how she regretted it all. That night Charles had emerged shyly from the dressing room, and she burst into tears[8]. A week after the wedding Charles left to join Colonel Wade Hampton, and two weeks later Ashley and the Troop departed.
In those two weeks, Scarlett never saw Ashley alone, never had a private word with him. Melanie said: «You must kiss Scarlett, Ashley. She’s my sister now», and Ashley bent and touched her cheek with cold lips.
«You will come to Atlanta and visit me and Aunt Pittypat, won’t you? Oh, darling, we want to know Charlie’s wife better», exclaimed Melanie.
Five weeks passed during which letters, shy, ecstatic, loving, came from Charles in South Carolina telling of his love, his plans for the future when the war was over. In the seventh week, there came a telegram from Colonel Hampton himself, and then a letter. Charles had died ignominiously and swiftly of pneumonia.
In due time, Charles’ son was born. He was called Wade. Scarlett felt little affection for the child. She had not wanted him. She was dazed and sick. Her boredom was acute and ever present. All of the interesting young men were gone. Only the older men, the cripples and the women were left. She was a widow and her heart was in the grave. Everyone expected her to act accordingly. This irritated her. A widow had to wear hideous black dresses, no flower or ribbon or lace or even jewelry. Widows can never chatter vivaciously or laugh aloud. Even when they smiled, it must be a sad, tragic smile.
How stupid of them to say that now she had something to live for! She had very little interest in Wade and sometimes it was difficult to remember that he was actually hers. And Ashley! She hated Twelve Oaks now. Ashley!
So Scarlett’s trunk was packed with her mourning clothes and off she went to Atlanta with Wade Hampton and his nurse Prissy. She did not want to go to Atlanta. Aunt Pitty was the silliest of old ladies.
Chapter VI
The train carried Scarlett northward. Scarlett stood on the lower step of the train, a pale pretty figure in her black mourning dress.
«This is Miss Scarlett, isn’ it? I am Peter, Miss Pitty’s coachman. Don’t step down in that mud», the coachman ordered severely.
Scarlett looked at Prissy and sighed. Prissy was not the best of nurses. Where are the fat old arms of Mammy? But Mammy was at Tara. Wade’s face went purple with his squalling, Scarlett snapped crossly:
«Give him that sugar-tit[9] in your pocket, Priss. I know he’s hungry, but I can’t do anything about that now».
Atlanta was humming like a beehive. In Atlanta, there were machine factories which were manufacturing war materials. Trains roared in and out of the town at all hours.
«I’ll like it here[10]», thought Scarlett. «It’s so alive and exciting!»
Scarlett’s eye was caught by a figure on the sidewalk in a brightly colored dress. She saw a tall handsome woman with a bold face and a mass of red hair.
«Uncle Peter, who is she?» Scarlett whispered.
«Her name is Belle Watling», said Uncle Peter. «Miss Scarlett, you’ll see a lot of strange folks in this town».
As they passed a green house, a little black girl on the front steps cried, «She has come!», and Dr. Meade and his wife and little thirteen-year-old Phil emerged. After shaking her hand, the doctor announced Scarlett’s work in a hospital committee.
«What are hospital committees?» Scarlett asked.
«We have nursing committees for different hospitals», Mrs. Meade said. «We nurse the men and help the doctors and make bandages and clothes».
The carriage slipped and slid down the muddy road and Scarlett leaned back on the cushions and smiled. Atlanta was very pleasant.
Scarlett saw the red brick and slate roof of Miss Pittypat’s house. It was almost the last house on the north side of town.
Scarlett came to Atlanta with no idea as to how long she was going to remain. But Aunt Pitty and Melanie began a campaign to induce her to make her home permanently with them. They loved her so much.
Uncle Henry liked Scarlett immediately.
«When Wade Hampton comes of age, he’s going to be a rich young man», Uncle Henry said. Scarlett smiled but said nothing. She missed Tara. She realized what Gerald had meant when he said that the love of the land was in her blood. «If only Ashley wasn’t married!»
Scarlett could not escape her duty because she was on both Mrs. Meade’s and Mrs. Merriwether’s committees. That meant four mornings a week in the stinking hospital. Every matron, old or young, in Atlanta nursed.
Certainly there was nothing romantic about nursing. To her, it meant groans, delirium, death and smells. The hospitals were filled with dirty, bewhiskered, verminous men who smelled terribly.
Melanie she was gentle, sympathetic and cheerful, and the men in the hospitals called her an angel of mercy. Scarlett did not like nursing at all! But in spite of these discomforts, Atlanta pleased her very well.
Chapter VII
It simply wasn’t fair. Scarlett had worked twice as hard as any girl in town. She had knitted socks and baby caps and mufflers and tatted yards of lace. And she had embroidered half a dozen sofa-pillow cases[11] with the Confederate flag on them. She was only seventeen; oh, it wasn’t fair!
Pittypat entered the room.
«Auntie, I’m so tired of sitting at home».
«Scarlett, promise me you won’t say things like that. People will say you don’t have the proper respect for poor Charlie».
Scarlett cried. Melanie entered.
«Oh», said she. «Be brave, dear. Don’t cry. Oh, Scarlett!»
«I want to be dead!» she sobbed passionately.
«Dear, don’t cry! Try to think how much Charlie loved you!»
«Go away and leave me alone!» shouted Scarlett.
She sank her face into the pillow. She heard Melanie say to Pittypat in a low voice as they went down the stairs:
«Aunt Pitty, Don’t speak of Charles to her. You know how it always affects her».
Scarlett kicked the coverlet in impotent rage,
«Damn it!» she cried at last.
Deliverance came in the form she least expected. During the after-dinner-nap period, Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing drove up.
«Mrs. Bonnell’s children have the measles», said Mrs. Merriwether abruptly.
«And the McLure girls are in Virginia», said Mrs. Elsing. «Dallas McLure is wounded».
«How dreadful!» chorused their hostesses. «Poor Dallas!»
«No. Just through the shoulder»,
she burst into tears – она разрыдалась
sugar-tit – соска с сахаром
I’ll like it here. – Мне здесь понравится.
pillow cases – наволочка
