飘-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ough　Charles’　will。　Last；　the　Confederacy　needed　every　pair　of　hands　for　sewing；　knitting；　bandage　rolling　and　nursing　the　wounded。
　Charles’　Uncle　Henry　Hamilton；　who　lived　in　bachelor　state　at　the　Atlanta　Hotel　near　the　depot；　also　talked　seriously　to　her　on　this　subject。　Uncle　Henry　was　a　short；　pot…bellied；　irascible　old　gentleman　with　a　pink　face；　a　shock　of　long　silver　hair　and　an　utter　lack　of　patience　with　feminine　timidities　and　vaporings。　It　was　for　the　latter　reason　that　he　was　barely　on　speaking　terms　with　his　sister；　Miss　Pittypat　From　childhood；　they　had　been　exact　opposites　in　temperament　and　they　had　been　further　estranged　by　his　objections　to　the　manner　in　which　she　had　reared　Charles—”Making　a　damn　sissy　out　of　a　soldier’s　son！”　Years　before；　he　had　so　insulted　her　that　now　Miss　Pitty　never　spoke　of　him　except　in　guarded　whispers　and　with　so　great　reticence　that　a　stranger　would　have　thought　the　honest　old　lawyer　a　murderer；　at　the　least。　The　insult　had　occurred　on　a　day　when　Pitty　wished　to　draw　five　hundred　dollars　from　her　estate；　of　which　he　was　trustee；　to　invest　in　a　non…existent　gold　mine。　He　had　refused　to　permit　it　and　stated　heatedly　that　she　had　no　more　sense　than　a　June　bug　and　furthermore　it　gave　him　the　fidgets　to　be　around　her　longer　than　five　minutes。　Since　that　day；　she　only　saw　him　formally；　once　a　month；　when　Uncle　Peter　drove　her　to　his　office　to　get　the　housekeeping　money。　After　these　brief　visits；　Pitty　always　took　to　her　bed　for　the　rest　of　the　day　with　tears　and　smelling　salts。　Melanie　and　Charles；　who　were　on　excellent　terms　with　their　uncle；　had　frequently　offered　to　relieve　her　of　this　ordeal；　but　Pitty　always　set　her　babyish　mouth　firmly　and　refused。　Henry　was　her　cross　and　she　must　bear　him。　From　this；　Charles　and　Melanie　could　only　infer　that　she　took　a　profound　pleasure　in　this　occasional　excitement；　the　only　excitement　in　her　sheltered　life。
　Uncle　Henry　liked　Scarlett　immediately　because；　he　said；　he　could　see　that　for　all　her　silly　affectations　she　had　a　few　grains　of　sense。　He　was　trustee；　not　only　of　Pitty’s　and　Melanie’s　estates；　but　also　of　that　left　Scarlett　by　Charles。　It　came　to　Scarlett　as　a　pleasant　surprise　that　she　was　now　a　well…to…do　young　woman；　for　Charles　had　not　only　left　her　half　of　Aunt　Pitty’s　house　but　farm　lands　and　town　property　as　well。　And　the　stores　and　warehouses　along　the　railroad　track　near　the　depot；　which　were　part　of　her　inheritance；　had　tripled　in　value　since　the　war　began。　It　was　when　Uncle　Henry　was　giving　her　an　account　of　her　property　that　he　broached　the　matter　of　her　permanent　residence　in　Atlanta。
　“When　Wade　Hampton　comes　of　age；　he’s　going　to　be　a　rich　young　man；”　he　said。　“The　way　Atlanta　is　growing　his　property　will　be　ten　times　more　valuable　in　twenty　years；　and　it’s　only　right　that　the　boy　should　be　raised　where　his　property　is；　so　he　can　learn　to　take　care　of　it—yes；　and　of　Pitty’s　and　Melanie’s；　too。　He’ll　be　the　only　man　of　the　Hamilton　name　left　before　long；　for　I　won’t　be　here　forever。”
　As　for　Uncle　Peter；　he　took　it　for　granted　that　Scarlett　had　come　to　stay。　It　was　inconceivable　to　him　that　Charles’　only　son　should　be　reared　where　he　could　not　supervise　the　rearing。　To　all　these　arguments；　Scarlett　smiled　but　said　nothing；　unwilling　to　commit　herself　before　learning　how　she　would　like　Atlanta　and　constant　association　with　her　in…laws。　She　knew；　too；　that　Gerald　and　Ellen　would　have　to　be　won　over。　Moreover；　now　that　she　was　away　from　Tara；　she　missed　it　dreadfully；　missed　the　red　fields　and　the　springing　green　cotton　and　the　sweet　twilight　silences。　For　the　first　time；　she　realized　dimly　what　Gerald　had　meant　when　he　said　that　the　love　of　the　land　was　in　her　blood。
　So　she　gracefully　evaded；　for　the　time　being；　a　definite　answer　as　to　the　duration　of　her　visit　and　slipped　easily　into　the　life　of　the　red…brick　house　at　the　quiet　end　of　Peachtree　Street。
　Living　with　Charles’　blood　kin；　seeing　the　home　from　which　he　came；　Scarlett　could　now　understand　a　little　better　the　boy　who　had　made　her　wife；　widow　and　mother　in　such　rapid　succession。　It　was　easy　to　see　why　he　had　been　so　shy；　so　unsophisticated；　so　idealistic。　If　Charles　had　inherited　any　of　the　qualities　of　the　stern；　fearless；　hot…tempered　soldier　who　had　been　his　father；　they　had　been　obliterated　in　childhood　by　the　ladylike　atmosphere　in　which　he　had　been　reared。　He　had　been　devoted　to　the　childlike　Pitty　and　closer　than　brothers　usually　are　to　Melanie；　and　two　more　sweet；　unworldly　women　could　not　be　found。
　Aunt　Pittypat　had　been　christened　Sarah　lane　Hamilton　sixty　years　before；　but　since　the　long…past　day　when　her　doting　father　had　fastened　his　nickname　upon　her；　because　of　her　airy；　restless；　pattering　little　feet；　no　one　had　called　her　anything　else。　In　the　years　that　followed　that　second　christening；　many　changes　had　taken　place　in　her　that　made　the　pet　name　incongruous。　Of　the　swiftly　scampering　child；　all　that　now　remained　were　two　tiny　feet；　inadequate　to　her　weight；　and　a　tendency　to　prattle　happily　and　aimlessly。　She　was　stout；　pink　cheeked　and　silver　haired　and　always　a　little　breathless　from　too　tightly　laced　stays。　She　was　unable　to　walk　more　than　a　block　on　the　tiny　feet　which　she　crammed　into　too　small　slippers。　She　had　a　heart　which　fluttered　at　any　excitement　and　she　pampered　it　shamelessly；　faulting　at　any　provocation。　Everyone　knew　that　her　swoons　were　generally　mere　ladylike　pretenses　but　they　loved　her　enough　to　refrain　from　saying　so。　Everyone　loved　her；　spoiled　her　like　a　child　and　refused　to　take　her　seriously—everyone　except　her　brother　Henry。
　She　liked　gossip　better　than　anything　else　in　the　world；　even　more　than　she　liked　the　pleasures　of　the　table；　and　she　prattled　on　for　hours　about　other　people’s　affairs　in　a　harmless　kindly　way。　She　had　no　memory　for　names；　dates　or　places　and　frequently　confused　the　actors　in　one　Atlanta　drama　with　the　actors　in　another；　which　misled　no　one　for　no　one　was　foolish　enough　to　take　seriously　anything　she　said。　No　one　ever　told　her　anything　really　shocking　or　scandalous；　for　her　spinster　state　must　be　protected　even　if　she　was　sixty　years　old；　and　her　friends　were　in　a　kindly　conspiracy　to　keep　her　a　sheltered　and　petted　old　child。
　Melanie　was　like　her　aunt　in　many　ways。　She　had　her　shyness；　her　sudden　blushes；　her　modesty；　but　she　did　have　common　sense—”Of　a　sort；　I’ll　admit　that；”　Scarlett　thought　grudgingly。　Like　Aunt　Pitty；　Melanie　had　the　face　of　a　sheltered　child　who　had　never　known　anything　but　simplicity　and　kindness；　truth　and　love；　a　child　who　had　never　looked　upon　harshness　or　evil　and　would　not　recognize　them　if　she　saw　them。　Because　she　had　always　been　happy；　she　wanted　everyone　about　her　to　be　happy　or；　at　least；　pleased　with　themselves。　To　this　end；　she　always　saw　the　best　in　everyone　and　remarked　kindly　upon　it。　There　was　no　servant　so　stupid　that　she　did　not　find　some　redeeming　trait　of　loyalty　and　kind…heartedness；　no　girl　so　ugly　and　disagreeable　that　she　could　not　discover　grace　of　form　or　nobility　of　character　in　her；　and　no　man　so　worthless　or　so　boring　that　she　did　not　view　him　in　the　light　of　his　possibilities　rather　than　his　actualities。
　Because　of　these　qualities　that　came　sincerely　and　spontaneously　from　a　generous　heart；　everyone　flocked　about　her；　for　who　can　resist　the　charm　of　one　who　discovers　in　others　admirable　qualities　undreamed　of　even　by　himself？　She　had　more　girl　friends　than　anyone　in　town　and　more　men　friends　too；　though　she　had　few　beaux　for　she　lacked　the　willfulness　and　selfishness　that　go　far　toward　trapping　men’s　hearts。
　What　Melanie　did　was　no　more　than　all　Southern　girls　were　taught　to　do—to　make　those　about　them　feel　at　ease　and　pleased　with　themselves。　It　was　this　happy　feminine　conspiracy　which　made　Southern　society　so　pleasant。　Women　knew　that　a　land　where　men　were　contented；　uncontradicted　and　safe　in　possession　of　unpunctured　vanity　was　likely　to　be　a　very　pleasant　place　for　women　to　live。　So；　from　the　cradle　to　the　grave；　women　strove　to　make　men　pleased　with　themselves；　and　the　satisfied　men　repaid　lavishly　with　gallantry　and　adoration。　In　fact；　men　willingly　gave　the　ladies　everything　in　the　world　except　credit　for　having　intelligence。　Scarlett　exercised　the　same　charms　as　Melanie　but　with　a　studied　artistry　and　consummate　skill。　The　difference　between　the　two　girls　lay　in　the　fact　that　Melanie　spoke　kind　and　flattering　words　from　a　desire　to　make　people　happy；　if　only　temporarily；　and　Scarlett　never　did　it　except　to　further　her　own　aims。
　From　the　two　he　loved　best；　Charles　had　received　no　toughening　influences；　learned　nothing　of　harshness　or　reality；　and　the　home　in　which　he　grew　to　manhood　was　as　soft　as　a　bird’s　nest。　It　was　such　a　quiet；　old…fashioned；　gentle　home　compared　with　Tara。　To　Scarlett；　this　house　cried　out　for　the　masculine　smells　of　brandy；　tobacco　and　Macassar　oil；　for　hoarse　voices　and　occasional　curses；　for　guns；　for　whiskers；　for　saddles　and　bridles　and　for　hounds　underfoot。　She　missed　the　sounds　of　quarreling　voices　that　were　always　heard　at　Tara　when　Ellen’s　back　was　turned；　Mammy　quarreling　with　Pork；　Rosa　and　Teena　bickering；　her　own　acrimonious　arguments　with　Suellen；　Gerald’s　bawling　threats。　No　wonder　Charles　had　been　a　sissy；　coming　from　a　home　like　this。　Here；　excitement　never　entered　in；　voices　were　never　raised；　everyone　deferred　gently　to　the　opinions　of　others；　and；　in　the　end；　the　black　grizzled　autocrat　in　the　kitchen　had　his　way。　Scarlett；　who　had　hoped　for　a　freer　rein　when　she　escaped　Mammy’s　supervision；　discovered　to　her　sorrow　that　Uncle　Peter’s　standards　of　ladylike　conduct；　especially　for　Mist’　Charles’　widow；　were　even　stricter　than　Mammy’s。
　In　such　a　household；　Scarlett　came　back　to　herself；　and　almost　before　she　realized　it　her　spirits　rose　to　normal。　She　was　only　seventeen；　she　had　superb　health　and　energy；　and　Charles’　people　did　their　best　to　make　her　happy。　If　they　fell　a　little　short　of　this；　it　was　not　their　fault；　for　no　one　could　take　out　of　her　heart　the　ache　that　throbbed　whenever　Ashley’s　name　was　mentioned。　And　Melanie　mentioned　it　so　often！　But　Melanie　and　Pitty　were　tireless　in　planning　ways　to　soothe　the　sorrow　under　which　they　thought　she　labored。　They　put　their　own　grief　into　the　background　in　order　to　divert　her。　They　fussed　about　her　food　and　her　hours　for　taking　afternoon　naps　and　for　taking　carriage　rides。　They　not　only　admired　her　extravagantly；　her　high…spiritedness；　her　figure；　her　tiny　hands　and　feet；　her　white　skin；　but　they　said　so　frequently；　petting；　hugging　and　kissing　her　to　emphasize　their　loving　words。
　Scarlett　did　not　care　for　the　caresses；　but　she　basked　in　the　compliments。　No　one　at　Tara　had　ever　said　so　many　charming　things　about　her。　In　fact；　Mammy　had　spent　her　time　deflating　her　conceit。　Little　Wade　was　no　longer　an　annoyance；　for　the　family；　black　and　white；　and　the　neighbors　idolized　him　and　there　was　a　never…ceasing　rivalry　as　to　whose　lap　he　should　occupy。　Melanie　especially　doted　on　him。　Even　in　his　worst　screaming　spells；　Melanie　thought　him　adorable　and　said　so；　adding；　“Oh；　you　precious　darling！　I　just　wish　you　were　mine！”
　Sometimes　Scarlett　found　it　hard　to　dissemble　her　feelings；　for　she　still