few families in the north end of town slept that night for the news of the disaster to the klan,and rhett’s stratagem spread swiftly on silent feet as the shadowy form of india wilkes slippedthrough back yards, whispered urgently through kitchen doors and slipped away into the windydarkness. and in her path, she left fear and desperate hope.
from without, houses looked black and silent and wrapped in sleep but, within, voiceswhispered vehemently into the dawn. not only those involved in the night’s raid but every memberof the klan was ready for flight and in almost every stable along peachtree street, horses stoodsaddled in the darkness, pistols in holsters and food in saddlebags. all that prevented a wholesaleexodus was india’s whispered message: “captain butler says not to run. the roads will bewatched. he has arranged with that watling creature—” in dark rooms men whispered: “but whyshould i trust that damned scalawag butler? it may be a trap!” and women’s voices implored:
“don’t go! if he saved ashley and hugh, he may save everybody. if india and melanie trust him—” and they half trusted and stayed because there was no other course open to them.
earlier in the night, the soldiers had knocked at a dozen doors and those who could not or wouldnot tell where they had been that night were marched off under arrest. rené picard and one of mrs.
merriwether’s nephews and the simmons boys and andy bonnell were among those who spent thenight in jail. they had been in the ill-starred foray but had separated from the others after theshooting. riding hard for home they were arrested before they learned of rhett’s plan. fortunatelythey all replied, to questions, that where they had been that night was their own business and notthat of any damned yankees. they had been locked up for further questioning in the morning. oldman merriwether and uncle henry hamilton declared shamelessly that they had spent the eveningat belle watling’s sporting house and when captain jaffery remarked irritably that they were too old for such goings on, they wanted to fight him.
belle watling herself answered captain jaffery’s summons, and before he could make knownhis mission she shouted that the house was closed for the night. a passel of quarrelsome drunkshad called in the early part of the evening and had fought one another, torn the place up, brokenher finest mirrors and so alarmed the young ladies that all business had been suspended for thenight. but if captain jaffery wanted a drink, the bar was still open—captain jaffery, acutely conscious of the grins of his men and feeling helplessly that he wasfighting a mist, declared angrily that he wanted neither the young ladies nor a drink and demandedif belle knew the names of her destructive customers. oh, yes, belle knew them. they were herregulars. they came every wednesday night and called themselves the wednesday democrats,though what they meant by that she neither knew or cared. and if they didn’t pay for the damageto the mirrors in the upper hall, she was going to have the law on them. she kept a respectablehouse and— oh, their names? belle unhesitatingly reeled off the names of twelve under suspicion,captain jaffery smiled sourly.
“these damned rebels are as efficiently organized as our secret service,” he said. “you andyour girls will have to appear before the provost marshal tomorrow.”
“will the provost make them pay for my mirrors?”
“to hell with your mirrors! make rhett butler pay for them. he owns the place, doesn’t he?”
before dawn, every ex-confederate family in town knew everything. and their negroes, whohad been told nothing, knew everything too, by that black grapevine telegraph system which defieswhite understanding. everyone knew the details of the raid, the killing of frank kennedy andcrippled tommy wellburn and how ashley was wounded in carrying frank’s body away.
some of the feeling of bitter hatred the women bore scarlett for her share in the tragedy wasmitigated by the knowledge that her husband was dead and she knew it and could not admit it andhave the poor comfort of claiming his body. until morning light disclosed the bodies and theauthorities notified her, she must know nothing. frank and tommy, pistols in cold hands, laystiffening among the dead weeds in a vacant lot. and the yankees would say they killed each otherin a common drunken brawl over a girl in belle’s house. sympathy ran high for fanny, tommy’swife, who had just had a baby, but no one could slip through the darkness to see her and comforther because a squad of yankees surrounded the house, waiting for tommy to return. and there wasanother squad about aunt pitty’s house, waiting for frank.
before dawn the news had trickled about that the military inquiry would take place that day. thetownspeople, heavy eyed from sleeplessness and anxious waiting, knew that the safety of some oftheir most prominent citizens rested on three things—the ability of ashley wilkes to stand on hisfeet and appear before the military board, as though he suffered nothing more serious than amorning-after headache, the word of belle watling that these men had been in her house allevening and the word of rhett butler that he had been with them.
the town writhed at these last two! belle watling! to owe their men’s lives to her! it wasintolerable! women who had ostentatiously crossed the street when they saw belle coming,wondered if she remembered and trembled for fear she did. the men felt less humiliation at taking their lives from belle than the women did, for many of them thought her a good sort. but theywere stung that they must owe lives and freedom to rhett butler, a speculator and a scalawag.
belle and rhett, the town’s best-known fancy woman and the town’s most hated man. and theymust be under obligation to them.
another thought that stung them to impotent wrath was the knowledge that the yankees andcarpetbaggers would laugh. oh, how they would laugh! twelve of the town’s most prominentcitizens revealed as habitual frequenters of belle watling’s sporting house! two of them killed in afight over a cheap little girl, others ejected from the place as too drunk to be tolerated even bybelle and some under arrest, refusing to admit they were there when everyone knew they werethere!
atlanta was right in fearing that the yankees would laugh. they had squirmed too long beneathsouthern coldness and contempt and now they exploded with hilarity. officers woke comrades andretailed the news. husbands roused wives at dawn and told them as much as could be decently toldto women. and the women, dressing hastily, knocked on their neighbors’ doors and spread thestory. the yankee ladies were charmed with it all and laughed until tears ran down their faces. thiswas southern chivalry and gallantry for you! maybe those women who carried their heads so highand snubbed all attempts at friendliness wouldn’t be so uppity, now that everyone knew wheretheir husbands spent their time when they were supposed to be at political meetings. politicalmeetings! well, that was funny!
but even as they laughed, they expressed regret for scarlett and her tragedy. after all, scarlettwas a lady and one of the few ladies in atlanta who were nice to yankees. she had already wontheir sympathy by the fact that she had to work because her husband couldn’t or wouldn’t supporther properly. even though her husband was a sorry one, it was dreadful that the poor thing shoulddiscover he had been untrue to her. and it was doubly dreadful that his death should occursimultaneously with the discovery of his infidelity. after all, a poor husband was better than nohusband at all, and the yankee ladies decided they’d be extra nice to scarlett but the others, mrs.
meade, mrs. merriwether, mrs. elsing, tommy wellburn’s widow and most of all, mrs. ashleywilkes, they’d laugh in their faces every time they saw them. that would teach them a littlecourtesy.
much of the whispering that went on in the dark rooms on the north side of town that night wason this same subject. atlanta ladies vehemently told their husbands that they did not care a rapwhat the yankees thought. but inwardly they felt that running an indian gantlet would be infinitelypreferable to suffering the ordeal of yankee grins and not being able to tell the truth about theirhusbands.
dr. meade, beside himself with outraged dignity at the position into which rhett had jockeyedhim and the others, told mrs. meade that, but for the fact that it would implicate the others, hewould rather confess and be hanged than say he had been at belle’s house.
“it is an insult to you, mrs. meade,” he fumed.
“but everyone will know you weren’t there for—for—”
“the yankees won’t know. they’ll have to believe it if we save our necks. and they’ll laugh.
the very thought that anyone will believe it and laugh infuriates me. and it insults you because—my dear, i have always been faithful to you.”
“i know that,” and in the darkness mrs. meade smiled and slipped a thin hand into the doctor’s.
“but i’d rather it were really true than have one hair of your head in danger.”
“mrs. meade, do you know what you are saying?” cried the doctor, aghast at the unsuspectedrealism of his wife.”
“yes, i know. i’ve lost darcy and i’ve lost phil and you are all i have and, rather than lose you,i’d have you take up your permanent abode at that place.”
“you are distrait! you cannot know what you are saying.”
“you old fool,” said mrs. meade tenderly and laid her head against his sleeve.
dr. meade fumed into silence and stroked her cheek and then exploded again. “and to be underobligation to that butler man! hanging would be easy compared to that. no, not even if i owe himmy life, can i be polite to him. his insolence is monumental and his shamelessness about hisprofiteering makes me boil. to owe my life to a man who never went in the army—”
“melly said he enlisted after atlanta fell.”
“it’s a lie. miss melly will believe any plausible scoundrel. and what i can’t understand is whyhe is doing all this—going to all this trouble. i hate to say it but—well, there’s always been talkabout him and mrs. kennedy. i’ve seen them coming in from rides together too often this last year.
he must have done it because of her.”
“if it was because of scarlett, he wouldn’t have lifted his hand. he’d have been glad to seefrank kennedy hanged. i think it’s because of melly—”
“mrs. meade, you can’t be insinuating that there’s ever been anything between those two!”
“oh, don’t be silly! but she’s always been unaccountably fond of him ever since he tried to getashley exchanged during the war. and i must say this for him, he never smiles in that nasty-niceway when he’s with her. he’s just as pleasant and thoughtful as can be—really a different man.
you can tell by the way he acts with melly that he could be decent if he wanted to. now, my ideaof why he’s doing all this is—” she paused. “doctor, you won’t like my idea.”
“i don’t like anything about this whole affair!”
“well, i think he did it partly for melly’s sake but mostly because he thought it would be a hugejoke on us all. we’ve hated him so much and showed it so plainly and now he’s got us in a fixwhere all of you have your choice of saying you were at that watling woman’s house and shamingyourself and wives before the yankees—or telling the truth and getting hanged. and he knowswe’ll all be under obligation to him and his—mistress and that we’d almost rather be hanged thanbe obliged to them. oh, i’ll wager he’s enjoying it.”
the doctor groaned. “he did look amused when he took us upstairs in that place.”
“doctor,” mrs. meade hesitated, “what did it look like?”
“what are you saying, mrs. meade?”
“her house. what did it look like? are there cut-glass chandeliers? and red plush curtains anddozens of full-length gilt mirrors? and were the girls—were they unclothed?”
“good god!” cried the doctor, thunderstruck, for it had never occurred to him that the curiosityof a chaste woman concerning her unchaste sisters was so devouring. “how can you ask suchimmodest questions? you are not yourself. i will mix you a sedative.”
“i don’t want a sedative. i want to know. oh, dear, this is my only chance to know what a badhouse looks like and now you are mean enough not to tell me!”
“i noticed nothing. i assure you i was too embarrassed at finding myself in such a place to takenote of my surroundings,” said the doctor formally, more upset at this unsuspected revelation of hiswife’s character than he had been by all the previous events of the evening. “if you will excuse menow, i will try to get some sleep.”
“well, go to sleep then,” she answered, disappointment in her tones. then as the doctor leanedover to remove his boots, her voice spoke from the darkness with renewed cheerfulness. “i imaginedolly has gotten it all out of old man merriwether and she can tell me about it.”
“good heavens, mrs. meade! do you mean to tell me that nice women talk about such thingsamong them—”
“oh, go to bed,” said mrs. meade.
it sleeted the next day, but as the wintry twilight drew on the icy particles stopped falling and acold wind blew. wrapped in her cloak, melanie went bewilderedly down her front walk behind astrange negro coachman, who had summoned her mysteriously to a closed carriage waiting in frontof the house. as she came up to the carriage the door was opened and she saw a woman in the dimulterior.
leaning closer, peering inside, melanie questioned: “who is it? won’t you come in the house?
it’s so cold—”
“please come in here and set with me a minute, miz wilkes,” came a faintly familiar voice, anembarrassed voice from the depths of the carriage.
“oh, you’re miss—mrs.—watling!” cried melanie. “i did so want to see you! you must comein the house.”
“i can’t do that, miz wilkes.” belle watling’s voice sounded scandalized. “you come in hereand set a minute with me.”
melanie entered the carriage and the coachman closed the door behind her. she sat down besidebelle and reached for her hand.
“how can i ever thank you enough for what you did today! how can any of us thank youenough!”
“miz wilkes, you hadn’t ought of sent me that note this mornin’. not that i wasn’t proud to havea note from you but the yankees might of got it. and as for sayin’ you was goin’ to call on me tothank me—why, miz wilkes, you must of lost your mind! the very idea! i come up here as soon as ‘twas dark to tell you you mustn’t think of any sech thing. why, i—why, you—it wouldn’t befittin’ at all.”
“it wouldn’t be fitting for me to call and thank a kind woman who saved my husband’s life?”
“oh, shucks, miz wilkes! you know what i mean!”
melanie was silent for a moment, embarrassed by the implication. somehow this handsome,sedately dressed woman sitting in the darkness of the carriage didn’t look and talk as she imagineda bad woman, the madam of a house, should look and talk. she sounded like—well, a littlecommon and countrified but nice and warm hearted.
“you were wonderful before the provost marshal today, mrs. watling! you and the other—your—the young ladies certainly saved our men’s lives.”
“mr. wilkes was the wonderful one. i don’t know how he even stood up and told his story, muchless look as cool as he done. he was sure bleedin’ like a pig when i seen him last night. is he goin’
to be all right, miz wilkes?”
“yes, thank you. the doctor says it’s just a flesh wound, though he did lose a tremendous lot ofblood. this morning he was—well, he was pretty well laced with brandy or he’d never have hadthe strength to go through with it all so well. but it was you, mrs. watling, who saved them. whenyou got mad and talked about the broken mirrors you sounded so—so convincing.”
“thank you, ma’m. but i—i thought captain butler done mighty fine too,” said belle, shy pridein her voice.
“oh, he was wonderful!” cried melanie warmly. “the yankees couldn’t help but believe histestimony. he was so smart about the whole affair. i can never thank him enough—or you either!
how good and kind you are!”
“thank you kindly, miz wilkes. it was a pleasure to do it i—i hope it ain’t goin’ to embarrassyou none, me sayin’ mr. wilkes come regular to my place. he never, you know—”
“yes, i know. no, it doesn’t embarrass me at all. i’m just so grateful to you.”
“i’ll bet the other ladies ain’t grateful to me,” said belle with sudden venom. “and i’ll bet theyain’t grateful to captain butler neither. i’ll bet they’ll hate him just this much more. i’ll bet you’llbe the only lady who even says thanks to me. i’ll bet they won’t even look me in the eye whenthey see me on the street. but i don’t care. i wouldn’t of minded if all their husbands got hung, buti did mind about mr. wilkes. you see i ain’t forgot how nice you was to me durin’ the war, aboutthe money for the hospital. there ain’t never been a lady in this town nice to me like you was and idon’t forget a kindness. and i thought about you bein’ left a widder with a little boy if mr. wilkesgot hung and—he’s a nice little boy, your boy is, miz wilkes. i got a boy myself and so i—”
“oh, you have? does he live—er—”
“oh, no’m! he ain’t here in atlanta. he ain’t never been here. he’s off at school. i ain’t seenhim since he was little. i—well, anyway, when captain butler wanted me to lie for those men iwanted to know who the men was and when i heard mr. wilkes was one i never hesitated. i said tomy girls, i said, ‘i’ll whale the livin’ daylights out of you all if you don’t make a special point ofsayin’ you was with mr. wilkes all evenin’.”
“oh!” said melanie, still more embarrassed by belle’s offhand reference to her “girls.” “oh, thatwas—er—kind of you and—of them, too.”
“no more’n you deserve,” said belle warmly. “but i wouldn’t of did it for just anybody. if it hadbeen that miz kennedy’s husband by hisself, i wouldn’t of lifted a finger, no matter what captainbutler said.”
“why?”
“well, miz wilkes, people in my business knows a heap of things. it’d surprise and shock a heapof fine ladies if they had any notion how much we knows about them. and she ain’t no good, mizwilkes. she kilt her husband and that nice wellburn boy, same as if she shot them. she caused itall, prancin’ about atlanta by herself, enticin’ niggers and trash. why, not one of my girls—”
“you must not say unkind things about my sister-in-law.” melanie stiffened coldly.
belle put an eager placating hand on melanie’s arm and then hastily withdrew it.
“don’t freeze me, please, miz wilkes. i couldn’t stand it after you been so kind and sweet to me.
i forgot how you liked her and i’m sorry for what i said. i’m sorry about poor mr. kennedy bein’
dead too. he was a nice man. i used to buy some of the stuff for my house from him and he alwaystreated me pleasant. but miz kennedy—well, she just ain’t in the same class with you, mizwilkes. she’s a mighty cold woman and i can’t help it if i think so. ... when are they goin’ to burymr. kennedy?”
“tomorrow morning. and you are wrong about mrs. kennedy. why, this very minute she’sprostrated with grief.”
“maybe so,” said belle with evident disbelief. “well, i got to be goin’. i’m afraid somebodymight recognize this carriage if i stayed here longer and that wouldn’t do you no good. and, mizwilkes, if you ever see me on the street, you—you don’t have to speak to me. i’ll understand.”
“i shall be proud to speak to you. proud to be under obligation to you. i hope—i hope we meetagain.”
“no,” said belle. “that wouldn’t be fittin’. good night.”
那天晚上，城北头没有几户人家睡过觉，因为三k党受打击和瑞德设计营救的消息很快就悄悄地传开了。英迪亚·威尔克斯的身影不时地溜进一家家的后院，急切地在厨房口小声谈一谈，就又消失在寒风劲吹的黑夜之中，她在走过的路上留下的是恐惧，是焦急的希望。
从外面看，每所房子都是黑黑的，静悄悄，人们已经都入睡了，但在房子里面，人们怀着激动的心情小声交谈，一直谈到天亮。不只是当开晚上参加袭击的人三k党的每个成员都准备出逃。在桃树街，几乎各家各户的马都备好了鞍，等在黑暗的马厩里，手枪都挂在了腰带上，食品装在口袋里，放到了马背上，之所以没有一起出发，就是因为英迪亚悄悄地传来了消息：“巴特勒船长说不要往外跑，路上有人监视，也有军队。他已经和沃特琳那家伙安排好了----"在屋子里，人们在暗中窃窃私语：“我为什么要相信那个该死的投靠北方佬的巴特勒呢？这可能又是个圈套！"可以听见女人恳求的声音：“还是不要走吧！既然他救了艾希礼和休，他就能救我们每一个人，要是英迪亚和媚兰信任他----"于是他们半信半疑地留了下来，因为没有别的出路可供他们选择。
在这之前，军队已经到十户人家去敲门查问，谁要是说不出或不肯说当天晚上他在什么地方，就把谁抓走。雷内·皮卡和梅里韦瑟太太的一个侄子、西蒙斯家的哥儿几个、安迪·邦内尔，还有另外一些人，都是在监狱里蹲了一夜，他们都参加了这次倒霉的袭击，但是一开火，他们就和其他人分开了。他们在往回跑的时候被抓住了，因此他们不知道瑞德的计划。幸亏他们在受审的时候都说那天晚上他们爱待在哪里就待在哪里，该死的北方佬管不着。当天晚上他们就被关起来了。等候第二天早上继续审问。梅里韦瑟爷爷和亨利·汉密尔顿叔叔直言不讳的地说他们一晚上都在贝尔·沃特琳的赌场里。贾弗里队长听了很生气，说他们干这样的事年纪太大，气得他们要揍他。
贝尔·沃特琳亲自回答了贾弗里队长询问。队长还没有开口说明来意，她就大声嚷嚷起来。她说今天晚上已经关门了。刚才来了一帮打架半殴的酒鬼，在这里打起来了，把这里弄得一塌糊涂，把她的几面极为精致的镜子打碎了。把姑娘们吓得魂飞魄散，今晚只好暂停营业。不过假如贾弗里队长想喝点什么，酒吧间还开着----贾弗里队长很清楚，他手下的人都在一旁看笑话，他自己又如堕在云里雾中，便声色俱厉地说我既不要年轻姑娘，也不要喝什么酒，只问贝尔知不知道伙胡闹的顾客叫什么名字。
贝尔当然是知道的。他们都是她这里的常客。他们每星期三晚上都来，自称是什么周三民主派，至于这是什么意思，她既不想知道，也不感兴趣。他们在楼上过道里打碎的镜子要是不赔，就要跟他们没完没了。她这可是个体面地方，而且----。至于他们的名字，贝尔一口气说出了12个人名字，都是被怀疑对象。贾弗里队长听了之后露出一脸的苦笑。
“这些该死的叛逆分子比我们的秘密警察组织得都好，"他说。"明天早晨你和你那些姑娘们都要到宪兵司令那里等候问话。"“宪兵司令会不会让他们赔我的镜子呀？"“别提你他妈的那些镜子了！去找瑞德·巴特勒。让他赔。
这个地方不是他的吗？”
天还没有亮，城里运去参加过南部联盟的管家各户就什么都知道了。他们家里用的黑人，虽然没有人告诉他们，也什么知道，他们靠的黑人地下网络，白人是弄不明白的。大家对各项细节都很清楚，比如，弗兰克·肯尼迪和瘸子托米·韦尔伯恩被打死了，艾希礼把弗兰克尸体弄走的时候受了伤，等等。
因为思嘉与这次悲惨事件有关，城里的妇女本来对她恨之入骨。后来知道她丈夫已经死了，她也听说了，但又不能承认，不能收尸，从而得不到一点安慰，大家也就不象以前那么恨她了，天亮以后，尸体被人发现，当局通知了她，但在此之前，她必须假装什么也不知道，弗兰克和托米，冰凉的手攥着手枪，躺在空地上的枯草丛里，身体慢慢僵硬了。北方佬会说他们为了争夺贝尔的一个姑娘，酒后斗殴，互相射击而死的，这种事是司空见惯的，大家对托米的妻子范妮深表同情，她刚生完孩子，可是谁也没有办法趁着黑夜去看看，并安慰安慰她，因为她家周围有一了队北方佬，守在那里等着抓托米。还有一队守在皮蒂姑妈的房子附近，等着抓弗克兰。
天还没有亮，消息就传遍了全城，说军事法庭当早上就要进行调查。城里的人都一夜没睡，又等着心焦，眼皮都非常沉重。他们知道，城里几位名人的安全全寄托在三件事上----第一，艾希礼·威尔克斯要能在军事委员会面前站出来，表现出只感到酒后头痛得厉害，并没有什么更严重的痛苦。第二，贝尔·沃特琳保证这些人整个晚上都是待在她那里。第三，瑞德·巴特勒保证他一直和他们在一起。
对于最后这两点，大家都惴惴不安。贝尔·沃特琳！怎么能把自己男人的性命寄托在她身上呢？真让人受不了！过去有些太太们在街上看见她走过来，就赶紧神气活现地过马路，躲开她以显示出自己的高傲。现在不知她是否还记得这样的事，要是她还记得，那才真叫人害怕。男人们对于把自己的性命寄托在贝尔身上，倒不像太太们那样感到难为情，因为他们之中有许多人认为贝尔这个人并不坏，使他们感到难受的是不得不把自己的性命和自由寄托在瑞德·巴特勒身上，他是一个投机商，又是一个投靠北方佬的人啊，一个贝尔，她是全城出名的浪荡女人，一个瑞德，他是全城最遭恨的人。怎么大家竟然要仰仗这样两个人呢？
还有一件事使得他们生闷气，他们知道北方佬和北方来的冒险家一定会耻笑他们。让那些人看笑话吧！全城12位最有名的公民现在全暴露了，原来都是贝尔·沃特琳赌场的常客！其中二人因为争夺一个下贱女子而开枪打死了。有的人也因为醉得一塌糊涂，连贝尔都忍受不了，把他们轰出来了，有几个人被逮捕了，因为明明大家都知道他们是在那里的，他们却不肯承认。
亚特兰大害怕北方佬会耻笑他们，是有道理的。许久以来，南方人对他们冷淡，鄙视，使他们感到很憋气，现在可以痛痛快快地大笑一阵了。军官们赶快把同事叫醒，把这件事向他们详详细细地述说一番。丈夫清早把太太叫醒，把能对女人说得出口的情节都告诉她们了。于是太太就赶紧穿好衣服，去敲邻居的门，向他们传播这个消息。北方佬的太太们一听这消息欣喜若狂，笑得满脸都是眼泪。你们南方人号称什么尊重女性，见义勇为，原来全都口事心非！那些女人过去两眼只往天上看，见人待答不理，现大就别那么势利眼了，谁不知道她们的丈夫说是去参加什么政治集会实际上却在这里穷泡，还说是政治集会呢！真可笑！
笑虽然笑了，她们还是对思嘉摊上这种悲惨的事而表示遗憾。不管怎么说，思嘉是个正派女人，在亚特兰大，有几个女人对北方佬还是不错的，她就是其中之一。她早就赢得了她们的同情，因为她丈夫不能或者说不愿好好地养活她，她非自己干活不可。虽然丈夫不好，可是又让可怜的思嘉发现他对她不忠，也实在太可怕了。还有，他死和发现他不忠这两件事同时发生，这就更加可怕。无论如何，有个不好的丈夫也比没有丈夫强啊，所以北方佬的太太们决定要对思嘉特别好。至于别的女人，米德太太，梅里韦瑟太太，埃尔辛太太，托米·韦尔伯恩的寡妇，尤其是艾希礼·威尔克斯太太，今后再见到她们，是要当面耻笑她们的。好让她们也懂得一点礼貌。
那天夜里，北城各家的漆黑的屋子里悄悄议论的大都是这个话题。太太们都激动地对丈夫说，北方佬怎么想，她们一点也不在意，但是在心里深处，她们觉得宁可挨印第安人的鞭子，也不愿忍受北方佬的耻笑，而且还不能说出自己丈夫的真实情况。
米德大夫因为瑞德硬把他和另外一些人推入这样的处境，冒犯了他的尊严，感到十分恼火，他对米德太太说，要不是怕牵连别人，他宁愿去自首，被他们绞死，也不愿意别人说他当时在贝尔那里。
“这是对你的侮辱啊，米德太太，"他气呼呼地说。
“反正大家都知道你并没在那里，因为----因为----"“北方佬就不知道。我们要想保住性命，就得让他们相信这是个事实。他们会耻笑。我一想到有人会信以为真，而且还要嘲笑，我就气得受不了，而且这也是对你是侮辱啊，因为----亲爱的，我对你一向是忠诚的。““这我知道，"米德太太在黑暗中微微一笑，把一只干瘦的手伸到大夫的手里。"但是我宁愿这都是真的，也不愿意让他们动你一根头发丝儿。"“米德太太，你知道你在胡说些什么吗？"米德大夫喊道，他对于妻子这样讲究实际，毫不怀疑，他感到非常惊讶。
“我当然知道，我失去了达西，我也失去了费尔，你是我唯一的亲人了。只要不失去你，你疯了！你胡说些什么"“你这个老傻瓜，"米德太太温柔地说，同时把头靠在他的袖子上。
米德大夫妻呼呼地沉默了一会儿，摸了摸太太的脸，接着又发作起来。"让我接受巴特勒那个人的恩惠！那还不如被纹死的好，即使是他救了我的命。我对他也不能以礼相待，他傲慢到了极点，又投机倒把，是个十足的无耻之徒，想起来我就有气。让我去感谢他救命之恩吗，他又没有打过仗----""媚兰说，亚特兰大失陷以后，他也参加了军队。"“那是骗人的。无论哪个花言巧语的流氓说的话，媚兰小姐都会相信的。我不明白他为什么要这么做----费这么大的事，我不想这么说，不过----唉，人们一直在议论他和肯尼迪太太的关系。我看见他们一起赶着马车回来，这一年多，次数可就太多了。他一定是为她才这么做的。"”如果是为了思嘉他就根本不会帮忙了。把弗兰克·肯尼迪绞死，他还不高兴吗？我想他是为了媚兰----"“米德太太，你的意思不是说她们两个人之间还有什么名堂吧！““你别胡扯！但自从他在战争期间设法把艾希礼交换回来，她就莫名其妙地喜欢他。我也为他说句公道话，他和她在一起的时候，可从来不露出他那一副奸笑。他总是尽量显得和蔼、体贴，完全是另外一个人。从他对媚兰的态度可以看出，是想做一个规矩人，他也是能做到的。我想他之所以这样做，是----"她没有说下去。"大夫，你也许不喜欢我这个想法。"“关于这件事，我什么都不喜欢！"“我觉得他这样做，一面方是为了媚兰，但是主要是因为他觉得这样可以跟我们开一个大玩笑。我们过去那么恨他，而且毫不隐瞒这一点，现在他给咱们出了这个难题，你们这几个人要么承认是在那个叫沃特琳的女人那里，这样就使你们和自己的妻子都在北方佬面前丢尽面子，要么就得说实话，让他们绞死，而且他还知道。我们都得感谢他和他的----姘头，可是我几乎是宁愿被绞死，也不愿意感谢他们给我们的好处。
唉，我敢打赌，他正在那边高兴呢。”
大夫叹了一口气。"他带我们上楼的时候，看样子，他的确觉得挺好玩。”“大夫，"米德太太迟疑了一下，接着说：“里头什么样子？"“你在说什么呀，米德太太？"“她那个地方，里边是什么样子？有雕花玻璃吊灯吗？有红色长毛绒窗帘和十几面镀金的大镜子吗？那些姑娘们----她们是都不穿衣裳吗？"大夫一听这话，大吃一惊，喊道：“我的天哪！"因为他从来没想到一个贞洁的女人对那些不贞洁的女人会有这么强烈的好奇心。"你怎么好意思问这样的问题？你发疯了吧！我得给你来一服镇静剂。"“我不要镇静剂。我只想知道，唉，亲爱的，我只有这一个机会了解一下坏女人那里是个什么样子，你真可恶，不告诉我！”“我什么也没看见，你听我说，我当时觉得，到这种地方来，实在太难为情，没顾上看周围是个什么样子，"大夫郑重其事的说。他从没有怀疑过妻子的品德，而现在有所暴露，使他感到这件事比那天晚上发生的所有的事都更为不安。"如果你允许的话，我要去睡一会儿。”“那你就去睡吧，"她回答说，从她的语气里听得出，她是很失望的。大夫弯腰脱鞋的时候，她又在黑暗中用愉快的声调说：“我想多丽一定会从梅里韦瑟爷爷那里都问出来了，她会告诉我的。"“天哪！米德太太，你是说正经女人之间也谈这种事？----"“睡你的觉去吧”米德太太说。
第二天，雨雪交加，冬季里天黑得早。黄昏时分，雨雪停下，刮起了大风，媚兰裹着斗篷，莫名其妙地跟着一个陌生的黑人顺着房前的小路往外走，这黑人是个马车夫，他来找媚兰，显得很神秘的样子，有一辆拉着窗帘的马车等在外边，媚兰走到马车跟前，车门开了，模模糊糊看见里面坐着一个妇人。
媚兰又往前凑了凑，仔细看了看里面，问：“你是谁呀？
屋里来好吗？外面这么冷----”
“请你上来陪我坐一会儿吧，威尔克斯太太，"马车里传出了一种羞愧的声音，这声音似乎有些耳熟。
“唔，这不是沃特琳----小姐----太太吗？"媚兰说。"我也正想见您呢！快进屋里去吧。"“不行啊，威尔克斯太太，"贝尔·沃特琳说。听她的声音，她有些吃惊。"还是请您上来陪我坐一会吧。"于是媚兰上了车，车夫随即把门关上，她在贝尔身旁坐下，就伸手去拉贝尔的手。
“为了今天的事，我都不知道怎样感谢您才好！我们大家都得好好地谢谢您啊！““威尔克斯太太，您今天早上不该派人去给我送那封信，我倒不是不愿意收到您的信，是怕万一它落到北方佬手里。至3211ae畗_上发生的所有的事于说您想登门去谢我----威尔克斯太太，您怎么糊涂了？怎么想出这个主意？天一黑我就赶紧来告诉您，您可千万别来，我呀----你呀----唉，这样做可太不合适了。”“一位好心的女人救了我丈夫的命，我去登门道谢，什么不合适。"“得了，威尔克斯太太！您还不明白吗！"媚兰沉默了一会儿，她已领会了这句话的意义，觉得有些不好意思。昏暗的马车里坐着的这个衣着扑素的漂亮女人，论仪表，论谈吐，都不大像她想像的坏女人，妓院鸨母的样子。她说话起来----虽然有些俗气，她却是个好心人，热心人。
“今天您在宪兵司令那里表现得真不错，沃特琳太太。您，还有那个----您的那些----年轻姑娘们，是你们救了我们各家男人的命。"“威尔克斯先生才真是表现得出色呢。我不知道他怎么能站得住，并且心平静平地说明情况。昨天晚上我看见他那血哗哗地流，他问题不大吧，威尔克斯太太？"“没什么问，谢谢您。大夫说只伤了点皮肉，血的确流了很多。今天早上，他----唉，他是全靠白兰地撑着呢，要不他也挺不了那么大工夫，不过还是您沃特琳太太救了我们的命。您发起疯来，让他们赔镜子的时候，听起来还真----真叫人信服呢。"“谢谢您，太太。不过我----我觉得巴特勒船长表现得也很不错，"贝尔说，声音里流露出得意的表情。
“啊，他好极了！"媚兰热情地说。"北方佬无法不相信他的证词。整个事情他都得处理得那么好。我真不知道怎么感谢他，怎么感谢您才好！你们可真是善良厚道的人啊！"“您太客气了，威尔克斯太太，这是很愉快的事，我----我希望我当时说威尔克斯先生经常到我这里来，没有使您感到难堪吧。您知道，他从来没有----"“这我知道。您这样说，没有使我感到难堪。我是一心感激您呢。"“我敢说其他几位太太可不感激我。"贝尔突然恶狠狠地说。"我敢说，她们也不感激巴特勒船长，我敢说，她们现在反倒更恨他了。我取说您会是唯一向我表示感谢的人。我敢说，她们要是在街上看到我，却不敢正眼看我。要是她们的丈夫全都被绞死，我也不管，可是威尔克斯先生，我不能不管。您知道，我根本没有忘记战争期间你们对我是多么好啊，替我拿钱交给了医院，全城没有谁家的太太像您对我这样好。
人家对我好，我是不会忘记的。我想到如果威尔克斯先生被绞死，您就成了寡妇，还带着一个孩子----您那孩子可是个好孩子，威尔克斯太太。我自己也有一个孩子，所以我----“"是吗？他住在----唔----"“不，他不在亚特兰大，他没到这里来过。从他很小的时候起，我就没再见过他。他在别处上学。我----唉，反正巴特勒船长让我为他作假证的时候，我就问他们都是谁，一听里面有威尔克斯先生，我就一点也不犹豫。我对丫头们说，'你们要是不想说威尔克斯先生一晚上都在这里，我就通通把你们宰了。'"“啊！"媚兰说。一听贝尔漫不经心地提到她那些"丫头"，她就更觉得不好意思了。"唔，这件事----唔----多亏了您----也多亏了她们。"“这都是应该为您做的呀，"贝尔热情地说，"要是为了别人，我说什么都不干。要是光是肯尼迪太太的丈夫，无论巴特勒船长怎么说，我也不会出一点力的。““那是为什么？"“哎呀，威尔克斯太太，干我们这一行的，知道的事情可多了，许多人家的太太小姐要是知道我们对她们是多么了解，她们准会吓坏了。她可不是个好人。威尔克斯太太，她杀了自己的丈夫，还杀了韦尔伯恩那个小伙子，和她亲手开枪打死他们是没有两样的，都是她惹出来的，一个人在亚特兰大到乱跑，勾引那些黑人和无赖。我那些丫头就没有一个----""她是我的嫂子，你可不能这样说她的坏话，"媚兰正颜厉色说。
贝尔赶紧伸出手，搭在媚兰胳臂上，想让她不要生气，但急忙又缩了回来。
“请您别对我这么冷谈，威尔克斯太太，我真受不了啊，您刚才还对我那么和蔼可亲呢。我忘了您是那么喜欢她。我说了那样的话，感到很抱歉。可怜的肯尼迪先生死了，我也很难过。他是个好人。我常到他那里去买东西，他对我一向很客气。不过肯尼迪太太----唉，她和您可不一样，威尔克斯太太，她是一个冷酷无情的女人，我没法不这样想。……准备几时给肯尼迪先生出殡呀？"“明天早上。您那样说肯尼迪太太可是不对。此时此刻她已伤心到了极点。"“也许是这样吧，"贝尔说，她显然是很不相信。"哎呀。
我该走了。我要是再待下去，有人会认出这辆车的，那对您影响就不好了。还有，威尔克斯太太，您要是在街上碰见我，您----您不必跟我说话。我可以谅解您。"“跟您说话，我会觉得很光呀。得到您的帮助也是很光荣的。我希望----我希望我们以后再会。"“不，”贝尔说。"那样不合适。再见。”