| for anna.. and my-dear-self [of course] |
Dec. 9th, 2010|09:08 pm |
She stormed into her bedroom at twilight and told Rhett that she was going to have a baby.
He was lounging in a silk dressing gown in a cloud of smoke and his eyes went sharply to her face as she spoke. But he said nothing. He watched her in silence but there was a tenseness about his pose, as he waited for her next words, that was lost on her. Indignation and despair had claimed her to the exclusion of all other thoughts.
- You know I don’t want any more children! I never wanted any at all. Every time things are going right with me I have to have a baby. Oh, don’t sit there and laugh! You don’t want it either. Oh, Mother of God!
If he was waiting for words from her, these were not the words he wanted. His face hardened slightly and his eyes became blank.
- Well, why not give it to Miss Melly? Didn’t you tell me she was so misguided as to want another baby?
- Oh, I could kill you! I won’t have it, I tell you, I won’t!
- No? Pray continue.
- Oh, there are things to do. I’m not the stupid country fool I used to be. Now, I know that a woman doesn’t have to have children if she doesn’t want them! There are things..
He was on his feet and had her by the wrist and there was a hard, driving fear in his face.
- Scarlett, you fool, tell me the truth! You haven’t done anything?
- No, I haven’t, but I’m going to. Do you think I’m going to have my figure ruined all over again, just when I’ve gotten my waist line down and am having a good time.
- Where did you get this idea? Who’s been telling you things?
- Mamie Bart.. she..
- The madam of a whore house would know such tricks. That woman never puts foot in this house again, do you understand? After all, it is my house and I’m the master of it. I do not even want you to speak to her again.
- I’ll do as I please. Turn me loose. Why should you care?
- I don’t care whether you have one child or twenty, but I do care if you die.
- Die? Me?
- Yes, die. I don’t suppose Mamie Bart told you the chances a woman takes when she does a thing like that?
- No, - said Scarlett reluctantly. - She just said it would fix things up fine.
- By God, I will kill her! - cried Rhett and his face was black with rage.
He looked down into Scarlett’s tear-stained face and some of the wrath faded but it was still hard and set. Suddenly he picked her up in his arms and sat down in the chair, holding her close to him, tightly, as if he feared she would get away from him.
- Listen, my baby, I won’t have you take your life in your hands. Do you hear? Good God, I don’t want children any more than you do, but I can support them. I don’t want to hear any more foolishness out of you, and if you dare try to.. Scarlett, I saw a girl die that way once. She was only a.. well, but she was a pretty sort at that. It’s not an easy way to die. I..
- Why, Rhett! - she cried, startled out of her misery at the emotion in his voice. She had never seen him so moved.- Where.. Who?
- In New Orleans.. oh, years ago. I was young and impressionable. - He bent his head suddenly and buried his lips in her hair. - You’ll have your baby, Scarlett, if I have to handcuff you to my wrist for the next nine months.
She sat up in his lap and stared into his face with frank curiosity. Under her gaze it was suddenly smooth and bland as though wiped clear by magic. His eyebrows were up and the corner of his mouth was down.
- Do I mean so much to you? - she questioned, dropping her eyelids.
He gave her a level look as though estimating how much coquetry was behind the question. Reading the true meaning of her demeanor, he made casual answer.
- Well, yes. You see, I’ve invested a good deal of money in you, and I’d hate to lose it.
* * * *
A daughter! Mercy! She sat up in alarm. I never told Captain Butler it was a girl! And of course he was expecting a boy. Oh, how dreadful!
Melanie knew that to a woman a child of either sex was equally welcome but to a man, and especially such a self-willed man as Captain Butler, a girl would be a blow, a reflection upon his manhood. Oh, how thankful she was that God had permitted her only child to be a boy! She knew that, had she been the wife of the fearsome Captain Butler, she would have thankfully died in childbirth rather than present him with a daughter as his first- born.
But Mammy, waddling grinning from the room, set her mind at ease.. and at the same time made her wonder just what kind of man Captain Butler really was.
“W’en Ah wuz bathin’ dat chile jes’ now,” said Mammy, “Ah kinder ‘pologized ter Mist’ Rhett ‘bout it not bein’ a boy. But, Lawd, Miss Melly, you know whut he say? He say, ‘Hesh yo’ mouf, Mammy! Who want a boy? Boys ain’ no fun. Dey’s jes’ a passel of trouble. Gals is whut is fun. Ah wouldn’ swap disyere gal fer a baker’s dozen of boys.’ Den he try ter snatch de chile frum me, buck nekked as she wuz an’ Ah slap his wrist an’ say ‘B’have yo’seff, Mist’ Rhett! Ah’ll jes’ bide mah time tell you gits a boy, an’ den Ah’ll laff out loud to hear you holler fer joy.’ He grin an’ shake his haid an’ say, ‘Mammy, you is a fool. Boys ain’ no use ter nobody. Ain’ Ah a proof of dat?’ Yas’m, Miss Melly, he ack lak a gempmum ‘bout it,” finished Mammy graciously. It was not lost on Melanie that Rhett’s conduct had gone far toward redeeming him in Mammy’s eyes. “Maybe Ah done been a mite wrong ‘bout Mist’ Rhett.”
sort of atšifrējums ->
“When I was bathing that child just now” said Mammy, “I kind of apologized to Mister Rhett about it not being a boy. But, Lord, Miss Melly, you know what he said? He said, ‘Hush your mouth, Mammy! Who wants a boy? Boys aren’t any fun. They are just a passel of trouble. Girls are what is fun. I wouldn’t sweep this here girl for a baker’s dozen of boys.’ Then he tried to snatch the child from me, buck naked as she was and I slapped his wrist and said ‘Behave yourself, Mister Rhett! I’ll just bide my time till you’ll get a boy, and then I’ll laugh out loud to hear you holler for joy.’ He grinned and shook his head and said, ‘Mammy, you are a fool. Boys aren’t any use to nobody. Aren’t I a proof of that?’ Yes, Miss Melly, he acted like a gentleman about it,” finished Mammy graciously. It was not lost on Melanie that Rhett’s conduct had gone far toward redeeming him in Mammy’s eyes. “Maybe I was mighty wrong about Mister Rhett.”
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