minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 75
"O God," she prayed rapidly, "do, please, let her live! I'll make
it up to her. I'll be so good to her. I'll never even speak to
Ashley again as long as I live, if You'll only let her get well!"

"Ashley," said Melanie feebly and her fingers reached out to touch
Scarlett's bowed head. Her thumb and forefinger tugged with no
more strength than that of a baby at Scarlett's hair. Scarlett
knew what that meant, knew Melanie wanted her to look up. But she
could not, could not meet Melanie's eyes and read that knowledge in
them.

"Ashley," Melanie whispered again and Scarlett gripped herself.
When she looked God in the face on the Day of Judgment and read her
sentence in His eyes, it would not be as bad as this. Her soul
cringed but she raised her head.

She saw only the same dark loving eyes, sunken and drowsy with
death, the same tender mouth tiredly fighting pain for breath. No
reproach was there, no accusation and no fear--only an anxiety that
she might not find strength for words.

For a moment Scarlett was too stunned to even feel relief. Then,
as she held Melanie's hand more closely, a flood of warm gratitude
to God swept over her and, for the first time since her childhood,
she said a humble, unselfish prayer.

"Thank You, God. I know I'm not worth it but thank You for not
letting her know."

"What about Ashley, Melly?"

"You'll--look after him?"

"Oh, yes."

"He catches cold--so easily."

There was a pause.

"Look after--his business--you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. I will."

She made a great effort.

"Ashley isn't--practical."

Only death could have forced that disloyalty from Melanie.

"Look after him, Scarlett--but--don't ever let him know."

"I'll look after him and the business too, and I'll never let him
know. I'll just kind of suggest things to him."

Melanie managed a small smile but it was a triumphant one as her
eyes met Scarlett's again. Their glance sealed the bargain that
the protection of Ashley Wilkes from a too harsh world was passing
from one woman to another and that Ashley's masculine pride should
never be humbled by this knowledge.

Now the struggle went out of the tired face as though with
Scarlett's promise, ease had come to her.

"You're so smart--so brave--always been so good to me--"

At these words, the sob came freely to Scarlett's throat and she
clapped her hand over her mouth. Now, she was going to bawl like a
child and cry out: "I've been a devil! I've wronged you so! I
never did anything for you! It was all for Ashley."

She rose to her feet abruptly, sinking her teeth into her thumb to
regain her control. Rhett's words came back to her again, "She
loves you. Let that be your cross." Well, the cross was heavier
now. It was bad enough that she had tried by every art to take
Ashley from her. But now it was worse that Melanie, who had
trusted her blindly through life, was laying the same love and
trust on her in death. No, she could not speak. She could not
even say again: "Make an effort to live." She must let her go
easily, without a struggle, without tears, without sorrow.

The door opened slightly and Dr. Meade stood on the threshold,
beckoning imperiously. Scarlett bent over the bed, choking back
her tears and taking Melanie's hand, laid it against her cheek.

"Good night," she said, and her voice was steadier than she thought
it possibly could be.

"Promise me--" came the whisper, very softly now.

"Anything, darling."

"Captain Butler--be kind to him. He--loves you so."

"Rhett?" thought Scarlett, bewildered, and the words meant nothing
to her.

"Yes, indeed," she said automatically and, pressing a light kiss on
the hand, laid it back on the bed.

"Tell the ladies to come in immediately," whispered the doctor as

"O God," she prayed rapidly, "do, please, let her live! I'll make

it up to her. I'll be so good to her. I'll never even speak to

Ashley again as long as I live, if You'll only let her get well!"

"Ashley," said Melanie feebly and her fingers reached out to touch

Scarlett's bowed head. Her thumb and forefinger tugged with no

more strength than that of a baby at Scarlett's hair. Scarlett

knew what that meant, knew Melanie wanted her to look up. But she

could not, could not meet Melanie's eyes and read that knowledge in

them.

"Ashley," Melanie whispered again and Scarlett gripped herself.

When she looked God in the face on the Day of Judgment and read her

sentence in His eyes, it would not be as bad as this. Her soul

cringed but she raised her head.

She saw only the same dark loving eyes, sunken and drowsy with

death, the same tender mouth tiredly fighting pain for breath. No

reproach was there, no accusation and no fear--only an anxiety that

she might not find strength for words.

For a moment Scarlett was too stunned to even feel relief. Then,

as she held Melanie's hand more closely, a flood of warm gratitude

to God swept over her and, for the first time since her childhood,

she said a humble, unselfish prayer.

"Thank You, God. I know I'm not worth it but thank You for not

letting her know."

"What about Ashley, Melly?"

"You'll--look after him?"

"Oh, yes."

"He catches cold--so easily."

There was a pause.

"Look after--his business--you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. I will."

She made a great effort.

"Ashley isn't--practical."

Only death could have forced that disloyalty from Melanie.

"Look after him, Scarlett--but--don't ever let him know."

"I'll look after him and the business too, and I'll never let him

know. I'll just kind of suggest things to him."

Melanie managed a small smile but it was a triumphant one as her

eyes met Scarlett's again. Their glance sealed the bargain that

the protection of Ashley Wilkes from a too harsh world was passing

from one woman to another and that Ashley's masculine pride should

never be humbled by this knowledge.

Now the struggle went out of the tired face as though with

Scarlett's promise, ease had come to her.

"You're so smart--so brave--always been so good to me--"

At these words, the sob came freely to Scarlett's throat and she

clapped her hand over her mouth. Now, she was going to bawl like a

child and cry out: "I've been a devil! I've wronged you so! I

never did anything for you! It was all for Ashley."

She rose to her feet abruptly, sinking her teeth into her thumb to

regain her control. Rhett's words came back to her again, "She

loves you. Let that be your cross." Well, the cross was heavier

now. It was bad enough that she had tried by every art to take

Ashley from her. But now it was worse that Melanie, who had

trusted her blindly through life, was laying the same love and

trust on her in death. No, she could not speak. She could not

even say again: "Make an effort to live." She must let her go

easily, without a struggle, without tears, without sorrow.

The door opened slightly and Dr. Meade stood on the threshold,

beckoning imperiously. Scarlett bent over the bed, choking back

her tears and taking Melanie's hand, laid it against her cheek.

"Good night," she said, and her voice was steadier than she thought

it possibly could be.

"Promise me--" came the whisper, very softly now.

"Anything, darling."

"Captain Butler--be kind to him. He--loves you so."

"Rhett?" thought Scarlett, bewildered, and the words meant nothing

to her.

"Yes, indeed," she said automatically and, pressing a light kiss on

the hand, laid it back on the bed.

"Tell the ladies to come in immediately," whispered the doctor as