飘-第213节
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waist； showed a brown chest covered with thick black hair。 Scarlett； still shaking with fright； thought how strong and unyielding that chest was； and she whispered： “Hold me； Rhett。”
“Darling！” he said swiftly； and picking her up he sat down in a large chair； cradling her body against him。
“Oh； Rhett； it’s awful to be hungry。”
“It must be awful to dream of starvation after a seven…course dinner including that enormous crawfish。” He smiled but his eyes were kind。
“Oh； Rhett； I just run and run and hunt and I can’t ever find what it is I’m hunting for。 It’s always hidden in the mist。 I know if I could find it； I’d be safe forever and ever and never be cold or hungry again。”
“Is it a person or a thing you’re hunting？”
“I don’t know。 I never thought about it。 Rhett； do you think I’ll ever dream that I get there to safety？”
“No；” he said； smoothing her tumbled hair； “I don’t。 Dreams aren’t like that。 But I do think that if you get used to being safe and warm and well fed in your everyday life； you’ll stop dreaming that dream。 And； Scarlett； I’m going to see that you are safe。”
“Rhett； you are so nice。”
“Thanks for the crumbs from your table； Mrs。 Dives。 Scarlett； I want you to say to yourself every morning when you wake up： ‘I can’t ever be hungry again and nothing can ever touch me so long as Rhett is here and the United States government holds out。”
“The United States government？” she questioned； sitting up； startled； tears still on her cheeks。
“The ex…Confederate money has now become an honest woman。 I invested most of it in government bonds。”
“God’s nightgown！” cried Scarlett； sitting up in his lap； forgetful of her recent terror。 “Do you mean to tell me you’ve loaned your money to the Yankees？”
“At a fair per cent。”
“I don’t care if it’s a hundred percent！ You must sell them immediately。 The idea of letting the Yankees have the use of your money！”
“And what must I do with it？” he questioned with a smile； noting that her eyes were no longer wide with fright。
“Why—why buy property at Five Points。 I’ll bet you could buy all of Five Points with the money you have。”
“Thank you； but I wouldn’t have Five Points。 Now that the Carpetbagger government has really gotten control of Georgia； there’s no telling what may happen； I wouldn’t put anything beyond the swarm of buzzards that’s swooping down on Georgia now from north； east； south and west。 I’m playing along with them； you understand； as a good Scalawag should do； but I don’t trust them。 And I’m not putting my money in real estate。 I prefer bonds。 You can hide them。 You can’t hide real estate very easily。”
“Do you think—” she began； paling as she thought of the mills and store。
“I don’t know。 But don’t look so frightened； Scarlett。 Our charming new governor is a good friend of mine。 It’s just that times are too uncertain now and I don’t want much of my money tied up in real estate。”
He shifted her to one knee and； leaning back； reached for a cigar and lit it。 She sat with her bare feet dangling； watching the play of muscles on his brown chest； her terrors forgotten。
“And while we are on the subject of real estate； Scarlett；” he said； “I am going to build a house。 You might have bullied Frank into living in Miss Pitty’s house； but not me。 I don’t believe I could bear her vaporings three times a day and； moreover； I believe Uncle Peter would assassinate me before he would let me live under the sacred Hamilton roof。 Miss Pitty can get Miss India Wilkes to stay with her and keep the bogyman away。 When we get back to Atlanta we are going to stay in the bridal suite of the National Hotel until our house is finished。 Before we left Atlanta I was dickering for that big lot on Peachtree； the one near the Leyden house。 You know the one I mean？”
“Oh； Rhett； how lovely！ I do so want a house of my own。 A great big one！”
“Then at last we are agreed on something。 What about a white stucco with wrought…iron work like these Creole houses here？”
“Oh； no； Rhett。 Not anything old fashioned like these New Orleans houses。 I know just what I want。 It’s the newest thing because I saw a picture of it in—let me see—it was in that Harper’s Weekly I was looking at。 It was modeled after a Swiss chalet。”
“A Swiss what？”
“A chalet。”
“Spell it。”
She complied。
“Oh；” he said and stroked his mustache。
“It was lovely。 It had a high mansard roof with a picket fence on top and a tower made of fancy shingles at each end。 And the towers had windows with red and blue glass in them。 It was so stylish looking。”
“I suppose it had jigsaw work on the porch banisters？”
“Yes。”
“And a fringe of wooden scrollwork hanging from the roof of the porch？”
“Yes。 You must have seen one like it。”
“I have—but not in Switzerland。 The Swiss are a very intelligent race and keenly alive to architectural beauty。 Do you really want a house like that？”
“Oh； yes！”
“I had hoped that association with me might Improve your taste。 Why not a Creole house or a Colonial with six white columns？”
“I tell you I don’t want anything tacky and old…fashioned looking。 And inside let’s have red wall paper and red velvet portieres over all the folding doors and oh； lots of expensive walnut furniture and grand thick carpets and—oh； Rhett； everybody will be pea green when they see our house！”
“It is very necessary that everyone shall be envious？ Well； if you like they shall be green。 But Scarlett； has it occurred to you that it’s hardly in good taste to furnish the house on so lavish a scale when everyone is so poor？”
“I want it that way；” she said obstinately。 “I want to make everybody who’s been mean to me feel bad。 And we’ll give big receptions that’ll make the whole town wish they hadn’t said such nasty things。”
“But who will come to our receptions？”
“Why； everybody； of course。”
“I doubt it。 The Old Guard dies but it never surrenders。”
“Oh； Rhett； how you run on！ If you’ve got money； people always like you。”
“Not Southerners。 It’s harder for speculators’ money to get into the best parlors than for the camel to go through the needle’s eye。 And as for Scalawags—that’s you and me； my pet—we’ll be lucky if we aren’t spit upon。 But if you’d like to try； I’ll back you； my dear； and I’m sure I shall enjoy your campaign intensely。 And while we are on the subject of money； let me make this clear to you。 You can have all the cash you want for the house and all you want for your fal…lals。 And if you like jewelry； you can have it but I’m going to pick it out。 You have such execrable taste； my pet。 And anything you want for Wade or Ella。 And if Will Benteen can’t make a go of the cotton； I’m willing to chip in and help out on that white elephant in Clayton County that you love so much。 That’s fair enough； isn’t it？”
“Of course。 You’re very generous。”
“But listen closely。 Not one cent for the store and not one cent for that kindling factory of yours。”
“Oh；” said Scarlett； her face falling。 All during the honeymoon she had been thinking how she could bring up the subject of the thousand dollars she needed to buy fifty feet more of land to enlarge her lumber yard。
“I thought you always bragged about being broad minded and not caring what people said about my running a business； and you’re just like every other man—so afraid people will say I wear the pants in the family。”
“There’s never going to be any doubt in anybody’s mind about who wears the pants in the Butler family；” drawled Rhett。 “I don’t care what fools say。 In fact； I’m ill bred enough to be proud of having a smart wife。 I want you to keep on running the store and the mills。 They are your children’s。 When Wade grows up he won’t feel right about being supported by his stepfather； and then he can take over the management。 But not one cent of mine goes into either business。”
“Why？”
“Because I don’t care to contribute to the support of Ashley Wilkes。”
“Are you going to begin that again？”
“No。 But you asked my reasons and I have given them。 And another thing。 Don’t think you can juggle books on me and lie about how much your clothes cost and how much it takes to run the house； so that you can use the money to buy more mules or another mill for Ashley。 I intend to look over and carefully check your expenditures and I know what things cost。 Oh； don’t get insulted。 You’d do it。 I wouldn’t put it beyond you。 In fact； I wouldn’t put anything beyond you where either Tara or Ashley is concerned。 I don’t mind Tara。 But I must draw the line at Ashley。 I’m riding you with a slack rein； my pet； but don’t forget that I’m riding with curb and spurs just the same。”
CHAPTER XLIX
MRS。 ELSING cocked her ear toward the hall。 Hearing Melanie’s steps die away into the kitchen where rattling dishes and clinking silverware gave promise of refreshments； she turned and spoke softly to the ladies who sat in a circle in the parlor； their sewing baskets in their laps。
“Personally； I do not intend to call on Scarlett now or ever；” she said； the chill elegance of her face colder than usual。
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