飘-第143章
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l Union sympathizer。 He filled her up with such truck and she come home and begun workin’ on Mr。 O’Hara。 Scarlett； I bet my life your pa didn’t even know half the time what she was talkin’ about。 That was what she was countin’ on； that he would take the Iron Clad oath and not even know it。”
“Pa take the Iron Clad oath！” cried Scarlett。
“Well； he’d gotten right feeble in his mind these last months and I guess she was countin’ on that。 Mind you； none of us sospicioned nothin’ about it。 We knew she was cookin’ up somethin’； but we didn’t know she was usin’ your dead ma to reproach him for his daughters bein’ in rags when he could get a hundred and fifty thousand dollars out of the Yankees。”
“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars；” murmured Scarlett； her horror at the oath fading。
What a lot of money that was！ And to be had for the mere signing of an oath of allegiance to the United States government； an oath stating that the signer had always supported the government and never given aid and comfort to its enemies。 One hundred and fifty thousand dollars！ That much money for that small a lie！ Well； she couldn’t blame Suellen。 Good heavens！ Was that what Alex meant by wanting to rawhide her？ What the County meant by intending to cut her？ Fools； every one of them。 What couldn’t she do with that much money！ What couldn’t any of the folks in the County do with it！ And what did so small a lie matter？ After all； anything you could get out of the Yankees was fair money； no matter how you got it。
“Yesterday； about noon when Ashley and me were splittin’ rails； Suellen got this wagon and got your pa in it and off they went to town without a word to anybody。 Miss Melly had a notion what it was all about but she was prayin’ somethin’ would change Suellen； so she didn’t say nothin’ to the rest of us。 She just didn’t see how Suellen could do such a thing。
“Today I heard all about what happened。 That pusillanimous fellow； Hilton； had some influence with the other Scalawags and Republicans in town and Suellen had agreed to give them some of the money—I don’t know how much—if they’d kind of wink their eye about Mr。 O’Hara bein’ a loyal Union man and play on how he was an Irishman and didn’t fight in the army and so on； and sign recommendations。 All your pa had to do was take the oath and sign the paper and off it would go to Washington。
“They rattled off the oath real fast and he didn’t say nothin’ and it went right well till she got him up to the signin’ of it。 And then the old gentleman kind of come to himself for a minute and shook his head。 I don’t think he knew what it was all about but he didn’t like it and Suellen always did rub him the wrong way。 Well； that just about gave her the nervous fits after all the trouble she’d gone to。 She took him out of the office and rode him up and down the road and talked to him about your ma cryin’ out of her grave at him for lettin’ her children suffer when he could provide for them。 They tell me your pa sat there in the wagon and cried like a baby； like he always does when he hears her name。 Everybody in town saw them and Alex Fontaine went over to see what was the matter； but Suellen gave him the rough side of her tongue and told him to mind his own business； so he went off mad。
“I don’t know where she got the notion but some time in the afternoon she got a bottle of brandy and took Mr。 O’Hara back to the office and begun pourin’ it for him。 Scarlett； we haven’t had no spirits ‘round Tara for a year； just a little blackberry wine and scuppernong wine Dilcey makes； and Mr。 O’Hara warn’t used to it。 He got real drunk； and after Suellen had argued and nagged a couple of hours he gave in and said Yes； he’d sign anything she wanted。 They got the oath out again and just as he was about to put pen to paper； Suellen made her mistake。 She said： ‘Well； now。 I guess the Slatterys and the Macintoshes won’t be givin’ themselves airs over us！’ You see； Scarlett； the Slatterys had put in a claim for a big amount for that little shack of theirs that the Yankees burned and Emmie’s husband had got it through Washington for them。
“They tell me that when Suellen said those names； your pa kind of straightened up and squared his shoulders and looked at her； sharp…like。 He warn’t vague no more and he said： ‘Have the Slatterys and the Macintoshes signed somethin’ like this？’ and Suellen got nervous and said Yes and No and stuttered and he shouted right loud： Tell me； did that God…damned Orangeman and that God…damned poor white sign somethin’ like this？’ And that feller Hilton spoke up smooth…like and said： ‘Yes sir； they did and they got a pile of money like you’ll get。’
“And then the old gentleman let out a roar like a bull。 Alex Fontaine said he heard him from down the street at the saloon。 And he said with a brogue you could cut with a butterknife： ‘And were ye afther thinkin’ an O’Hara of Tara would be follyin’ the dirthy thracks of a God…damned Orangeman and a God…damned poor white？’ And he tore the paper in two and threw it in Suellen’s face and he bellowed： ‘Ye’re no daughter of mine！’ and he was out of the office before you could say Jack Robinson。
“Alex said he saw him come out on the street； chargin’ like a bull。 He said the old gentleman looked like his old self for the first time since your ma died。 Said he was reelin’ drunk and cussin’ at the top of his lungs。 Alex said he never heard such fine cussin’。 Alex’s horse was standin’ there and your pa climbed on it without a by…your…leave and off he went in a cloud of dust so thick it choked you； cussin’ every breath he drew。
“Well； about sundown Ashley and me were sittin’ on the front step； lookin’ down the road and ‘mighty worried。 Miss Melly was upstairs cryin’ on her bed and wouldn’t tell us nothin’。 Terrectly； we heard a poundin’ down the road and somebody yellin’ like they was fox huntin’ and Ashley said： That’s queer！ That sounds like Mr。 O’Hara when he used to ride over to see us before the war。’
“And then we seen him way down at the end of the pasture。 He must have jumped the fence right over there。 And he come ridin’ hell…for…leather up the hill； singin’ at the top of his voice like he didn’t have a care in the world。 I didn’t know your pa had such a voice。 He was singin’ ‘Peg in a Low…backed Car’ and beatin’ the horse with his hat and the horse was goin’ like mad。 He didn’t draw rein when he come near the top and we seen he was goin’ to jump the pasture fence and we hopped up； scared to death； and then he yelled： ‘Look； Ellen！ Watch me take this one！’ But the horse stopped right on his haunches at the fence and wouldn’t take the jump and your pa went right over his head。 He didn’t suffer none。 He was dead time we got to him。 I guess it broke his neck。”
Will waited a minute for her to speak and when she did not he picked up the reins。 “Giddap； Sherman；” he said； and the horse started on toward home。
CHAPTER XL
SCARLETT SLEPT little that night。 When the dawn had come and the sun was creeping over the black pines on the hills to the east； she rose from her tumbled bed and； seating herself on a stool by the window； laid her tired head on her arm and looked out over the barn yard and orchard of Tara toward the cotton fields。 Everything was fresh and dewy and silent and green and the sight of the cotton fields brought a measure of balm and comfort to her sore heart。 Tara； at sunrise； looked loved； well tended and at peace； for all that its master lay dead。 The squatty log chicken house was clay daubed against rats weasels and clean with whitewash； and so was the log stable。 The garden with its rows of corn； bright…yellow squash； butter beans and turnips was well weeded and neatly fenced with split…oak rails。 The orchard was cleared of underbrush and only daisies grew beneath the long rows of trees。 The sun picked out with faint glistening the apples and the furred pink peaches half hidden in the green leaves。 Beyond lay the curving rows of cotton； still and green under the gold of the new sky。 The ducks and chickens were waddling and strutting off toward the fields； for under the bushes in the soft plowed earth were found the choicest worms and slugs。
Scarlett’s heart swelled with affection and gratitude to Will who had done all of this。 Even her loyalty to Ashley could not make her believe he had been responsible for much of this well…being； for Tara’s bloom was not the work of a planter…aristocrat； but of the plodding； tireless “small farmer” who loved his land。 It was a “two…horse” farm； not the lordly plantation of other days with pastures full of mules and fine horses and cotton and corn stretching as far as eye could see。 But what there was of it was good and the acres that were lying fallow could be reclaimed when times grew better； and they would be the more fertile for their rest。
Will had done more than merely farm a few acres。 He had kept sternly at bay those two enemies of Georgia planters； the seedling pine and the blackberry brambles。 They had not stealthily taken garden and pasture and cotton field and lawn and reared themselves insolently by the porches of Tara； as they were doing on numberless plantations throughout the state。
Scarlett’s heart failed a beat when she thought how close Tara had come to going back to wilderness。 Between herself and Will； they had done a good job。 They had held off the Yankees； the Carpetbaggers and the encroachments of Nature。 And； best of all； Will had told her that after the cotton came in in the fall； she need send no more money—unless some other Carpetbagger coveted Tara and skyrocketed the taxes。 Scarlett knew Will would have a hard pull without her help but she admired and respected his independence。 As long as he was in the position of hired help he would take her money； but now that he was to become her brother…in…law and the man of the house； he intended to stand on his own efforts。 Yes； Will was something the Lord had provided。
Pork had dug the grave the night before； close by Ellen’s grave； and he stood； spade in hand； behind the moist red clay he was soon to shovel back in place。 Scarlett stood behind him in the patchy shade of a gnarled low…limbed cedar； the hot sun of the June morning dappling her； and tried to keep her eyes away from the red trench in front of her。 Jim Tarleton； little Hugh Munroe； Alex Fontaine and old man McRae’s youngest grandson came slowly and awkwardly down the path from the house bearing Gerald’s coffin on two lengths of split oak。 Behind them； at a respectful distance； followed a large straggling crowd of neighbors and friends； shabbily dressed； silent。 As they came down the sunny path through the garden； Pork bowed his head upon the top of the spade handle and cried； and Scarlett saw with incurious surprise that the kinks on his head； so jettily black when she went to Atlanta a few months before； were now grizzled。
She thanked God tiredly that she had cried all her tears the night before； so now she could stand erect and dry eyed。 The sound of Suellen’s tears； put back of her shoulder； irritated her unbearably and she had to clench her fists to keep from turning and slapping the swollen face。 Sue
