minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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could she say to Rhett that would ease his grief and bring him back
to reason? For a moment she stood irresolute and through the
closed door came the sound of her boy's treble laughter. Like a
cold knife in her heart came the thought of him dead. Suppose her
Beau were lying upstairs, his little body cold and still, his merry
laughter hushed.

"Oh," she cried aloud, in fright, and in her mind she clutched him
close to her heart. She knew how Rhett felt. If Beau were dead,
how could she put him away, alone with the wind and the rain and
the darkness?

"Oh! Poor, poor Captain Butler!" she cried. "I'll go to him now,
right away."

She sped back to the dining room, said a few soft words to Ashley
and surprised her little boy by hugging him close to her and
kissing his blond curls passionately.

She left the house without a hat, her dinner napkin still clutched
in her hand, and the pace she set was hard for Mammy's old legs.
Once in Scarlett's front hall, she bowed briefly to the gathering
in the library, to the frightened Miss Pittypat, the stately old
Mrs. Butler, Will and Suellen. She went up the stairs swiftly,
with Mammy panting behind her. For a moment, she paused before
Scarlett's closed door but Mammy hissed, "No'm, doan do dat."

Down the hall Melly went, more slowly now, and stopped in front of
Rhett's room. She stood irresolutely for a moment as though she
longed to take flight. Then, bracing herself, like a small soldier
going into battle, she knocked on the door and called softly:
"Please let me in, Captain Butler. It's Mrs. Wilkes. I want to
see Bonnie."

The door opened quickly and Mammy, shrinking back into the shadows
of the hall, saw Rhett huge and dark against the blazing background
of candles. He was swaying on his feet and Mammy could smell the
whisky on his breath. He looked down at Melly for a moment and
then, taking her by the arm, he pulled her into the room and shut
the door.

Mammy edged herself stealthily to a chair beside the door and sank
into it wearily, her shapeless body overflowing it. She sat still,
weeping silently and praying. Now and then she lifted the hem of
her dress and wiped her eyes. Strain her ears as hard as she
might, she could hear no words from the room, only a low broken
humming sound.

Alter an interminable period, the door cracked open and Melly's
face white and strained, appeared.

"Bring me a pot of coffee, quickly, and some sandwiches."

When the devil drove, Mammy could be as swift as a lithe black
sixteen-year-old and her curiosity to get into Rhett's room made
her work faster. But her hope turned to disappointment when Melly
merely opened the door a crack and took the tray. For a long time
Mammy strained her sharp ears but she could distinguish nothing
except the clatter of silver on china, and the muffled soft tones
of Melanie's voice. Then she heard the creaking of the bed as a
heavy body fell upon it and, soon after, the sound of boots
dropping to the floor. After an interval, Melanie appeared in the
doorway but, strive though she might, Mammy could not see past her
into the room. Melanie looked tired and there were tears
glistening on her lashes but her face was serene again.

"Go tell Miss Scarlett that Captain Butler is quite willing for the
funeral to take place tomorrow morning," she whispered.

"Bress Gawd!" ejaculated Mammy. "How on uth--"

"Don't talk so loud. He's going to sleep. And, Mammy, tell Miss
Scarlett, too, that I'll be here all night and you bring me some
coffee. Bring it here."

"Ter disyere room?"

"Yes, I promised Captain Butler that if he would go to sleep I
would sit up by her all night. Now go tell Miss Scarlett, so she
won't worry any more."

Mammy started off down the hall, her weight shaking the floor, her
relieved heart singing "Halleluja! Hallelujah!" She paused
thoughtfully outside of Scarlett's door, her mind in a ferment of
thankfulness and curiosity.

"How Miss Melley done it beyon' me. De angels fight on her side,
Ah specs. Ah'll tell Miss Scarlett de fune'l termorrer but Ah
specs Ah better keep hid dat Miss Melly settin' up wid Lil Miss.
Miss Scarlett ain' gwine lak dat a-tall."



CHAPTER LX


Something was wrong with the world, a somber, frightening wrongness
that pervaded everything like a dark impenetrable mist, stealthily
closing around Scarlett. This wrongness went even deeper than
Bonnie's death, for now the first unbearable anguish was fading

could she say to Rhett that would ease his grief and bring him back

to reason? For a moment she stood irresolute and through the

closed door came the sound of her boy's treble laughter. Like a

cold knife in her heart came the thought of him dead. Suppose her

Beau were lying upstairs, his little body cold and still, his merry

laughter hushed.

"Oh," she cried aloud, in fright, and in her mind she clutched him

close to her heart. She knew how Rhett felt. If Beau were dead,

how could she put him away, alone with the wind and the rain and

the darkness?

"Oh! Poor, poor Captain Butler!" she cried. "I'll go to him now,

right away."

She sped back to the dining room, said a few soft words to Ashley

and surprised her little boy by hugging him close to her and

kissing his blond curls passionately.

She left the house without a hat, her dinner napkin still clutched

in her hand, and the pace she set was hard for Mammy's old legs.

Once in Scarlett's front hall, she bowed briefly to the gathering

in the library, to the frightened Miss Pittypat, the stately old

Mrs. Butler, Will and Suellen. She went up the stairs swiftly,

with Mammy panting behind her. For a moment, she paused before

Scarlett's closed door but Mammy hissed, "No'm, doan do dat."

Down the hall Melly went, more slowly now, and stopped in front of

Rhett's room. She stood irresolutely for a moment as though she

longed to take flight. Then, bracing herself, like a small soldier

going into battle, she knocked on the door and called softly:

"Please let me in, Captain Butler. It's Mrs. Wilkes. I want to

see Bonnie."

The door opened quickly and Mammy, shrinking back into the shadows

of the hall, saw Rhett huge and dark against the blazing background

of candles. He was swaying on his feet and Mammy could smell the

whisky on his breath. He looked down at Melly for a moment and

then, taking her by the arm, he pulled her into the room and shut

the door.

Mammy edged herself stealthily to a chair beside the door and sank

into it wearily, her shapeless body overflowing it. She sat still,

weeping silently and praying. Now and then she lifted the hem of

her dress and wiped her eyes. Strain her ears as hard as she

might, she could hear no words from the room, only a low broken

humming sound.

Alter an interminable period, the door cracked open and Melly's

face white and strained, appeared.

"Bring me a pot of coffee, quickly, and some sandwiches."

When the devil drove, Mammy could be as swift as a lithe black

sixteen-year-old and her curiosity to get into Rhett's room made

her work faster. But her hope turned to disappointment when Melly

merely opened the door a crack and took the tray. For a long time

Mammy strained her sharp ears but she could distinguish nothing

except the clatter of silver on china, and the muffled soft tones

of Melanie's voice. Then she heard the creaking of the bed as a

heavy body fell upon it and, soon after, the sound of boots

dropping to the floor. After an interval, Melanie appeared in the

doorway but, strive though she might, Mammy could not see past her

into the room. Melanie looked tired and there were tears

glistening on her lashes but her face was serene again.

"Go tell Miss Scarlett that Captain Butler is quite willing for the

funeral to take place tomorrow morning," she whispered.

"Bress Gawd!" ejaculated Mammy. "How on uth--"

"Don't talk so loud. He's going to sleep. And, Mammy, tell Miss

Scarlett, too, that I'll be here all night and you bring me some

coffee. Bring it here."

"Ter disyere room?"

"Yes, I promised Captain Butler that if he would go to sleep I

would sit up by her all night. Now go tell Miss Scarlett, so she

won't worry any more."

Mammy started off down the hall, her weight shaking the floor, her

relieved heart singing "Halleluja! Hallelujah!" She paused

thoughtfully outside of Scarlett's door, her mind in a ferment of

thankfulness and curiosity.

"How Miss Melley done it beyon' me. De angels fight on her side,

Ah specs. Ah'll tell Miss Scarlett de fune'l termorrer but Ah

specs Ah better keep hid dat Miss Melly settin' up wid Lil Miss.

Miss Scarlett ain' gwine lak dat a-tall."

CHAPTER LX

Something was wrong with the world, a somber, frightening wrongness

that pervaded everything like a dark impenetrable mist, stealthily

closing around Scarlett. This wrongness went even deeper than

Bonnie's death, for now the first unbearable anguish was fading