take a trip and have a good time. so i came up here to get me some frocks made andthen i’m going over to charleston to visit my aunt. it’ll be lovely to go to balls again.”
there, she thought with pride, i delivered that with just the right airy way! not too rich but certainly not poor.
“you look beautiful in ball dresses, my dear, and you know it too, worse luck! i suppose the realreason you are going, visiting is that you have run through the county swains and are seeking freshones in fields afar.”
scarlett had a thankful thought that rhett had spent the last several months abroad and had onlyrecently come back to atlanta. otherwise, he would never have made so ridiculous a statement.
she thought briefly of the county swains, the ragged embittered little fontaines, the poverty-stricken munroe boys, the jonesboro and fayetteville beaux who were so busy plowing, splittingrails and nursing sick old animals that they had forgotten such things as balls and pleasantflirtations ever existed. but she put down this memory and giggled self-consciously as if admittingthe truth of his assertion.
“oh, well,” she said deprecatingly.
“you are a heartless creature, scarlett, but perhaps that’s part of your charm.” he smiled in hisold way, one corner of his mouth curving down, but she knew he was complimenting her. “for, ofcourse, you know you have more charm than the law should permit. even i have felt it, casehardenedthough i am. i’ve often wondered what it was about you that made me always rememberyou, for i’ve known many ladies who were prettier than you and certainly more clever and, i fear,morally more upright and kind. but, somehow, i always remembered you. even during the monthssince the surrender when i was in france and england and hadn’t seen you or heard of you andwas enjoying the society of many beautiful ladies, i always remembered you and wondered whatyou were doing.”
for a moment she was indignant that he should say other women were prettier, more clever andkind than she, but that momentary flare was wiped out in her pleasure that he had remembered herand her charm. so he hadn’t forgotten! that would make things easier. and he was behaving sonicely, almost like a gentleman would do under the circumstances. now, all she had to do wasbring the subject around to himself, so she could intimate that she had not forgotten him either andthen—she gently squeezed his arm and dimpled again.
“oh, rhett, how you do run on, teasing a country girl like me! i know mighty well you nevergave me a thought after you left me that night. you can’t tell me you ever thought of me with allthose pretty french and english girls around you. but i didn’t come all the way out here to hearyou talk foolishness about me. i came—i came— because—”
“because?”
“oh, rhett, i’m so terribly distressed about you! so frightened for you! when will they let youout of that terrible place?” he swiftly covered her hand with his and held it hard against his arm.
“your distress does you credit. there’s no telling when i’ll be out. probably when they’vestretched the rope a bit more.”
“the rope?”
“yes, i expect to make my exit from here at the rope’s end.”
“they won’t really hang you?”
“they will if they can get a little more evidence against me.”
“oh, rhett!” she cried, her hand at her heart.
“would you be sorry? if you are sorry enough, i’ll mention you in my will.”
his dark eyes laughed at her recklessly and he squeezed her hand.
his will! she hastily cast down her eyes for fear of betrayal but not swiftly enough, for his eyesgleamed, suddenly curious.
“according to the yankees, i ought to have a fine will. there seems to be considerable interestin my finances at present. every day, i am hauled up before another board of inquiry and askedfoolish questions. the rumor seems current that i made off with the mythical gold of the confederacy.”
“well—did you?”
“what a leading question! you know as well as i do that the confederacy ran a printing pressinstead of a mint.”
“where did you get all your money? speculating? aunt pittypat said—”
“what probing questions you ask!”
damn him! of course, he had the money. she was so excited it became difficult to talk sweetlyto him.
“rhett, i’m so upset about your being here. don’t you think there’s a chance of your gettingout?”
“ ‘nihil desperandum’ is my motto.”
“what does that mean?”
“it means ‘maybe,’ my charming ignoramus.”
she fluttered her thick lashes up to look at him and fluttered them down again.
“oh, you’re too smart to let them hang you! i know you’ll think of some clever way to beatthem and get out! and when you do—”
“and when i do?” he asked softly, leaning closer.
“well, i—” and she managed a pretty confusion and a blush. the blush was not difficult for shewas breathless and her heart was beating like a drum. “rhett, i’m so sorry about what i—i said toyou that night—you know—at rough and ready. i was—oh, so very frightened and upset and youwere so—so—” she looked down and saw his brown hand tighten over hers. “and—i thoughtthen that i’d never, never forgive you! but when aunt pitty told me yesterday that you—that theymight hang you—it came over me of a sudden and i—i—” she looked up into his eyes with oneswift imploring glance and in it she put an agony of heartbreak. “oh, rhett, i’d die if they hangedyou! i couldn’t bear it! you see, i—” and, because she could not longer sustain the hot leapinglight that was in his eyes, her lids fluttered down again.
in a moment i’ll be crying, she thought in a frenzy of wonder and excitement. shall i let myselfcry? would that seem more natural?
he said quickly: “my god, scarlett, you can’t mean that you—” and his hands closed over hersin so hard a grip that it hurt.
she shut her eyes tightly, trying to squeeze out tears, but remembered to turn her face up slightlyso he could kiss her with no difficulty. now, in an instant his lips would be upon hers, the hardinsistent lips which she suddenly remembered with a vividness that left her weak. but he did notkiss her. disappointment queerly stirring her, she opened her eyes a trifle and ventured a peep athim. his black head was bent over her hands and, as she watched, he lifted one and kissed it and,taking the other, laid it against his cheek for a moment. expecting violence, this gentle andloverlike gesture startled her. she wondered what expression was on his face but could not tell forhis head was bowed.
she quickly lowered her gaze lest he should look up suddenly and see the expression on herface. she knew that the feeling of triumph surging through her was certain to be plain in her eyes.
in a moment he would ask her to marry him—or at least say that he loved her and then ... as shewatched him through the veil of her lashes he turned her hand over, palm up, to kiss it too, andsuddenly he drew a quick breath. looking down she saw her own palm, saw it as it really was forthe first time in a year, and a cold sinking fear gripped her. this was a stranger’s palm, not scarletto’hara’s soft, white, dimpled, helpless one. this hand was rough from work, brown with sunburn,splotched with freckles. the nails were broken and irregular, there were heavy calluses on thecushions of the palm, a half-healed blister on the thumb. the red scar which boiling fat had left lastmonth was ugly and glaring. she looked at it in horror and, before she thought, she swiftlyclenched her fist.
still he did not raise his head. still she could not see his face. he pried her fist open inexorablyand stared at it, picked up her other hand and held them both together silently, looking down atthem.
“look at me,” he said finally raising his head, and his voice was very quiet. “and drop thatdemure expression.”
unwillingly she met his eyes, defiance and perturbation on her face. his black brows were upand his eyes gleamed.
“so you have been doing very nicely at tara, have you? cleared so much money on the cottonyou can go visiting. what have you been doing with your hands—plowing?”
she tried to wrench them away but he held them hard, running his thumbs over the calluses.
“these are not the hands of a lady,” he said and tossed them into her lap.
“oh, shut up!” she cried, feeling a momentary intense relief at being able to speak her feelings.
“whose business is it what i do with my hands?”
what a fool i am, she thought vehemently. i should have borrowed or stolen aunt pitty’s gloves.
but i didn’t realize my hands looked so bad. of course, he would notice them. and now i’ve lostmy temper and probably ruined everything. oh, to have this happen when he was right at the point of a declaration!
“your hands are certainly no business of mine,” said rhett coolly and lounged back in his chairindolently, his face a smooth blank.
so he was going to be difficult. well, she’d have to bear it meekly, much as she disliked it, if sheexpected to snatch victory from this debacle. perhaps if she sweet-talked him—“i think you’re real rude to throw off on my poor hands. just because i went riding last weekwithout my gloves and ruined them—”
“riding, hell!” he said in the same level voice. “you’ve been working with those hands,working like a nigger. what’s the answer? why did you lie to me about everything being nice attara?”
“now, rhett—”
“suppose we get down to the truth. what is the real purpose of your visit? almost, i waspersuaded by your coquettish airs that you cared something about me and were sorry for me.”
“oh, i am sorry! indeed—”
“no, you aren’t. they can hang me higher than haman for all you care. it’s written as plainly onyour face as hard work is written on your hands. you wanted something from me and you wantedit badly enough to put on quite a show. why didn’t you come out in the open and tell me what itwas? you’d have stood a much better chance of getting it, for if there’s one virtue i value inwomen it’s frankness. but no, you had to come jingling your earbobs and pouting and frisking likea prostitute with a prospective client.”
he did not raise his voice at the last words or emphasize them in any way but to scarlett theycracked like a whiplash, and with despair she saw the end of her hopes of getting him to proposemarriage. had he exploded with rage and injured vanity or upbraided her, as other men would havedone, she could have handled him. but the deadly quietness of his voice frightened her, left her utterlyat a loss as to her next move. although he was a prisoner and the yankees were in the nextroom, it came to her suddenly that rhett butler was a dangerous man to run afoul of.
“i suppose my memory is getting faulty. i should have recalled that you are just like me and thatyou never do anything without an ulterior motive. now, let me see. what could you have had upyour sleeve, mrs. hamilton? it isn’t possible that you were so misguided as to think i wouldpropose matrimony?”
her face went crimson and she did not answer.
“but you can’t have forgotten my oft-repeated remark that i am not a marrying man?”
when she did not speak, he said with sudden violence:
“you hadn’t forgotten? answer me.”
“i hadn’t forgotten,” she said wretchedly.
“what a gambler you are, scarlett,” he jeered. “you took a chance that my incarceration awayfrom female companionship would put me in such a state i’d snap at you like a trout at a worm.”
and that’s what you did, thought scarlett with inward rage, and if it hadn’t been for my hands—“now, we have most of the truth, everything except your reason. see if you can tell me the truthabout why you wanted to lead me into wedlock.”
there was a suave, almost teasing note in his voice and she took heart. perhaps everythingwasn’t lost, after all. of course, she had ruined any hope of marriage but, even in her despair, shewas glad. there was something about this immobile man which frightened her, so that now thethought of marrying him was fearful. but perhaps if she was clever and played on his sympathiesand his memories, she could secure a loan. she pulled her face into a placating and childlikeexpression.
“oh, rhett, you can help me so much—if you’ll just be sweet.”
“there’s nothing i like better than being—sweet.”
“rhett, for old friendship’s sake, i want you to do me a favor.”
“so, at last the horny-handed lady comes to her real mission. i feared that ‘visiting the sick andthe imprisoned’ was not your proper role. what do you want? money?”
the bluntness of his question ruined all hopes of leading up to the matter in any circuitous andsentimental way.
“don’t be mean, rhett,” she coaxed. “i do want some money. i want you to lend me threehundred dollars.”
“the truth at last. talking love and thinking money. how truly feminine! do you need themoney badly?”
“oh, ye— well, not so terribly but i could use it”
“three “hundred dollars. that’s a vast amount of money. what do you want it for?”
“to pay taxes on tara.”
“so you want to borrow some money. well, since you’re so businesslike, i’ll be businesslike too.
what collateral will you give me?”
“what what?”
“collateral. security on my investment. of course, i don’t want to lose all that money.” hisvoice was deceptively smooth, almost silky, but she did not notice. maybe everything would turnout nicely after all.
“my earrings.”
“i’m not interested in earrings.”
“i’ll give you a mortgage on tara.”
“now just what would i do with a farm?”
“well, you could—you could—it’s a good plantation. and you wouldn’t lose. i’d pay you backout of next year’s cotton.”
“i’m not so sure.” he tilted back in his chair and stuck his hands in his pockets. “cotton pricesare dropping. times are so hard and money’s so tight.”
“oh, rhett, you are teasing me! you know you have millions!”
there was a warm dancing malice in his eyes as he surveyed her.
“so everything is going nicely and you don’t need the money very badly. well, i’m glad to hearthat. i like to know that all is well with old friends.”
“oh, rhett, for god’s sake ...” she began desperately, her courage and control breaking,“do lower your voice. you don’t want the yankees to hear you, i hope. did anyone ever tell youyou had eyes like a cat—a cat in the dark?”
“rhett, don’t! i’ll tell you everything. i do need the money so badly. i—i lied about everythingbeing all right. everything’s as wrong as it could be. father is—is—he’s not himself. he’s beenqueer ever since mother died and he can’t help me any. he’s just like a child. and we haven’t asingle field hand to work the cotton and there’s so many to feed, thirteen of us. and the taxes—they are so high. rhett, i’ll tell you everything. for over a year we’ve been just this side ofstarvation. oh, you don’t know! you can’t know! we’ve never had enough to eat and it’s terrible towake up hungry and go to sleep hungry. and we haven’t any warm clothes and the children are alwayscold and sick and—”
“where did you get the pretty dress?”
“it’s made out of mother’s curtains,” she answered, too desperate to lie about this shame. “icould stand being hungry and cold but now—now the carpetbaggers have raised our taxes. andthe money’s got to be paid right away. and i haven’t any money except one five-dollar gold piece.
i’ve got to have money for the taxes! don’t you see? if i don’t pay them, i’ll—we’ll lose tara andwe just can’t lose it! i can’t let it go!”
“why didn’t you tell me all this at first instead of preying on my susceptible heart—alwaysweak where pretty ladies are concerned? no, scarlett, don’t cry. you’ve tried every trick exceptthat one and i don’t think i could stand it. my feelings are already lacerated with disappointment atdiscovering it was my money and not my charming self you wanted.”
she remembered that he frequently told bald truths about himself when he spoke mockingly—mocking himself as well as others, and she hastily looked up at him. were his feelings really hurt?
did he really care about her? had he been on the verge of a proposal when he saw her palms? orhad he only been leading up to another such odious proposal as he had made twice before? if hereally cared about her, perhaps she could smooth him down. but his black eyes raked her in nolover-like way and he was laughing softly.
“i don’t like your collateral. i’m no planter. what else have you to offer?”
well, she had come to it at last. now for it! she drew a deep breath and met his eyes squarely,all coquetry and airs gone as her spirit rushed out to grapple that which she feared most.
“i—i have myself.”
“yes?”
her jaw line tightened to squareness and her eyes went emerald.
“you remember that night on aunt pitty’s porch, during the siege? you said—you said then thatyou wanted me.”
he leaned back carelessly in his chair and looked into her tense face and his own dark face wasinscrutable. something flickered behind his eyes but he said nothing.
“you said—you said you’d never wanted a woman as much as you wanted me. if you still wantme, you can have me, rhett, i’ll do anything you say but, for god’s sake, write me a draft for themoney! my word’s good. i swear it. i won’t go back on it. i’ll put it in writing if you like.”
he looked at her oddly, still inscrutable and as she hurried on she could not tell if he wereamused or repelled. if he would only say something, anything! she felt her cheeks getting hot.
“i have got to have the money soon, rhett. they’ll turn us out in the road and that damnedoverseer of father’s will own the place and—”
“just a minute. what makes you think i still want you? what makes you think you are worththree hundred dollars? most women don’t come that high.”
she blushed to her hair line and her humiliation was complete.
“why are you doing this? why not let the farm go and live at miss pittypat’s. you own half thathouse.”
“name of god!” she cried. “are you a fool? i can’t let tara go. it’s home. i won’t let it go. notwhile i’ve got breath left in me!”
“the irish,” said he, lowering his chair back to level and removing his hands from his pockets,“are the damnedest race. they put so much emphasis on so many wrong things. land, for instance.
and every bit of earth is just like every other bit. now, let me get this straight, scarlett. you arecoming to me with a business proposition. i’ll give you three hundred dollars and you’ll becomemy mistress.”
“yes.”
now that the repulsive word had been said, she felt somehow easier and hope awoke in heragain. he had said “i’ll give you.” there was a diabolic gleam in his eyes as if something amusedhim greatly.
“and yet, when i had the effrontery to make you this same proposition, you turned me out of thehouse. and also you called me a number of very hard names and mentioned in passing that youdidn’t want a ‘passel of brats.’ no, my dear, i’m not rubbing it in. i’m only wondering at thepeculiarities of your mind. you wouldn’t do it for your own pleasure but you will to keep the wolfaway from the door. it proves my point that all virtue is merely a matter of prices.”
“oh, rhett, how you run on! if you want to insult me, go on and do it but give me the money.”
she was breathing easier now. being what he was, rhett would naturally want to torment andinsult her as much as possible to pay her back for past slights and for her recent attempted trickery.
well, she could stand it. she could stand anything. tara was worth it all. for a brief moment it wasmid-summer and the afternoon skies were blue and she lay drowsily in the thick clover of tara’s lawn, looking up at the billowing cloud castles, the fragrance of white blossoms in her nose and thepleasant busy humming of bees in her ears. afternoon and hush and the far-off sound of thewagons coming in from the spiraling red fields. worth it all, worth more.
her head went up.
“are you going to give me the money?”
he looked as if he were enjoying himself and when he spoke there was suave brutality in hisvoice.
“no, i’m not,” he said.
for a moment her mind could not adjust itself to his words.
“i couldn’t give it to you, even if i wanted to. i haven’t a cent on me. not a dollar in atlanta. ihave some money, yes, but not here. and i’m not saying where it is or how much. but if i tried todraw a draft on it, the yankees would be on me like a duck on a june bug and then neither of uswould get it. what do you think of that?”
her face went an ugly green, freckles suddenly standing out across her nose and her contortedmouth was like gerald’s in a killing rage. she sprang to her feet with an incoherent cry whichmade the hum of voices in the next room cease suddenly. swift as a panther, rhett was beside her,his heavy hand across her mouth, his arm tight about her waist. she struggled against him madly,trying to bite his hand, to kick his legs, to scream her rage, despair, hate, her agony of brokenpride. she bent and twisted every way against the iron of his arm, her heart near bursting, her tightstays cutting off her breath. he held her so tightly, so roughly that it hurt and the hand over hermouth pinched into her jaws cruelly. his face was white under its tan, his eyes hard and anxious ashe lifted her completely off her feet, swung her up against his chest and sat down in the chair,holding her writhing in his lap.
“darling, for god’s sake! stop! hush! don’t yell. they’ll be in here in a minute if you do. docalm yourself. do you want the yankees to see you like this?”
she was beyond caring who saw her, beyond anything except a fiery desire to kill him, butdizziness was sweeping her. she could not breathe; he was choking her; her stays were like aswiftly compressing band of iron; his arms about her made her shake with helpless hate and fury.
then his voice became thin and dim and his face above her swirled in a sickening mist whichbecame heavier and heavier until she no longer saw him—or anything else.
when she made feeble swimming motions to come back to consciousness, she was tired to herbones, weak, bewildered. she was lying back in the chair, her bonnet off, rhett was slapping herwrist, his black eyes searching her face anxiously. the nice young captain was trying to pour aglass of brandy into her mouth and had spilled it down her neck. the other officers hoveredhelplessly about, whispering and waving their hands.
“i—guess i must have fainted,” she said, and her voice sounded so far away it frightened her.
“drink this,” said rhett, taking the glass and pushing it against her lips. now she rememberedand glared feebly at him but she was too tired for anger.
“please, for my sake.”
she gulped and choked and began coughing but he pushed it to her mouth again. she swalloweddeeply and the hot liquid burned suddenly in her throat.
“i think she’s better now, gentlemen,” said rhett, “and i thank you very much. the realizationthat i’m to be executed was too much for her.”
the group in blue shuffled their feet and looked embarrassed and after several clearings ofthroats, they tramped out. the young captain paused in the doorway.
“if there’s anything more i can do—”
“no, thank you.”
he went out, closing the door behind him.
“drink some more,” said rhett“no.”
“drink it.”
she swallowed another mouthful and the warmth began spreading through her body and strengthflowed slowly back into her shaking legs. she pushed away the glass and tried to rise but hepressed her back.
“take your hands off me. i’m going.”
“not yet. wait a minute. you might faint again.”
“i’d rather faint in the road than be here with you.”
“just the same, i won’t have you fainting in the road.”
“let me go. i hate you.”
a faint smile came back to his face at her words.
“that sounds more like you. you must be feeling better.”
she lay relaxed for a moment, trying to summon anger to her aid, trying to draw on her strength.
but she was too tired. she was too tired to hate or to care very much about anything. defeat lay onher spirit like lead. she had gambled everything and lost everything. not even pride was left. thiswas the dead end of her last hope. this was the end of tara, the end of them all. for a long timeshe lay back with her eyes closed, hearing his heavy breathing near her, and the glow of the brandycrept gradually over her, giving a false strength and warmth. when finally she opened her eyes andlooked him in the face, anger had roused again. as her slanting eyebrows rushed down together ina frown rhett’s old smile came back.
“now you are better. i can tell it by your scowl.”
“of course, i’m all right. rhett butler, you are hateful, a skunk, if ever i saw one! you knewvery well what i was going to say as soon as i started talking and you knew you weren’t going togive me the money. and yet you let me go right on. you could have spared me—”
“spared you and missed hearing all that? not much. i have so few diversions here. i don’t knowwhen i’ve ever heard anything so gratifying.” he laughed his sudden mocking laugh. at the sound she leaped to her feet, snatching up her bonnet.
he suddenly had her by the shoulders.
“not quite yet. do you feel well enough to talk sense?”
“let me go!”
“you are well enough, i see. then, tell me this. was i the only iron you had in the fire?” hiseyes were keen and alert, watching every change in her face.
“what do you mean?”
“was i the only man you were going to try this on?”
“is that any of your business?”
“more than you realize. are there any other men on your string? tell me!”
“no.”
“incredible. i can’t imagine you without five or six in reserve. surely someone will turn up toaccept your interesting proposition. i feel so sure of it that i want to give you a little advice.”
“i don’t want your advice.”
“nevertheless i will give it. advice seems to be the only thing i can give you at present. listento it, for it’s good advice. when you are trying to get something out of a man, don’t blurt it out asyou did to me. do try to be more subtle, more seductive. it gets better results. you used to knowhow, to perfection. but just now when you offered me your—er—collateral for my money youlooked as hard as nails. i’ve seen eyes like yours above a dueling pistol twenty paces from me andthey aren’t a pleasant sight. they evoke no ardor in the male breast. that’s no way to handle men,my dear. you are forgetting your early training.”
“i don’t need you to tell me how to behave,” she said and wearily put on her bonnet. shewondered how he could jest so blithely with a rope about his neck and her pitiful circumstancesbefore him. she did not even notice that his hands were jammed in his pockets in hard fists as if hewere straining at his own impotence.
“cheer up,” he said, as she tied the bonnet strings. “you can come to my hanging and it willmake you feel lots better. it’ll even up all your old scores with me—even this one. and i’llmention you in my will.”
“thank you, but they may not hang you till it’s too late to pay the taxes,” she said with a suddenmalice that matched his own, and she meant it.
第二天清晨，太阳断断续续地照耀着，狂风驱赶乌云飞速地掠过它的面孔，刮得窗玻璃发出嘎嘎的响声，在房屋周围隐隐地呼喊着。思嘉念了一句简短的祈祷。感谢头天晚上的雨已经停了，因为她曾躲在床上听着雨哗哗地下个不停，心想这样下去她的开鹅绒新衣服和新帽子就全完了。如今她能偶尔看见太阳在短暂地露用了，她的兴致便飞扬起来。她在床上几乎躺不住了，也没法再装出困倦的样子和发出抱怨的叫声，一心等待皮蒂姑妈，嬷嬷和彼得大叔出门到邦内太太家去。终于，大门砰的一声关了，剩下她一个留在家里，另外只有厨娘在厨房里唱歌，这时她从床上一跃而起，赶快把衣橱挂钩上的新衣裳取下来。
经过一夜休息，她又觉得头脑清醒、精力充沛了，于是她开始从内心深处汲取勇气。看来她还得同一个男人----同任何一个男人----在智力上进行一声无情的搏斗。这使得她大受鼓舞，而且经历了期以来的无数挫折和斗争，她懂得自己终于遇到了一个毫不含糊、而她能够凭自己的努力予以打翻的敌手，想到这里她颇有洋洋得意之感。
没有人帮忙穿衣裳，这确是一件难事，但最终还是完成了，接着她戴上那顶装有华丽的羽饰的帽子，跑到皮蒂姑妈房里，在穿衣镜前装扮起来，她看上去多么漂亮啊！那几支公鸡毛赋予她一种俏皮的神气，而暗绿天鹅绒帽子更使她的眼睛分外增辉，几乎成了翡翠色了。而且衣裳也是无比出色的。显得那么富丽、大方，可又十高雅！能够再次穿上一件称心的衣裳，真是妙不可言了！看到自己显得美丽动人，这是令人愉快的，她不禁俯身向前去亲吻镜子里的映像，但立即又自嘲太傻气了。她拿起爱伦的那条羊毛披肩围在自己身上，可是它那些暗淡了的方块的颜色与苔绿色的衣裳极不协调，这反而使她显得有点寒酸了。她把皮蒂姑妈的衣橱打开，取下一件宽幅绒布的外套，一件皮蒂姑妈只在礼拜日才穿的薄薄的秋大衣，把它穿在身上。她把从塔拉带来的那副钻石耳环利落地穿进自己那两只穿过耳朵眼的耳垂上，然后把晃晃头观看效果。耳环发出愉快的丁当声，令人听着非常满意，以致她想同瑞德在一起时一定要记住常常摇头才好。跳跃着的耳环总是能吸引男人并给予一个姑娘天真活泼的神气的。
多寒碜，皮蒂姑妈除了她那双胖手上戴的手套以外便没有别的手套了！女人不戴手套就难以叫人觉得是位上流社会的太太，可是思嘉自从离开亚特兰大以来就没有过。在塔拉的期艰苦岁月中，她的手被磨得粗糙乃至很难说是秀丽的了。好吧，这已经是无法弥补的事。她想用皮蒂姑妈那个海豹皮手筒，好将自己的手戴在里面。思嘉觉得这样一来她那身雅致的打扮就算完美无缺了。现在谁见了她也不会疑心她正负荷着贫穷和匮乏的重担了吧？
最重要的是不要让瑞德产生疑心，决不能叫他想她这次来访可能别有所图，而不是出于对他的好感。
她踮着脚尖走下楼梯，走出屋外，此时厨娘还在厨房里随意叫嚷着呢。她沿着贝克街匆匆向前走，避免邻居们所有注视的眼光，接着在艾维街一所烧毁了的房子前面的候车处坐下，等待有马车或货车经过时请人家让她搭乘一程，太阳在匆匆飞渡的云朵后面时隐时现，以一种变幻莫测的光辉照辉着大街，毫无暖意的寒风却吹拂着内裤腿下的饰边，这使她觉得天气比原先设想的冷多了，便把皮蒂姑妈的那件薄外套紧裹着身子，但仍禁不住瑟瑟发抖。正当她准备步行穿过城镇到北方佬营地去时，一辆破旧的货车来了，车上有个老太婆，嘴唇上满是鼻烟潭，那张久经风霜的脸躲在一顶皱巴巴的太阳帽底下，她赶着一匹慢悠悠的老骡子，她是朝市政厅方向去的。但经过思嘉恳求才无可奈何地答应带她一程。不过显然，那衣裳、帽子和皮毛手筒并没有赢得老太婆对她的好感。
“她还以为我是个贱货呢，"思嘉心想。"不过也许她竟猜对了！"她们终于到了广场，看得见市政厅的圆屋顶了。她向老太婆道谢，爬下货车，眼看着这个老太婆驾车走了。她仔细环顾四周，发现没有人注意她，便使劲捏了捏两颊，让面颊泛起红晕，又紧咬嘴唇，直到嘴唇痛得涨红了，她整了整头上的帽子，将头发往后抿得整整齐齐，然后环顾广常那幢两屋楼的红砖市政厅是城镇被焚毁时幸存下来的，它在灰蒙蒙的天宇下显得荒凉而又凌乱。它的四周，在以这一建筑物为中心的广场上，遍布着一排排溅满泥污的军营棚屋。北方士兵在到处溜达。思嘉心怀疑惧地看着他们，原先的勇气有点动摇了。她怎么在这座敌人军营中去寻找瑞德呢？
她朝大街前边的消防站望去，发现那些宽阔的拱门都紧紧闭着并且扣上了笨重的铁杠。有两个哨兵分别在房子的两旁来回走动。瑞德就在那里面，可是她该对那些北方佬怎么说呢？他们又会怎样回答她呢？她两肩向后一靠，挺起胸来。
既然她有胆量杀死一个北方佬，她就不应该连对另一个北方佬说话的胆怯啊！
她小翼翼踩着街上泥泞中那些垫脚石朝前走去，直到一个因为怕冷而把外套扣子全部扣上的哨兵把她拦祝"怎么回事，太太？"他带有中西部口音，但还是客客气气的。
“我想到里面去看一个人----他是个犯人。"“这个嘛，恐怕不行，"哨兵说，一边摸摸头。"这里对于探监规定可严格呢，而且----"他说到这时便打住了，一面机警地注视着思嘉。"怎么，太太，你别哭呀！你到那边总部去问问那些当官的。我敢保证他们会让你去看他的。"思嘉本来不想哭，这时便朝他笑了。他回过头来对另一个正在缓缓踱步的哨兵喊道：“喂，比尔，你来一下。"后一个哨兵是个大块头，穿着一件蓝上衣，只露出一脸令人厌恶的黑络腮胡。他踩着泥泞向他们走来。
“你带这位太太到总部去。”
思嘉向他道谢，然后跟着哨兵走了。
“请当心，别在这些垫脚石上扭伤了脚，"哨兵说着，搀着她的胳臂。"你最好把衣裳撩起一点，免得溅上污泥。"从络腮胡中发出的声音带有浓重的鼻音，但也是温和愉快的。他搀扶着她的手显得既坚定又有礼貌。怎么，北方佬并不全是坏人嘛！
“这么大冷天，一位太太出门可不容易呀，"她的这位"扈从"温情地说，"你走了很远一段路吧？"“唔，是的，从城镇对面一直走过来的呢！"她答道，由于哨兵说话的气使她感觉暖和起来。
“这天气可不适于让太太们外出的呀，”哨兵似乎带点责备地说，"很容易感冒埃喏，这就是哨兵指挥部，太太----你有什么事？"“这房子----这房子就是你们的总部？"思嘉抬头注视着这所可爱的面对广场的老住宅，几乎要哭了。战争年代她参加过在这里举行的多少晚会埃它本来是个那么令人愉快美丽的地方，可如今----屋顶上飘扬着一面合众国的旗帜。
“怎么啦？”
“没什么----只不过----只不过我从前认识住在这里的人。"“唔，那可太叫人扫兴了。我猜想现在连他们自己看见了认不出来了，因为里面实在已经损毁得不成样子。好，你进去吧，太太，去找队长。"她走上台阶，一路抚摩着那些损坏的白栏杆，然后推开前门，大厅阴暗而寒冷，像个地下墓穴似的。一个冻得瑟瑟发抖的哨兵倚在那扇紧闭的双开门上，在过去兴旺的时候这里原是饭厅。
“我要见队长，"她说。
他把门拉开，让她进去，此时她的心脏紧张地跳着，她的脸颊因感到窘迫和激动而涨得通红。房子里一股闭塞沉闷的气息，混杂着烟火、烟叶、皮革、发潮的毛料制服和汗臭的身躯的气味，她的看到破碎壁纸的光裸的墙壁，一排排挂在铁钉上的蓝军服和皱巴巴的帽子，一堆咝咝响的柴火，一张放满了文件的长桌和一群穿铜钮扣蓝制服的军官。
她吞了一口气，觉得自己能说出话来了。她可能让这些北方佬知道她害怕呀。她一定要在他们面前显露出她最漂亮最大方的本相。
“谁是队长？”
“我是队长，"一个敞开紧身上衣的胖子回答说。
“我要看个犯人，他叫瑞德·巴特勒船长。"“又是巴特勒！此人可真是交际广泛，"队长笑着说，从嘴上摘下一支咬碎了的雪茄。"你是亲属，太太？"“是的----是----他的妹妹。"他又笑起来。
“他的姐妹可真多呀，昨天还刚来过一个呢！"思嘉脸红了。同瑞德·巴特勒厮混的一个贱货，很可能就是那个叫沃特琳的女人。而这些北方佬却把她当作又一个那样的人了。这是不能容忍的。即算是为了塔拉的命运，她也决不能再地这里逗留哪怕一分钟来蒙受这样的耻辱了。她转身向门口走去恼怒地去抓住门把手，这时另一个军官很快来到她身旁。他是个刚刮过脸、眼神显得愉快而和气的青年人。
“等一等，太太，你在火炉边暖的地方坐坐好吗？我去试试给你想点办法。你叫什么名字？昨天的那位----女士，他可是拒绝会见她呢。"她在挪过来的椅子坐下，瞪着眼睛看着显得很尴尬的胖队长，报了自己名字。机灵的青年军官匆匆穿上外套出去了，其余的人都挪到桌子的另一边，在那里低志谈论和翻动公文。
她乐得把双脚伸到火炉边取暖。这时才发现脚已冻得多么厉害，她想起如果事先在那只便鞋脚跟的洞里塞进一块硬纸片，那该多么好呀。不一会儿，门外传来一阵低声细语，她听见瑞德的笑声。门一打开，随着一股冷风冲进房里，瑞德出现了，他没戴帽子，只随便披上了一个披肩。他显得很脏，没有刮脸，也没系领结。但看起来情绪还挺不错，一见思嘉便眨着那双黑眼睛笑开了。
“思嘉！”
他拉起她的双手，并像以往那样热烈、充满激情地紧紧握住不放。在她还没意识到他的用意时，他已经低直头吻她的两颊，那髭须刺得她痒痒的了。他感到她的身子在惊惶中回避他，但他紧紧抱住她的双肩说：“我的乖妹妹！"接着便列开大嘴笑嘻嘻地瞧着她，似乎在欣赏她无法抗拒他的爱抚时的窘相，她也只好对他这种强占便宜的手段报以笑声了。真是十足的流氓！监狱也没能改变他一丝一毫。
胖队长边吸雪茄边对那个快活的军官嘀咕着什么。
