one rainy afternoon when bonnie was barely past her first birthday, wade moped aboutthe sitting room, occasionally going to the window and flattening his nose on the dripping pane.
he was a slender, weedy boy, small for his eight years, quiet almost to shyness, never speakingunless spoken to. he was bored and obviously at loss for entertainment, for ella was busy in thecorner with her dolls, scarlett was at her secretary muttering to herself as she added a long columnof figures, and rhett was lying on the floor, swinging his watch by its chain, just out of bonnie’sreach.
after wade had picked up several books and let them drop with bangs and sighed deeply,scarlett turned to him in irritation.
“heavens, wade! run out and play.”
“i can’t. it’s raining.”
“is it? i hadn’t noticed. well, do something. you make me nervous, fidgeting about. go tell porkto hitch up the carriage and take you over to play with beau.”
“he isn’t home,” sighed wade. “he’s at raoul picard’s birthday party.”
raoul was the small son of maybelle and rené picard—a detestable little brat, scarlett thought,more like an ape than a child.
“well, you can go to see anyone you want to. run tell pork.”
“nobody’s at home,” answered wade. “everybody’s at the party.”
the unspoken words “everybody—but me” hung in the air; but scarlett, her mind on her account books, paid no heed.
rhett raised himself to a sitting posture and said: “why aren’t you at the party too, son?”
wade edged closer to him, scuffing one foot and looking unhappy.
“i wasn’t invited, sir.”
rhett handed his watch into bonnie’s destructive grasp and rose lightly to his feet.
“leave those damned figures alone, scarlett. why wasn’t wade invited to this party?”
“for heaven’s sake, rhett! don’t bother me now. ashley has gotten these accounts in an awfulsnarl— oh, that party? well, i think it’s nothing unusual that wade wasn’t invited and i wouldn’tlet him go if he had been. don’t forget that raoul is mrs. merriwether’s grandchild and mrs.
merriwether would as soon have a free issue nigger in her sacred parlor as one of us.”
rhett, watching wade’s face with meditative eyes, saw the boy flinch.
“come here, son,” he said, drawing the boy to him. “would you like to be at that party?”
“no, sir,” said wade bravely but his eyes fell.
“hum. tell me, wade, do you go to little joe whiting’s parties or frank bonnell’s or—well, anyof your playmates?”
“no, sir. i don’t get invited to many parties.”
“wade, you are lying!” cried scarlett, turning. “you went to three last week, the bart children’sparty and the gelerts’ and the hundons’.”
“as choice a collection of mules in horse harness as you could group together,” said rhett, hisvoice going into a soft drawl. “did you have a good time at those parties? speak up.”
“no, sir.”
“why not?”
“i—i dunno, sir. mammy—mammy says they’re white trash.”
“i’ll skin mammy this minute!” cried scarlett, leaping to her feet “and as for you, wade, talkingso about mother’s friends—”
“the boy’s telling the truth and so is mammy,” said rhett. “but, of course, you’ve never beenable to know the truth if you met it in the road. ... don’t bother, son. you don’t have to go to anymore parties you don’t want to go to. here,” he pulled a bill from his pocket, “tell pork to harnessthe carriage and take you downtown. buy yourself some candy—a lot, enough to give you awonderful stomach ache.”
wade, beaming, pocketed the bill and looked anxiously toward his mother for confirmation. butshe, with a pucker in her brows, was watching rhett. he had picked bonnie from the floor and wascradling her to him, her small face against his cheek. she could not read his face but there wassomething in his eyes almost like fear—fear and self-accusation.
wade, encouraged by his stepfather’s generosity, came shyly toward him.
“uncle rhett, can i ask you sumpin’?”
“of course.” rhett’s look was anxious, absent, as he held bonnie’s head closer. “what is it,wade?”
“uncle rhett, were you—did you fight in the war?”
rhett’s eyes came alertly back and they were sharp, but his voice was casual.
“why do you ask, son?”
“well, joe whiting said you didn’t and so did frankie bonnell.”
“ah,” said rhett, “and what did you tell them?”
wade looked unhappy.
“i—i said—i told them i didn’t know.” and with a rush, “but i didn’t care and i hit them. wereyou in the war, uncle rhett?”
“yes,” said rhett, suddenly violent “i was in the war. i was in the army for eight months. ifought all the way from lovejoy up to franklin, tennessee. and i was with johnston when hesurrendered.”
wade wriggled with pride but scarlett laughed.
“i thought you were ashamed of your war record,” she said. “didn’t you tell me to keep itquiet?”
“hush,” he said briefly. “does that satisfy you, wade?”
“oh, yes, sir! i knew you were in the war. i knew you weren’t scared like they said. but—whyweren’t you with the other little boys’ fathers?”
“because the other little boys’ fathers were such fools they had to put them in the infantry. i wasa west pointer and so i was in the artillery. in the regular artillery, wade, not the home guard. ittakes a pile of sense to be in the artillery, wade.”
“i bet,” said wade, his face shining. “did you get wounded, uncle rhett?’
rhett hesitated.
“tell him about your dysentery,” jeered scarlett.
rhett carefully set the baby on the floor and pulled his shirt and undershirt out of his trouserband.
“come here, wade, and i’ll show you where i was wounded.”
wade advanced, excited, and gazed where rhett’s finger pointed. a long raised scar ran acrosshis brown chest and down into his heavily muscled abdomen. it was the souvenir of a knife fight inthe california gold fields but wade did not know it. he breathed heavily and happily.
“i guess you’re ‘bout as brave as my father, uncle rhett.”
“almost but not quite,” said rhett, stuffing his shirt into his trousers. “now, go on and spendyour dollar and whale hell out of any boy who says i wasn’t in the army.”
wade went dancing out happily, calling to pork, and rhett picked up the baby again.
“now why all these lies, my gallant soldier laddie?” asked scarlett.
“a boy has to be proud of his father—or stepfather. i can’t let him be ashamed before the otherlittle brutes. cruel creatures, children.”
“oh, fiddle-dee-dee!”
“i never thought about what it meant to wade,” said rhett slowly. “i never thought how he’ssuffered. and it’s not going to be that way for bonnie.”
“what way?”
“do you think i’m going to have my bonnie ashamed of her father? have her left out of partieswhen she’s nine or ten? do you think i’m going to have her humiliated like wade for things thataren’t her fault but yours and mine?”
“oh, children’s parties!”
“out of children’s parties grow young girls’ début parties. do you think i’m going to let mydaughter grow up outside of everything decent in atlanta? i’m not going to send her north toschool and to visit because she won’t be accepted here or in charleston or savannah or new orleans.
and i’m not going to see her forced to marry a yankee or a foreigner because no decentsouthern family will have her—because her mother was a fool and her father a blackguard.”
wade, who had come back to the door, was an interested but puzzled listener.
“bonnie can marry beau, uncle rhett.”
the anger went from rhett’s face as he turned to the little boy, and he considered his words withapparent seriousness as he always did when dealing with the children.
“that’s true, wade. bonnie can marry beau wilkes, but who will you marry?”
“oh, i shan’t marry anyone,” said wade confidently, luxuriating in a man-to-man talk with theone person, except aunt melly, who never reproved and always encouraged him. “i’m going to goto harvard and be a lawyer, like my father, and then i’m going to be a brave soldier just like him.”
“i wish melly would keep her mouth shut,” cried scarlett. “wade, you are not going to harvard.
it’s a yankee school and i won’t have you going to a yankee school. you are going to theuniversity of georgia and after you graduate you are going to manage the store for me. and as foryour father being a brave soldier—”
“hush,” said rhett curtly, not missing the shining light in wade’s eyes when he spoke of thefather he had never known. “you grow up and be a brave man like your father, wade. try to be justlike him, for he was a hero and don’t let anyone tell you differently. he married your mother,didn’t he? well, that’s proof enough of heroism. and i’ll see that you go to harvard and become alawyer. now, run along and tell pork to take you to town.”
“i’ll thank you to let me manage my children,” cried scarlett as wade obediently trotted fromthe room.
“you’re a damned poor manager. you’ve wrecked whatever chances ella and wade had, but i won’t permit you to do bonnie that way. bonnie’s going to be a little princess and everyone in theworld is going to want her. there’s not going to be any place she can’t go. good god, do you thinki’m going to let her grow up and associate with the riffraff that fills this house?”
“they are good enough for you—”
“and a damned sight too good for you, my pet. but not for bonnie. do you think i’d let hermarry any of this runagate gang you spend your time with? irishmen on the make, yankees, whitetrash, carpetbag parvenus— my bonnie with her butler blood and her robillard strain—”
the o’haras—”
the o’haras might have been kings of ireland once but your father was nothing but a smartmick on the make. and you are no better— but then, i’m at fault too. i’ve gone through life like abat out of hell, never caring what i did, because nothing ever mattered to me. but bonnie matters.
god, what a fool i’ve been! bonnie wouldn’t be received in charleston, no matter what my motheror your aunt eulalie or aunt pauline did—and it’s obvious that she won’t be received here unlesswe do something quickly—”
“oh, rhett, you take it so seriously you’re funny. with our money—”
“damn our money! all our money can’t buy what i want for her. i’d rather bonnie was invitedto eat dry bread in the picards’ miserable house or mrs. elsing’s rickety barn than to be the belle ofa republican inaugural ball. scarlett, you’ve been a fool. you should have insured a place for yourchildren in the social scheme years ago—but you didn’t. you didn’t even bother to keep whatposition you had. and it’s too much to hope that you’ll mend your ways at this late date. you’retoo anxious to make money and too fond of bullying people.”
“i consider this whole affair a tempest in a teapot,” said scarlett coldly, rattling her papers toindicate that as far as she was concerned the discussion was finished.
“we have only mrs. wilkes to help us and you do your best to alienate and insult her. oh, spareme your remarks about her poverty and her tacky clothes. she’s the soul and the center ofeverything in atlanta that’s sterling. thank god for her. she’ll help me do something about it.”
“and what are you going to do?”
“do? i’m going to cultivate every female dragon of the old guard in this town, especially mrs.
merriwether, mrs. elsing, mrs. whiting and mrs. meade. if i have to crawl on my belly to everyfat old cat who hates me, i’ll do it. i’ll be meek under their coldness and repentant of my evil ways.
i’ll contribute to their damned charities and i’ll go to their damned churches. i’ll admit and bragabout my services to the confederacy and, if worst comes to worst, i’ll join their damned klan—though a merciful god could hardly lay so heavy a penance on my shoulders as that. and i shallnot hesitate to remind the fools whose necks i saved that they owe me a debt. and you, madam,will kindly refrain from undoing my work behind my back and foreclosing mortgages on any ofthe people i’m courting or selling them rotten lumber or in other ways insulting them. andgovernor bullock never sets foot in this house again. do you hear? and none of this gang ofelegant thieves you’ve been associating with, either. if you do invite them, over my request, youwill find yourself in the embarrassing position of having no host in your home. if they come in thishouse, i will spend the time in belle watling’s bar telling anyone who cares to hear that i won’t stay under the same roof with them.”
scarlett, who had been smarting under his words, laughed shortly.
“so the river-boat gambler and the speculator is going to be respectable! well, your first movetoward respectability had better be the sale of belle watling’s house.”
that was a shot in the dark. she had never been absolutely certain that rhett owned the house.
he laughed suddenly, as though he read her mind.
“thanks for the suggestion.”
had he tried, rhett could not have chosen a more difficult time to beat his way back torespectability. never before or after did the names republican and scalawag carry such odium, fornow the corruption of the carpet bag regime was at its height. and, since the surrender, rhett’sname had been inextricably linked with yankees, republicans and scalawags.
atlanta people had thought, with helpless fury, in 1866, that nothing could be worse than theharsh military rule they had then, but now, under bullock, they were learning the worst. thanks tothe negro vote, the republicans and their allies were firmly entrenched and they were ridingrough-shod over the powerless but still protesting minority.
word had been spread among the negroes that there were only two political parties mentioned inthe bible, the publicans and the sinners. no negro wanted to join a party made up entirely ofsinners, so they hastened to join the republicans. their new masters voted them over and overagain, electing poor whites and scalawags to high places, electing even some negroes. thesenegroes sat in the legislature where they spent most of their time eating goobers and easing theirunaccustomed feet into and out of new shoes. few of them could read or write. they were freshfrom cotton patch and canebrake, but it was within their power to vote taxes and bonds as well asenormous expense accounts to themselves and their republican friends. and they voted them. thestate staggered under taxes which were paid in fury, for the taxpayers knew that much of themoney voted for public purposes was finding its way into private pockets.
completely surrounding the state capital was a host of promoters, speculators, seekers aftercontracts and others hoping to profit from the orgy of spending, and many were growingshamelessly rich. they had no difficulty at all in obtaining the state’s money for building railroadsthat were never built, for buying cars and engines that were never bought, for erecting publicbuildings that never existed except in the minds of their promoters.
bonds were issued running into the millions. most of them were illegal and fraudulent but theywere issued just the same. the state treasurer, a republican but an honest man, protested againstthe illegal issues and refused to sign them, but he and others who sought to check the abuses coulddo nothing against the tide that was running.
the state-owned railroad had once been an asset to the state but now it was a liability and itsdebts had piled up to the million mark. it was no longer a railroad. it was an enormous bottomlesstrough in which the hogs could swill and wallow. many of its officials were appointed for politicalreasons, regardless of their knowledge of the operation of railroads, there were three times as many people employed as were necessary, republicans rode free on passes, carloads of negroes rode freeon their happy jaunts about the state to vote and revote in the same elections.
the mismanagement of the state road especially infuriated the taxpayers for, out of the earningsof the road, was to come the money for free schools. but there were no earnings, there were onlydebts, and so there were no free schools and there was a generation of children growing up inignorance who would spread the seeds of illiteracy down the years.
but far and above their anger at the waste and mismanagement and graft was the resentment ofthe people at the bad light in which the governor represented them in the north. when georgiahowled against corruption, the governor hastily went north, appeared before congress and told ofwhite outrages against negroes, of georgia’s preparation for another rebellion and the need for astern military rule in the state. no georgian wanted trouble with the negroes and they tried toavoid trouble. no one wanted another war, no one wanted or needed bayonet rule. all georgiawanted was to be let alone so the state could recuperate. but with the operation of what came to beknown as the governor’s “slander mill,” the north saw only a rebellious state that needed a heavyhand, and a heavy hand was laid upon it.
it was a glorious spree for the gang which had georgia by the throat. there was an orgy ofgrabbing and over all there was a cold cynicism about open theft in high places that was chilling tocontemplate. protests and efforts to resist accomplished nothing, for the state government wasbeing upheld and supported by the power of the united states army.
atlanta cursed the name of bullock and his scalawags and republicans and they cursed thename of anyone connected with them. and rhett was connected with them. he had been in withthem, so everyone said, in all their schemes. but now, he turned against the stream in which he haddrifted so short a while before, and began swimming arduously back against the current.
he went about his campaign slowly, subtly, not arousing the suspicions of atlanta by thespectacle of a leopard trying to change his spots overnight. he avoided his dubious cronies andwas seen no more in the company of yankee officers, scalawags and republicans. he attendeddemocratic rallies and he ostentatiously voted the democratic ticket. he gave up high-stake cardgames and stayed comparatively sober. if he went to belle watling’s house at all, he went by nightand by stealth as did more respectable townsmen, instead of leaving his horse hitched in front ofher door in the afternoons as an advertisement of his presence within.
and the congregation of the episcopal church almost fell out of their pews when he tiptoed in,late for services, with wade’s hand held in his. the congregation was as much stunned by wade’sappearance as by rhett’s, for the little boy was supposed to be a catholic. at least, scarlett wasone. or she was supposed to be one. but she had not put foot in the church in years, for religionhad gone from her as many of ellen’s other teachings had gone. everyone thought she hadneglected her boy’s religious education and thought more of rhett for trying to rectify the matter,even if he did take the boy to the episcopal church instead of the catholic.
rhett could be grave of manner and charming when he chose to restrain his tongue and keep hisblack eyes from dancing maliciously. it had been years since he had chosen to do this but he did itnow, putting on gravity and charm, even as he put on waistcoats of more sober hues. it was notdifficult to gain a foothold of friendliness with the men who owed their necks to him. they would have showed their appreciation long ago, had rhett not acted as if their appreciation were a matterof small moment. now, hugh elsing, rené, the simmons boys, andy bonnell and the others foundhim pleasant, diffident about putting himself forward and embarrassed when they spoke of theobligation they owed him.
“it was nothing,” he would protest. “in my place you’d have all done the same thing.”
he subscribed handsomely to the fund for the repairs of the episcopal church and he gave alarge, but not vulgarly large, contribution to the association for the beautification of the graves ofour glorious dead. he sought out mrs. elsing to make this donation and embarrassedly beggedthat she keep his gift a secret, knowing very well that this would spur her to spreading the news.
mrs. elsing hated to take his money—“speculator money”—but the association needed moneybadly.
“i don’t see why you of all people should be subscribing,” she said acidly.
when rhett told her with the proper sober mien that he was moved to contribute by thememories of former comrades in arms, braver than he but less fortunate, who now lay in unmarkedgraves, mrs. elsing’s aristocratic jaw dropped. dolly merriwether had told her scarlett had saidcaptain butler was in the army but, of course, she hadn’t believed it. nobody had believed it.
“you in the army? what was your company—your regiment?”
rhett gave them.
“oh, the artillery! everyone i knew was either in the cavalry or the infantry. then, that explains—” she broke off, disconcerted, expecting to see his eyes snap with that ice. but he only lookeddown and toyed with his watch chain.
“i would have liked the infantry,” he said, passing completely over her insinuation, “but whenthey found that i was a west pointer—though i did not graduate, mrs. elsing, due to a boyishprank—they put me in the artillery, the regular artillery, not the militia. they needed men withspecialized knowledge in that last campaign. you know how heavy the losses had been, so manyartillerymen killed. it was pretty lonely in the artillery. i didn’t see a soul i knew. i don’t believe isaw a single man from atlanta during my whole service.”
“well!” said mrs. elsing, confused. if he had been in the army then she was wrong. she hadmade many sharp remarks about his cowardice and the memory of them made her feel guilty.
“well! and why haven’t you ever told anybody about your service? you act as though you wereashamed of it.”
rhett looked her squarely in the eyes, his face blank.
“mrs. elsing,” he said earnestly, “believe me when i say that i am prouder of my services to theconfederacy than of anything i have ever done or will do. i feel—i feel—”
“well, why did you keep it hidden?”
“i was ashamed to speak of it, in the light of—of some of my former actions.”
mrs. elsing reported the contribution and the conversation in detail to mrs. merriwether.
“and, dolly, i give you my word that when he said that about being ashamed, tears came into his eyes! yes, tears! i nearly cried myself.”
“stuff and nonsense!” cried mrs. merriwether in disbelief. “i don’t believe tears came into hiseyes any more than i believe he was in the army. and i can find out mighty quick. if he was in thatartillery outfit, i can get at the truth, for colonel carleton who commanded it married the daughterof one of my grandfather’s sisters and i’ll write him.”
she wrote colonel carlton and to her consternation received a reply praising rhett’s services inno uncertain terms. a born artilleryman, a brave soldier and an uncomplaining gentleman, amodest man who wouldn’t even take a commission when it was offered him.
“well!” said mrs. merriwether showing the letter to mrs. elsing. “you can knock me down witha feather! maybe we did misjudge the scamp about not being a soldier. maybe we should havebelieved what scarlett and melanie said about him enlisting the day the town fell. but, just thesame, he’s a scalawag and a rascal and i don’t like him!”
“somehow,” said mrs. elsing uncertainly, “somehow, i don’t think he’s so bad. a man whofought for the confederacy can’t be all bad. it’s scarlett who is the bad one. do you know, dolly, ireally believe that he—well, he’s ashamed of scarlett but is too much of a gentleman to let on.”
“ashamed! pooh! they’re both cut out of the same piece of cloth. where did you ever get sucha silly notion?”
“it isn’t silly,” said mrs. elsing indignantly. “yesterday, in the pouring rain, he had those threechildren, even the baby, mind you, out in his carriage riding them up and down peachtree streetand he gave me a lift home. and when i said: ‘captain butler, have you lost your mind keepingthese children out in the damp? why don’t you take them home?’and he didn’t say a word but justlooked embarrassed. but mammy spoke up and said: ‘de house full of w’ite trash an’ it healthierfer de chillun in de rain dan at home!’ ”
“what did he say?”
“what could he say? he just scowled at mammy and passed it over. you know scarlett wasgiving a big whist party yesterday afternoon with all those common ordinary women there. i guesshe didn’t want them kissing his baby.”
“well!” said mrs. merriwether, wavering but still obstinate. but the next week she, too,capitulated.
rhett now had a desk in the bank. what he did at this desk the bewildered officials of the bankdid not know, but he owned too large a block of the stock for them to protest his presence there.
after a while they forgot that they had objected to him for he was quiet and well mannered andactually knew something about banking and investments. at any rate he sat at his desk all day,giving every appearance of industry, for he wished to be on equal terms with his respectable fellowtownsmen who worked and worked hard.
mrs. merriwether, wishing to expand her growing bakery, had tried to borrow two thousanddollars from the bank with her house as security. she had been refused because there were alreadytwo mortgages on the house. the stout old lady was storming out of the bank when rhett stoppedher, learned the trouble and said, worriedly: “but there must be some mistake, mrs. merriwether.
some dreadful mistake. you of all people shouldn’t have to bother about collateral. why, i’d lendyou money just on your word! any lady who could build up the business you’ve built up is the bestrisk in the world. the bank wants to lend money to people like you. now, do sit down right here inmy chair and i will attend to it for you.”
when he came back he was smiling blandly, saying that there had been a mistake, just as he hadthought. the two thousand dollars was right there waiting for her whenever she cared to drawagainst it. now, about her house—would she just sign right here?
mrs. merriwether, torn with indignation and insult, furious that she had to take this favor from aman she disliked and distrusted, was hardly gracious in her thanks.
but he failed to notice it as he escorted her to the door, he said: “mrs. merriwether, i havealways had a great regard for your knowledge and i wonder if you could tell me something?”
the plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded.
“what did you do when your maybelle was little and she sucked her thumb?”
“what?”
“my bonnie sucks her thumb. i can’t make her stop it.”
“you should make her stop it,” said mrs. merriwether vigorously. “it will ruin the shape of hermouth.”
“i know! i know! and she has a beautiful mouth. but i don’t know what to do.”
“well, scarlett ought to know,” said mrs. merriwether shortly. “she’s had two other children.”
rhett looked down at his shoes and sighed.
“i’ve tried putting soap under her finger nails,” he said, passing over her remark about scarlett.
“soap! bah! soap is no good at all. i put quinine on maybelle’s thumb and let me tell you,captain butler, she stopped sucking that thumb mighty quick.”
“quinine! i would never have thought of it! i can’t thank you enough, mrs. merriwether. it wasworrying me.”
he gave her a smile, so pleasant, so grateful that mrs. merriwether stood uncertainly for amoment. but as she told him good-by she was smiling too. she hated to admit to mrs. elsing thatshe had misjudged the man but she was an honest person and she said there had to be somethinggood about a man who loved his child. what a pity scarlett took no interest in so pretty a creatureas bonnie! there was something pathetic about a man trying to raise a little girl all by himself!
rhett knew very well the pathos of the spectacle, and if it blackened scarlett’s reputation he didnot care.
from the time the child could walk he took her about with him constantly, in the carriage or infront of his saddle. when he came home from the bank in the afternoon, he took her walking downpeachtree street, holding her hand, slowing his long strides to her toddling steps, patientlyanswering her thousand questions. people were always in their front yards or on their porches atsunset and, as bonnie was such a friendly, pretty child, with her tangle of black curls and her bright blue eyes, few could resist talking to her. rhett never presumed on these conversations but stoodby, exuding fatherly pride and gratification at the notice taken of his daughter.
atlanta had a long memory and was suspicious and slow to change. times were hard and feelingwas bitter against anyone who had had anything to do with bullock and his crowd. but bonnie hadthe combined charm of scarlett and rhett at their best and she was the small opening wedge rhettdrove into the wall of atlanta’s coldness.
bonnie grew rapidly and every day it became more evident that gerald o’hara had been hergrandfather. she had short sturdy legs and wide eyes of irish blue and a small square jaw that wentwith a determination to have her own way. she had gerald’s sudden temper to which she gave ventin screaming tantrums that were forgotten as soon as her wishes were gratified. and as long as herfather was near her, they were always gratified hastily. he spoiled her despite all the efforts ofmammy and scarlett, for in all things she pleased him, except one. and that was her fear of thedark.
until she was two years old she went to sleep readily in the nursery she shared with wade andella. then, for no apparent reason, she began to sob whenever mammy waddled out of the room,carrying the lamp. from this she progressed to wakening in the late night hours, screaming withterror, frightening the other two children and alarming the house. once dr. meade had to be calledand rhett was short with him when he diagnosed only bad dreams. all anyone could get from herwas one word, “dark.”
scarlett was inclined to be irritated with the child and favored a spanking. she would not humorher by leaving a lamp burning in the nursery, for then wade and ella would be unable to sleep.
rhett, worried but gentle, attempting to extract further information from his daughter, said coldlythat if any spanking were done, he would do it personally and to scarlett.
the upshot of the situation was that bonnie was removed from the nursery to the room rhettnow occupied alone. her small bed was placed beside his large one and a shaded lamp burned onthe table all night long. the town buzzed when this story got about. somehow, there wassomething indelicate about a girl child sleeping in her father’s room, even though the girl was onlytwo years old. scarlett suffered from this gossip in two ways. first, it proved indubitably that sheand her husband occupied separate rooms, in itself a shocking enough state of affairs. second,everyone thought that if the child was afraid to sleep alone, her place was with her mother. andscarlett did not feel equal to explaining that she could not sleep in a lighted room nor would rhettpermit the child to sleep with her.
“you’d never wake up unless she screamed and then you’d probably slap her,” he said shortly.
scarlett was annoyed at the weight he attached to bonnie’s night terrors but she thought shecould eventually remedy the state of affairs and transfer the child back to the nursery. all childrenwere afraid of the dark and the only cure was firmness. rhett was just being perverse in the matter,making her appear a poor mother, just to pay her back for banishing him from her room.
he had never put foot in her room or even rattled the door knob since the night she told him shedid not want any more children. thereafter and until he began staying at home on account of bonnie’s fears, he had been absent from the supper table more often than he had been present.
sometimes he had stayed out all night and scarlett, lying awake behind her locked door, hearingthe clock count off the early morning hours, wondered where he was. she remembered: “there areother beds, my dear!” though the thought made her writhe, there was nothing she could do aboutit. there was nothing she could say that would not precipitate a scene in which he would be sure toremark upon her locked door and the probable connection ashley had with it. yes, his foolishnessabout bonnie sleeping in a lighted room—in his lighted room—was just a mean way of paying herback.
she did not realize the importance he attached to bonnie’s foolishness nor the completeness ofhis devotion to the child until one dreadful night. the family never forgot that night.
that day rhett had met an ex-blockade runner and they had had much to say to each other.
where they had gone to talk and drink, scarlett did not know but she suspected, of course, bellewatling’s house. he did not come home in the afternoon to take bonnie walking nor did he comehome to supper. bonnie, who had watched from the window impatiently all afternoon, anxious todisplay a mangled collection of beetles and roaches to her father, had finally been put to bed bylou, amid wails and protests.
either lou had forgotten to light the lamp or it had burned out. no one ever knew exactly whathappened but when rhett finally came home, somewhat the worse for drink, the house was in anuproar and bonnie’s screams reached him even in the stables. she had waked in darkness andcalled for him and he had not been there. all the nameless horrors that peopled her small imaginationclutched her. all the soothing and bright lights brought by scarlett and the servants could notquiet her and rhett, coming up the stairs three at a jump, looked like a man who has seen death.
when he finally had her in his arms and from her sobbing gasps had recognized only one word,“dark,” he turned on scarlett and the negroes in fury.
“who put out the light? who left her alone in the dark? prissy, i’ll skin you for this, you—”
“gawdlmighty, mist’ rhett! ‘twarn’t me! ‘twuz lou!”
“fo’ gawd, mist’ rhett, ah—”
“shut up. you know my orders. by god, i’ll—get out. don’t come back. scarlett, give her somemoney and see that she’s gone before i come down stairs. now, everybody get out, everybody!”
the negroes fled, the luckless lou wailing into her apron. but scarlett remained. it was hard tosee her favorite child quieting in rhett’s arms when she had screamed so pitifully in her own. itwas hard to see the small arms going around his neck and hear the choking voice relate what hadfrightened her, when she, scarlett, had gotten nothing coherent out of her.
“so it sat on your chest,” said rhett softly. “was it a big one?”
“oh, yes! dretfull big. and claws.”
“ah, claws, too. well, now. i shall certainly sit up all night and shoot him if he comes back.”
rhett’s voice was interested and soothing and bonnie’s sobs died away. her voice became lesschoked as she went into detailed description of her monster guest in a language which only hecould understand. irritation stirred in scarlett as rhett discussed the matter as if it had been something real.
“for heaven’s sake, rhett—”
but he made a sign for silence. when bonnie was at last asleep, he laid her in her bed and pulledup the sheet.
“i’m going to skin that nigger alive,” he said quietly. it’s your fault too. why didn’t you comeup here to see if the light was burning?”
“don’t be a fool, rhett,” she whispered. “she gets this way because you humor her. lots ofchildren are afraid of the dark but they get over it. wade was afraid but i didn’t pamper him. ifyou’d just let her scream for a night or two—”
“let her scream!” for a moment scarlett thought he would hit her. “either you are a fool or themost inhuman woman i’ve ever seen.”
“i don’t want her to grow up nervous and cowardly.”
“cowardly? hell’s afire! there isn’t a cowardly bone in her body! but you haven’t anyimagination and, of course, you can’t appreciate the tortures of people who have one—especially achild. if something with claws and horns came and sat on your chest, you’d tell it to get the hell offyou, wouldn’t you? like hell you would. kindly remember, madam, that i’ve seen you wake upsqualling like a scalded cat simply because you dreamed of running in a fog. and that’s not been solong ago either!”
scarlett was taken aback, for she never liked to think of that dream. moreover, it embarrassedher to remember that rhett had comforted her in much the same manner he comforted bonnie. soshe swung rapidly to a different attack.
“you are just humoring her and—”
“and i intend to keep on humoring her. if i do, she’ll outgrow it and forget about it.”
“then,” said scarlett acidly, “if you intend to play nursemaid, you might try coming homenights and sober too, for a change.”
“i shall come home early but drunk as a fiddler’s bitch if i please.”
he did come home early thereafter, arriving long before time for bonnie to be put to bed. he satbeside her, holding her hand until sleep loosened her grasp. only then did he tiptoe downstairs,leaving the lamp burning brightly and the door ajar so he might hear her should she awake andbecome frightened. never again did he intend her to have a recurrence of fear of the dark. thewhole household was acutely conscious of the burning light, scarlett, mammy, prissy and pork,frequently tiptoeing upstairs to make sure that it still burned.
he came home sober too, but that was none of scarlett’s doing. for months he had beendrinking heavily, though he was never actually drunk, and one evening the smell of whisky wasespecially strong upon his breath. he picked up bonnie, swung her to his shoulder and asked her:
“have you a kiss for your sweetheart?”
she wrinkled her small upturned nose and wriggled to get down from his arms.
“no,” she said frankly. “nasty.”
“i’m what?”
“smell nasty. uncle ashley don’t smell nasty.”
“well, i’ll be damned,” he said ruefully, putting her on the floor. “i never expected to find atemperance advocate in my own home, of all places!”
but, thereafter, he limited his drinking to a glass of wine after supper. bonnie, who was alwayspermitted to have the last drops in the glass, did not think the smell of wine nasty at all. as theresult, the puffiness which had begun to obscure the hard lines of his cheeks slowly disappearedand the circles beneath his black eyes were not so dark or so harshly cut. because bonnie liked toride on the front of his saddle, he stayed out of doors more and the sunburn began to creep acrosshis dark face, making him swarthier than ever. he looked healthier and laughed more and wasagain like the dashing young blockader who had excited atlanta early in the war.
people who had never liked him came to smile as he went by with the small figure perchedbefore him on his saddle. women who had heretofore believed that no woman was safe with him,began to stop and talk with him on the streets, to admire bonnie. even the strictest old ladies feltthat a man who could discuss the ailments and problems of childhood as well as he did could notbe altogether bad.
一个雨天的下午，那时邦妮刚刚过了她的周岁生日，韦德闷闷不乐地在起居室里来回走动，偶尔到窗口去将鼻子紧贴在水淋淋的窗玻璃上。他是个瘦小而孱弱的孩子，虽然八岁了，但个子很矮，文静得到了羞怯的地步，除非别人跟他说话，否则是从来不开口的。他显然感到无聊，想不出什么好玩的事，因为爱拉正在一个角落里忙着摆弄她的玩具娃娃，思嘉坐在写字台前算账，要将一长串数字加起来，嘴里不停地嘀嘀咕咕着，而瑞德则躺在地板上，用两个手指捏着表链将表在邦妮面前晃荡，可是又不让她抓着。
韦德翻出几本书来，但每次拿起一本又立即啪地一声丢下，一面还连连地叹气，这样接连好几次，惹得思嘉恼怒地转过身来。
“天哪，韦德！你到外面玩去吧。”
“不行。外面在下雨呢。”
“真的吗？我怎么没注意到。那么，找点事做吧。你老是坐立不安，把我烦死了。去告诉波克，让他套车送你到那边跟小博一起玩去。"“他不在家，"韦德丧气地说。"他去参加拉乌尔·皮卡德的生日宴会去了。"拉乌尔是梅贝尔和雷内·皮卡德生的小儿子，思嘉觉得他很讨厌，与其说是小孩还不如说是个小猴儿呢。
“那么，你高兴去看谁就去看谁吧。快去告诉波克。"“谁都不在家，"韦德回答。"人人都参加那个宴会了。"韦德没有说出来的那几个字"人人----除了我"是谁都察觉得到的，可是思嘉聚精会神在算帐，根本没有在意。
瑞德将身子坐起来，说：“那你为什么没去参加宴会呢。
儿子？”
韦德向他靠近些，一只脚在地板上擦来擦去，显得很不高兴。
“我没接到邀请，先生。”
瑞德把他的表放在邦妮那只专门摔坏东西的小手里，然后轻轻地站起身来。
“丢下这些该死的数字吧，思嘉。为什么韦德没有被邀请去参加那个宴会呢？““看在上帝面上，瑞德！你现在别来打搅我了。艾希礼把这些帐目搞得一塌糊涂----唔，那个宴会？唔，我看人家不请韦德也没有什么，假如请了他，我还不让他去呢。别忘了拉乌尔是梅里韦瑟太太的孙子，而梅里韦瑟太太是宁愿让一个自由黑人也不会让我们家的人到她那神圣的客厅里去的呀！"瑞德若有所思地注视着韦德那张小脸，发现这孩子在难过。
“到这里来，儿子，"他边说，边把孩子拉过来。"你想去参加那个宴会吗？”“不，先生，"韦竿勇敢地说，但同时他的眼睛往下看了。
“嗯。告诉我，韦德，你去参加小乔·惠廷或者弗兰克·邦内尔，或者-—唔，别的小朋友的生日宴会吗？"“不先生。许多宴会我都没有接到邀请呢。"“韦德，你撒谎！"思嘉回过头来喊道。"你上星期就参加了三次，巴特家孩子们的宴会，盖勒特家的宴会和亨登家的宴会。"“你这是骡子身上配了一套马笼头，把什么都拉到一起来了。"瑞德说，接着他的声音渐渐变温和了，又问韦德：“你在那些宴会上感到高兴吗？你只管说。""不，先生。”“为什么不呢？"“我----我不知道，先生。嬷嬷----嬷嬷说他们是些坏白人。"“我立刻就要剥她的皮，这个嬷嬷！”思嘉跳起来高大叫。
“至于你嘛，韦德你这样说你母亲的朋友----"“孩子说的是实话，嬷嬷也是这样，"瑞德说。"不过，当然喽，你是从来都不会认识真理的。即使你在大路上碰到了……别难过。儿子，你用不着再去参加你不想去的宴会了。
给，"他从口袋里掏出一张钞票给他，"去告诉波克，套马车带你去街上去玩。给我自己买些糖果----买多多的，不要怕吃得肚子太痛了。"韦德开心了，把钞票塞进口袋，然后焦急地看着他母亲，希望能征得她的同意。可思嘉正蹙着眉头在看瑞德。这时他已从地板上把邦妮抱起来，让她偎在他怀里，小脸紧贴着他的面颊，她看不到他脸上的表情，但发现他眼睛里有一种近乎忧虑的神色----忧虑和自责的神色。
韦德从继父的慷慨中得到了鼓励，羞涩地走到他跟前。
“瑞德伯伯，我可以问你一件事吗？”
“当然可以。"瑞德的神情有点不安，但又好像满不在乎似的，他把邦妮的头抱得更靠近一些。"什么事，韦德？"“瑞德伯伯，你是不是----你在战争中打过仗吗？"瑞德的眼睛警觉地往后一缩，但还是犀利的，不过声音有点犹豫了。
“你干吗问这个呀，儿子？”
“嗯，乔·惠廷说你没有打过，弗兰克·邦内尔也这样说。"“哎，"瑞德说，“那你对他们怎么说呢？"“我----我说----我告诉他们我不知道。"接着赶忙补充，“不过我并不在乎，而且我揍了他们。你参加战争了吗，瑞德伯伯？"“参加了，“瑞德说，突然变得厉害起来。"我参加过战争。
我在军队里待了八个月。我从洛夫乔伊一直打到田纳西的富兰克林，约翰斯顿投降时我还在他的部队里。"韦德高兴得扭摆起来，但是思嘉笑了。
“我以为你会对自己的战争史感到羞耻呢，"她说。"你不是还叫我不要对别人说吗？”“嘘！"他阻止她。"韦德，你现在满意了吧？""啊，是的，先生！我本来就知道你参加了战争。我知道你不会像他们说的胆小如鼠。不过----你为什么没有跟别的小朋友的父亲在一起呀？"“因为别的孩子的父亲都些笨蛋，他们给编到步兵队里去了。我从前是西点军校的学生，所以编在炮兵队里。是在正规的炮兵队，韦德，不是乡团。要进炮兵队可不简单呢，韦德。"“我想准是那样，"韦德说，他的脸都发亮了。"你受过伤吗，瑞德伯伯。"瑞德迟疑着。
“把你的痢疾讲给他听听吧。"思嘉挖苦地说。
瑞德小心地把孩子放在地板上，然后把他的衬衣和汗衫从裤腰事带里拉出来。
“过来，韦德，我给你看我受伤的地方。"韦德激动地走上前去，注视着瑞德用手指指着的地方。一道长长的隆起伤疤越过褐色的胸脯一直伸到肌肉发达的腹部底下。那是他在加利福妮亚金矿区跟别人打架动刀子留下来的一个纪念。但是韦德搞不清楚，他呼吸紧张，心里十分骄傲。
“我猜你大概跟我父亲一样勇敢，瑞德伯伯。"“差不多，但也不全一样，"瑞德说，一面把衬衣塞进裤腰里，"好了，现在带着那一块钱出去花吧，以后再有哪个孩子说我没打过仗，就给我狠狠揍他。"韦德高兴得蹦蹦跳跳地出去了，一路喊叫着波克，同时瑞德又把孩子抱起来。
“你干么撒这些谎呢，我的英勇的大兵少爷？”思嘉问。
“一个男孩子总得为他父亲----或者继父感到骄傲嘛。我不能让他在别的小鬼面前觉得不光彩。孩子们，真是些冷酷的小家伙。"“啊，胡说八道！"“我以前从来没想过这跟韦德有什么关系，"瑞德慢腾腾地说。"我从没想过他会那样烦恼，不过将来邦妮不会碰到这种情况了。"“什么情况？"“你以为我会让邦妮为她父亲感到羞愧吗？到她九岁十岁时，难道也只能一个人待着不去参加那些集体活动？你以为让也像韦德那样，不是由于她自己的过错而是由于你和我的过错，便受到委屈吗？"“唔，孩子们的宴会嘛！"“年轻姑娘们最初的社交活动就是子孩子们的宴会中培养出来的呀。你以为我会让我的女儿完全置身于亚特兰大上流社会之外。关在家里长成起来吗？我不会因为她在这里或查尔斯顿或萨凡纳或新奥尔良不受欢迎，就送她到北方去上学或者访问的。我也不会因为没有哪个体面的南方家庭要她----因为她母亲是个傻瓜，她父亲是个无赖，而让她被迫嫁一个北方佬或一个外国人的。"这时韦德返回家，站在门口，十分感兴趣而又迷惑不解地听着。
“邦妮可以跟小博结婚嘛，瑞德伯伯。”
瑞德转过身去看这个小孩，脸上的怒气全消了，他显然在严肃地考虑孩子的话，这是他对待孩子们的一贯态度。
“这倒是真的，韦德，邦妮可以嫁给博·威尔克斯，可是你又跟谁结婚呢？”“唔，我跟谁也不结，"韦德挺自豪地说，他十分高兴能同这个人平等地谈话，这是除媚兰以外惟一的一个人，他从不责怪他，反而经常鼓励他。"我将来要上哈佛大大，学当律师，像我父亲那样，然后我要做一个像他那样勇敢的军人。"“我但愿媚兰闭住她那张嘴才好，"思嘉大声喊道。"韦德，你将来不上哈佛大学。那是一所北方佬的学校，我可不希望你到那儿去念书。你将来上佐治亚大学，毕业后约我经营那个店铺，至于说你父亲是个勇敢的军人嘛----”“嘘，"瑞德不让她说下去，因为他发现韦德说起他那们从未见过的父亲时眼睛里闪烁着光辉。"韦德，你长大了要成为一个像你父样那勇敢的人。正是要像他那样，因为他是个英雄；要是有人说的不一样，你可不要答应呀。他跟你母亲结婚了，不是吗？所以，这也证明他是个有英雄气概的人了。
我会自豪看到你去哈佛大学，学当律师。好，现在叫波克，让他带你去上街吧。”
“谢谢你了，请让我自己来管教我的孩子吧。"思嘉等韦德一出门便嚷嚷开了。
“让你去管教才糟糕呢！"你如今已经把韦德和爱拉全给耽误，我可决不让你那样对待邦妮！邦妮将来要成为一个小公主，世界上所有的人都喜欢她。她没有什么地方不能去的。
我的上帝，你以为我会让她长大以后跟这个家里那些来来往往的下流坯打交道吗？"”对于你来说，他们已经不错的了----"“对于你才他妈的太好了，我的宝贝儿。可是对邦妮不行。
你以为我会让她跟一个你整天厮混的那帮流浪汉结婚吗？损人利己的爱尔兰人，北方佬，坏白人，提包党暴发户----我的出自巴特勒血统和罗毕拉德门的邦妮----"“还有奥哈拉家族----"“奥哈拉家族曾经有可能成为爱尔兰的王室，可你父亲只不过是个损人利己的精明的爱尔兰农民罢了。你也好不了多少----不过嘛，我也有错。我像一只从地狱里飞出来的蝙蝠似的混过了前半生，为所欲为，对一切满不在乎。可是邦妮不能这样，关系大着呢。天哪，我以前多么愚蠢！邦妮在查尔斯顿不会受到欢迎，无论我的母亲或你的尤拉莉姨妈或波琳姨妈如何努力----而且很显然，要是我们不赶快采取行动，她在这里也会站不住脚的。”“唔，瑞德，你把问题看得那么严重，真有意思！我们有了这么多钱----"“让这些钱见鬼去吧！用我们所有的钱也买不到我要给她的东西呀！我宁肯让邦妮被邀请到皮卡德的破房子里呀埃尔辛太太家里那摇摇晃晃的仓房里去啃干面包，也不让她去当共和党人就职舞会上的明星。你了太笨了。你应该早就给孩子们在社会上准备一个位置的----可是你没有。你甚至连自己原来占有的位置也没有留心保祝所以事到如今，要你改正自己的为人处世之道也实在太难了。你太热衷于赚钱，太喜欢欺负人了。"“我看整个这件事情就是茶壶里的风暴，小题大作，"思嘉冷冰冰地说，同时把手里的帐本翻得哗哗响，意思是对她来说这场讨论已经结束了。
“我们只能得到威尔克斯太太的帮助，可你偏偏在尽力疏远她，侮辱她。唔，求求你不要在我面前诉说她的贫穷和褴褛了。只有她才是亚特兰大一切精华和灵魂的核心呢。感谢上帝把她给了我们。她会在这方面给我帮助的。"“那你准备怎么办呢？"“怎么办？我要给这个城市里每一们保守派的女头目做工作，尤其是梅里韦瑟太太、埃尔辛太太、惠廷庆庆和米德太太。即使我必须五体投地爬到每一位恨我的胖老猫面前去，我也心甘情愿。我愿意乖乖地忍受她们的奚落，忏悔我过去的恶行。我愿意给她们那些该死的慈善事业捐款，愿意到她们的鬼教堂里去做礼拜。我愿意承认并且吹嘘我给南部联盟做的种种事情，而且，如果万不得已，我愿意加入他妈的那个三k党----尽管上帝不见得会那样无情，将对我作出这种残酷的惩罚。而且我会毫不犹豫地提醒那些我曾经挽救过他们生命的人，叫他们记住还欠着我一笔债呢。至于你，太太请你发发慈悲，不要在我背后拆台，对于那些我正在讨好的人不要取消她们赎取抵押品的权利，不要卖烂木头给她们，或者在别的方面欺侮她们。还有，无论如何不要再让布洛克州长进我家的家门了。你听见没有？你一直交往的那一帮文雅的盗贼，也不能再来了。你要是不听我的话仍邀他们，那就只好让你的宾客在这里找不到主人，使你陷入万分尴尬的境地了。如果他们进了这个门，我就要跑到贝尔·沃特琳的酒吧间去，告诉那里的每一个人，他们看到我不愿意跟好帮人在一起，是会十分愉快的。
思嘉一直在忍受着听他的话，这时才挖苦地笑了。
“这么一来。那个驾河船的赌棍和投机家就要成为绅士了！我看，你要改邪归正的话，最好还是首先把贝尔·沃特琳的房子卖掉吧。”
这支箭是瞎放的。因为她一直不敢绝对肯定那所房子就是瑞德的。他突然大笑起来，仿佛猜着了思嘉的心思了。
“多谢你的建议了。”
要是瑞德事先已经尝试过的话，他就不会选择一个像现在这样困难的时来实行改邪归正了。不早不晚，恰好目前共和党人和参加共和党的南部白人名声最坏，因为提包党政权已经腐败到了极点。而且，自从投降以来，瑞德的名字已经跟北方佬、共和党人和参加共和党的南方白人紧密相连在一起了。
在一八六六年，亚特兰大曾经以无可奈何的愤怒心情感到世界上没有什么东西比他们当时的军事管制更坏的了，可是现在在布洛克的统治下才算明白这才是最坏的呢。共和党人和他们的同盟者依靠黑人的投票牢牢地确立了他们的统治，如今正在恣意蹂躏那个手中无权但仍在反抗的少数党。
黑人中间广泛流传着一种言论，说《圣经》中只提到过两种人，即税吏和罪人1。没有哪个黑人要加入一个完全由罪犯组成的政党，因此他们便争先恐后地参加了共和党。他们的新主子屡次投票支持他们，选举穷白人和参加共和党的南部白人担任高级职务，有时甚至选举某些黑人。这些黑人坐在州议会，大部分时间是在吃花生和把穿不惯的新鞋子不停地穿了又脱，脱了又穿。他们当中没有几个是会读书写字的。
他们刚从锦花田和竹丛中出来。可是手中却掌握着投票表决有关税收、公债和对他们自己及其共和党朋友们巨额支出的账单的权力。他们当然投票表决予以通过。这个州在税收问题上有步履维艰的感觉，因为纳税人发现那些作为公共事业费表决通过的钱有不少落进了私人腰包，他们是怀着满腔愤怒在交税的。
州议会所在地被一大群企业推销人、投机家，承包竞争者以及其他渴望在这场消费大赛中捞一把的人水泄不通地包围了，其中有许多正在无耻地成为富翁。他们可以毫不费力地拿到州里为修筑铁路拨发的经费，可是铁路却永远修不起来；可以拿到买机车和火车车厢的钱，但结果什么没有买；也可以支取盖公共建筑的款子，可是这些建筑除了在于它们的发起人心中，是永远也不会出现的。
债券成百万发行，其中大部分是非法的，骗人的，但照发不误。州政府的财务局长是个共和党人，但为主诚实，他反对这种非法债券，拒不签字，可是他和另外一些想阻止这种渎职行为的人，在那股泛滥的潮流面前也毫无办法。
州营铁路本来是州财产的一部分来源，可现在变成了一种沉重的负担，它的债务已高达上百万的数额。它已经不再是铁路了。它成了一个巨大的无底食糟，猎猡们可以在里面肆意大喝大嚼，甚至打滚糟踏。许多负责人是凭政治关系委任的，根本不考虑他们是否有经营铁路的知识，职工人数是所需名额的三倍，共和党凭通行证免费乘车，大批大批的黑人也高兴地免费到处游览，并在同一次选举中一再投票。
州营公路的经营不善尤其使纳税人愤怒，因为免费学校的经费是要从公路赢利中拨给的。可是现在不但没有赢利，反而欠债，结果也就没有免费的学校了。由于大部分人没钱送孩子上学，因此出现了从小在无知中成长起来的一代人，他们将在以后若干年中散播文盲的种子。
但是跟浪费、管理不善和贪污比起来，人们更加深恶痛绝的是州长在北方描述这些问题时所采取的卑劣手段。当佐治亚人民奋起反抗腐败时，州长便急急忙忙跑到北方去，在国会控诉白人凌辱黑人，控诉佐治亚州准备搞另一次叛乱，并提议在那里进行严厉的军事管制。其实佐治亚人没有哪个想同黑人闹纠纷，而只想避免这些纠纷。没有哪个想打第二次内战，也没有哪个要求和需要过刺刀下的管制生活。佐治亚唯一的要求的是不受干扰，让它自己去休养生息。但是，在被州人称之为"诽谤制造厂"的摆弄下，北方政府所看到的佐治亚是一个叛乱并需要严厉管制的州，而且确实加强了对它的管制。
对于那帮骑着佐治亚脖子的人来说，这是一件值得庆祝的大喜事。于是产生了一股巧取豪夺风气，高级官员也公开偷窃，而许多人对此采取冷漠的犬儒主义态度，这是令人想起来都不寒而栗的。实际上无论你抗议也罢，抵制也罢，都毫无用处，因为州政府是受合众国军事当局的鼓励和支持的呵。
亚特兰大人诅咒布洛克以及那帮拥护他的南方人和共和党人，他们也憎恨那些同他们勾搭在一起的家伙。瑞德就是同他们有联系的。人人都认为他跟他们关系很好，对他们所有的阴谋诡计都熟知。可是如今，他转过头来在抵制那