飘-第194章

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ctically　every　social　organization。　The　Thalians；　the　Sewing　Circle　for　the　Widows　and　Orphans　of　the　Confederacy；　the　Association　for　the　Beautification　of　the　Graves　of　Our　Glorious　Dead；　the　Saturday　Night　Musical　Circle；　the　Ladies　Evening　Cotillion　Society；　the　Young　Men’s　Library　were　all　involved。　So　were　four　churches　with　their　Ladies’　Aid　and　Missionary　societies。　Great　care　had　to　be　taken　to　avoid　putting　members　of　warring　factions　on　the　same　committees。
　On　their　regular　afternoons　at　home；　Atlanta　matrons　were　in　anguish　from　four　to　six　o’clock　for　fear　Melanie　and　Scarlett　would　call　at　the　same　time　India　and　her　loyal　kin　were　in　their　parlors。
　Of　all　the　family；　poor　Aunt　Pitty　suffered　the　most。　Pitty；　who　desired　nothing　except　to　live　comfortably　amid　the　love　of　her　relatives；　would　have　been　very　pleased；　in　this　matter；　to　run　with　the　hares　and　hunt　with　the　hounds。　But　neither　the　hares　nor　the　hounds　would　permit　this。
　India　lived　with　Aunt　Pitty　and；　if　Pitty　sided　with　Melanie；　as　she　wished　to　do；　India　would　leave。　And　if　India　left　her；　what　would　poor　Pitty　do　then？　She　could　not　live　alone。　She　would　have　to　get　a　stranger　to　live　with　her　or　she　would　have　to　close　up　her　house　and　go　and　live　with　Scarlett　Aunt　Pitty　felt　vaguely　that　Captain　Butler　would　not　care　for　this。　Or　she　would　have　to　go　and　live　with　Melanie　and　sleep　in　the　little　cubbyhole　that　was　Beau’s　nursery。
　Pitty　was　not　overly　fond　of　India；　for　India　intimidated　her　with　her　dry；　stiff…necked　ways　and　her　passionate　convictions。　But　she　made　it　possible　for　Pitty　to　keep　her　own　comfortable　establishment　and　Pitty　was　always　swayed　more　by　considerations　of　personal　comfort　than　by　moral　issues。　And　so　India　remained。
　But　her　presence　in　the　house　made　Aunt　Pitty　a　storm　center；　for　both　Scarlett　and　Melanie　took　that　to　mean　that　she　sided　with　India。　Scarlett　curtly　refused　to　contribute　more　money　to　Pitty’s　establishment　as　long　as　India　was　under　the　same　roof。　Ashley　sent　India　money　every　week　and　every　week　India　proudly　and　silently　returned　it；　much　to　the　old　lady’s　alarm　and　regret。　Finances　at　the　red…brick　house　would　have　been　in　a　deplorable　state；　but　for　Uncle　Henry’s　intervention；　and　it　humiliated　Pitty　to　take　money　from　him。
　Pitty　loved　Melanie　better　than　anyone　in　the　world；　except　herself；　and　now　Melly　acted　like　a　cool；　polite　stranger。　Though　she　practically　lived　in　Pitty’s　back　yard；　she　never　once　came　through　the　hedge　and　she　used　to　run　in　and　out　a　dozen　times　a　day。　Pitty　called　on　her　and　wept　and　protested　her　love　and　devotion；　but　Melanie　always　refused　to　discuss　matters　and　never　returned　the　calls。
　Pitty　knew　very　well　what　she　owed　Scarlett—almost　her　very　existence。　Certainly　in　those　black　days　after　the　war　when　Pitty　was　faced　with　the　alternative　of　Brother　Henry　or　starvation；　Scarlett　had　kept　her　home　for　her；　fed　her；　clothed　her　and　enabled　her　to　hold　up　her　head　in　Atlanta　society。　And　since　Scarlett　had　married　and　moved　into　her　own　home；　she　had　been　generosity　itself。　And　that　frightening　fascinating　Captain　Butler—frequently　after　he　called　with　Scarlett；　Pitty　found　brand…new　purses　stuffed　with　bills　on　her　console　table　or　lace　handkerchiefs　knotted　about　gold　pieces　which　had　been　slyly　slipped　into　her　sewing　box。　Rhett　always　vowed　he　knew　nothing　about　them　and　accused　her；　in　a　very　unrefined　way；　of　having　a　secret　admirer；　usually　the　bewhiskered　Grandpa　Merriwether。
　Yes；　Pitty　owed　love　to　Melanie；　security　to　Scarlett；　and　what　did　she　owe　India？　Nothing；　except　that　India’s　presence　kept　her　from　having　to　break　up　her　pleasant　life　and　make　decisions　for　herself。　It　was　all　most　distressing　and　too；　too　vulgar　and　Pitty；　who　had　never　made　a　decision　for　herself　in　her　whole　life；　simply　let　matters　go　on　as　they　were　and　as　a　result　spent　much　time　in　uncomforted　tears。
　In　the　end；　some　people　believed　whole…heartedly　in　Scarlett’s　innocence；　not　because　of　her　own　personal　virtue　but　because　Melanie　believed　in　it。　Some　had　mental　reservations　but　they　were　courteous　to　Scarlett　and　called　on　her　because　they　loved　Melanie　and　wished　to　keep　her　love。　India’s　adherents　bowed　coldly　and　some　few　cut　her　openly。　These　last　were　embarrassing；　infuriating；　but　Scarlett　realized　that；　except　for　Melanie’s　championship　and　her　quick　action；　the　face　of　the　whole　town　would　have　been　set　against　her　and　she　would　have　been　an　outcast。
　
　CHAPTER　LVI
　RHETT　WAS　GONE　for　three　months　and　during　that　time　Scarlett　had　no　word　from　him。　She　did　not　know　where　he　was　or　how　long　he　would　be　gone。　Indeed；　she　had　no　idea　if　he　would　ever　return。　During　this　time；　she　went　about　her　business　with　her　head　high　and　her　heart　sick。　She　did　not　feel　well　physically　but；　forced　by　Melanie；　she　went　to　the　store　every　day　and　tried　to　keep　up　a　superficial　interest　in　the　mills。　But　the　store　palled　on　her　for　the　first　time　and；　although　the　business　was　treble　what　it　had　been　the　year　before　and　the　money　rolling　in；　she　could　take　no　interest　in　it　and　was　sharp　and　cross　with　the　clerks。　Johnnie　Gallegher’s　mill　was　thriving　and　the　lumber　yard　selling　all　his　supply　easily；　but　nothing　Johnnie　did　or　said　pleased　her。　Johnnie；　as　Irish　as　she；　finally　erupted　into　rage　at　her　naggings　and　threatened　to　quit；　after　a　long　tirade　which　ended　with　“and　the　back　of　both　me　hands　to　you；　Ma’m；　and　the　curse　of　Cromwell　on　you。”　She　had　to　appease　him　with　the　most　abject　of　apologies。
　She　never　went　to　Ashley’s　mill。　Nor　did　she　go　to　the　lumber…yard　office　when　she　thought　he　would　be　there。　She　knew　he　was　avoiding　her；　knew　that　her　constant　presence　in　his　house；　at　Melanie’s　inescapable　invitations；　was　a　torment　to　him。　They　never　spoke　alone　and　she　was　desperate　to　question　him。　She　wanted　to　know　whether　he　now　hated　her　and　exactly　what　he　had　told　Melanie；　but　he　held　her　at　arm’s　length　and　silently　pleaded　with　her　not　to　speak。　The　sight　of　his　face；　old；　haggard　with　remorse；　added　to　her　load；　and　the　fact　that　his　mill　lost　money　every　week　was　an　extra　irritant　which　she　could　not　voice。
　His　helplessness　in　the　face　of　the　present　situation　irked　her。　She　did　not　know　what　he　could　do　to　better　matters　but　she　felt　that　he　should　do　something。　Rhett　would　have　done　something。　Rhett　always　did　something；　even　if　it　was　the　wrong　thing；　and　she　unwillingly　respected　him　for　it。
　Now　that　her　first　rage　at　Rhett　and　his　insults　had　passed；　she　began　to　miss　him　and　she　missed　him　more　and　more　as　days　went　by　without　news　of　him。　Out　of　the　welter　of　rapture　and　anger　and　heartbreak　and　hurt　pride　that　he　had　left；　depression　emerged　to　sit　upon　her　shoulder　like　a　carrion　crow。　She　missed　him；　missed　his　light　flippant　touch　in　anecdotes　that　made　her　shout　with　laughter；　his　sardonic　grin　that　reduced　troubles　to　their　proper　proportions；　missed　even　his　jeers　that　stung　her　to　angry　retort。　Most　of　all　she　missed　having　him　to　tell　things　to。　Rhett　was　so　satisfactory　in　that　respect　She　could　recount　shamelessly　and　with　pride　how　she　had　skinned　people　out　of　their　eyeteeth　and　he　would　applaud。　And　if　she　even　mentioned　such　things　to　other　people　they　were　shocked。
　She　was　lonely　without　him　and　Bonnie。　She　missed　the　child　more　than　she　had　thought　possible。　Remembering　the　last　harsh　words　Rhett　had　hurled　at　her　about　Wade　and　Ella；　she　tried　to　fill　in　some　of　her　empty　hours　with　them。　But　it　was　no　use。　Rhett’s　words　and　the　children’s　reactions　opened　her　eyes　to　a　startling；　a　galling　truth。　During　the　babyhood　of　each　child　she　had　been　too　busy；　too　worried　with　money　matters；　too　sharp　and　easily　vexed；　to　win　their　confidence　or　affection。　And　now；　it　was　either　too　late　or　she　did　not　have　the　patience　or　the　wisdom　to　penetrate　their　small　secretive　hearts。
　Ella！　It　annoyed　Scarlett　to　realize　that　Ella　was　a　silly　child　but　she　undoubtedly　was。　She　couldn’t　keep　her　little　mind　on　one　subject　any　longer　than　a　bud　could　stay　on　one　twig　and　even　when　Scarlett　tried　to　tell　her　stories；　Ella　went　off　at　childish　tangents；　interrupting　with　questions　about　matters　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　story　and　forgetting　what　she　had　asked　long　before　Scarlett　could　get　the　explanation　out　of　her　mouth。　And　as　for　Wade—perhaps　Rhett　was　right　Perhaps　he　was　afraid　of　her。　That　was　odd　and　it　hurt　her。　Why　should　her　own　boy；　her　only　boy；　be　afraid　of　her？　When　she　tried　to　draw　him　out　in　talk；　he　looked　at　her　with　Charles’　soft　brown　eyes　and　squirmed　and　twisted　his　feet　in　embarrassment。　But　with　Melanie；　he　bubbled　over　with　talk　and　brought　from　his　pocket　everything　from　fishing　worms　to　old　strings　to　show　her。
　Melanie　had　a　way　with　brats。　There　was　no　getting　around　it。　Her　own　little　Beau　was　the　best　behaved　and　most　lovable　child　in　Atlanta。　Scarlett　got　on　better　with　him　than　she　did　with　her　own　son　because　little　Beau　had　no　self…consciousness　where　grown　people　were　concerned　and　climbed　on　her　knee；　uninvited；　whenever　he　saw　her。　What　a　beautiful　blond　boy　he　was；　just　like　Ashley！　Now　if　only　Wade　were　like　Beau—　Of　course；　the　reason　Melanie　could　do　so　much　with　him　was　that　she　had　only　one　child　and　she　hadn’t　had　to　worry　and　work　as　Scarlett　had。　At　least　Scarlett　tried　to　excuse　herself　that　way　but　honesty　forced　her　to　admit　that　Melanie　loved　children　and　would　have　welcomed　a　dozen。　And　the　overbrimming　affection　she　had　was　poured　out　on　Wade　and　the　neighbors’　broods。
　Scarlett　would　never　forget　the　shock　of　the　day　she　drove　by　Melanie’s　house　to　pick　up　Wade　and　heard；　as　she　came　up　the　front　walk；　the　sound　of　her　son’s　voice　raised　in　a　very　fair　imitation　of　the　Rebel　Yell—Wade　who　was　always　as　still　as　a　mouse　at　home。　And　manfully　seconding　Wade’s　yell　was　the　shrill　piping　of　Beau。　When　she　had　walked　into　the　sitting　room　she　had　found　the　two　charging　at　the　sofa　with　wooden　swords。　They　had　hushed　abashed　as　she　entered　and　Melanie　had　arisen；　laughing　and　clutching　at　hairpins　and　flying　curls　from　where　she　was　crouching　behind　the　sofa。
　“It’s　Gettysburg；”　she　explained。　“And　I’m　the　Yankees　and　I’ve　gotten　the　worst　of　it。　This　is　General　Lee；”　pointing　to　Beau；　“and　this　is　General　Pickett；”　putting　an　arm　about　Wade’s　shoulder。
　Yes；　Melanie　had　a　way　with　children　that　Scarlett　could　never　fathom。
　“At　least；”　she　thought；　“Bonnie　loves　me　and　likes　to　play　with　me。”　But　honesty　forced　her　to　admit　that　Bonnie　infinitely　preferred　Rhett　to　her。　And　perhaps　she　would　never　see　Bonnie　again。　For　all　she　knew；　Rhett　might　be　in　Persia　or　Egypt　and　intending　to　stay　there　forever。
　When　Dr。　Meade　told　her　she　was　pregnant；　she　was　astounded；　for　she　had　been　expecting　a　diagnosis　of　biliousness　and　over…wrought　nerves。　Then　her　mind　fled　back　to　that　wild　night　and　her　face　went　crimson　at　the　memory。　So　a　child　was　coming　from　those　moments　of　high　rapture—even　if　the　memory　of　the　rapture　was　dimmed　by　what　followed。　And　for　the　first　time　she　was　glad　that　she　was　going　to　have　a　child。　If　it　were　only　a　boy！　A　fine　boy；　not　a　spiritless　little　creature　like　Wade。　How　she　would　care　for　him