飘

　For　a　moment；　fear　came　back　to　Wade；　fear　and　a　sudden　sense　of　jealousy。　Uncle　Rhett　was　not　thinking　of　him　but　of　some　one　else。
　“You　haven’t　got　any　other—”　began　Wade　and　then　Rhett　set　him　on　his　feet。
　“I’m　going　to　have　a　drink　and　so　are　you；　Wade；　your　first　drink；　a　toast　to　your　new　sister。”
　“You　haven’t　got　any　other—”　began　Wade　and　then　seeing　Rhett　reach　for　the　decanter　of　claret；　the　excitement　at　being　included　in　this　grown…up　ceremony　diverted　him。
　“Oh；　I　can’t；　Uncle　Rhett！　I　promised　Aunt　Melly　I　wouldn’t　drink　till　I　graduated　from　the　university　and　she’s　going　to　give　me　a　watch；　if　I　don’t。
　“And　I’ll　give　you　a　chain　for　it—this　one　I’m　wearing　now；　if　you　want　it；”　said　Rhett　and　he　was　smiling　again。　“Aunt　Melly’s　quite　right　But　she　was　talking　about　spirits；　not　wine。　You　must　learn　to　drink；　wine　like　a　gentleman；　son；　and　there’s　no　time　like　the　present　to　learn。”
　Skillfully；　he　diluted　the　claret　with　water　from　the　carafe　until　the　liquid　was　barely　pink　and　handed　the　glass　to　Wade。　At　that　moment；　Mammy　entered　the　dining　room。　She　had　changed　to　her　best　Sunday　black　and　her　apron　and　head　rag　were　fresh　and　crisp。　As　she　waddled；　she　switched　herself　and　from　her　skirts　came　the　whisper　and　rustle　of　silk。　The　worried　look　had　gone　from　her　face　and　her　almost　toothless　gums　showed　in　a　wide　smile。
　“Burfday　gif；　Mist’　Rhett！”　she　said。
　Wade　stopped　with　his　glass　at　his　lips。　He　knew　Mammy　had　never　liked　his　stepfather。　He　had　never　heard　her　call　him　anything　except　“Cap’n　Butler；”　and　her　conduct　toward　him　had　been　dignified　but　cold。　And　here　she　was　beaming　and　sidling　and　calling　him　“Mist’　Rhett！”　What　a　topsy…turvy　day！
　“You’d　rather　have　rum　than　claret；　I　suppose；”　said　Rhett；　reaching　into　the　cellaret　and　producing　a　squat　bottle。　“She　is　a　beautiful　baby；　isn’t　she；　Mammy？”
　“She　sho　is；”　answered　Mammy；　smacking　her　lips　as　she　took　the　glass。
　“Did　you　ever　see　a　prettier　one？”
　“Well；　suh；　Miss　Scarlett　wuz　mout　nigh　as　pretty　w’en　she　come　but　not　quite。”
　“Have　another　glass；　Mammy。　And　Mammy；”　his　tone　was　stern　but　his　eyes　twinkled；　“what’s　that　rustling　noise　I　hear？”
　“Lawd；　Mist’　Rhett；　dat　ain’　nuthin’　but　mah　red　silk　petticoat！”　Mammy　giggled　and　switched　till　her　huge　bulk　shook。
　“Nothing　but　your　petticoat！　I　don’t　believe　it。　You　sound　like　a　peck　of　dried　leaves　rubbing　together。　Let　me　see。　Pull　up　your　skirt。”
　“Mist’　Rhett；　you　is　bad！　Yeah…O；　Lawd！”
　Mammy　gave　a　little　shriek　and　retreated　and　from　a　distance　of　a　yard；　modestly　elevated　her　dress　a　few　inches　and　showed　the　ruffle　of　a　red　taffeta　petticoat。
　“You　took　long　enough　about　wearing　it；”　grumbled　Rhett　but　his　black　eyes　laughed　and　danced。
　“Yassuh；　too　long。”
　Then　Rhett　said　something　that　Wade　did　not　understand。
　“No　more　mule　in　horse　harness？”
　“Mist’　Rhett；　Miss　Scarlett　wuz　bad　ter　tell　you　dat！　You　ain’　holin’　dat　again’　dis　ole　nigger？”
　“No。　I’m　not　holding　it。　I　just　wanted　to　know。　Have　another　drink；　Mammy。　Have　the　whole　bottle。　Drink　up；　Wade！　Give　us　a　toast。”
　To　Sissy；”　cried　Wade　and　gulped　the　liquid　down。　Choking　he　began　to　cough　and　hiccough　and　the　other　two　laughed　and　beat　him　on　the　back。
　
　From　the　moment　his　daughter　was　born；　Rhett’s　conduct　was　puzzling　to　all　observers　and　he　upset　many　settled　notions　about　himself；　notions　which　both　the　town　and　Scarlett　were　loath　to　surrender。　Whoever　would　have　thought　that　he　of　all　people　would　be　so　shamelessly；　so　openly　proud　of　fatherhood？　Especially　in　view　of　the　embarrassing　circumstance　that　his　first…born　was　a　girl　and　not　a　boy。
　The　novelty　of　fatherhood　did　not　wear　off。　This　caused　some　secret　envy　among　women　whose　husbands　took　offspring　for　granted；　long　before　the　children　were　christened。　He　buttonholed　people　on　the　street　and　related　details　of　his　child’s　miraculous　progress　without　even　prefacing　his　remarks　with　the　hypocritical　but　polite：　“I　know　everyone　thinks　their　own　child　is　smart　but—”　He　thought　his　daughter　marvelous；　not　to　be　compared　with　lesser　brats；　and　he　did　not　care　who　knew　it。　When　the　new　nurse　permitted　the　baby　to　suck　a　bit　of　fat　pork；　thereby　bringing　on　the　first　attack　of　colic；　Rhett’s　conduct　sent　seasoned　fathers　and　mothers　into　gales　of　laughter。　He　hurriedly　summoned　Dr。　Meade　and　two　other　doctors；　and　with　difficulty　he　was　restrained　from　beating　the　unfortunate　nurse　with　his　crop。　The　nurse　was　discharged　and　thereafter　followed　a　series　of　nurses　who　remained；　at　the　most；　a　week。　None　of　them　was　good　enough　to　satisfy　the　exacting　requirements　Rhett　laid　down。
　Mammy　likewise　viewed　with　displeasure　the　nurses　that　came　and　went；　for　she　was　jealous　of　any　strange　negro　and　saw　no　reason　why　she　could　not　care　for　the　baby　and　Wade　and　Ella；　too。　But　Mammy　was　showing　her　age　and　rheumatism　was　slowing　her　lumbering　tread。　Rhett　lacked　the　courage　to　cite　these　reasons　for　employing　another　nurse。　He　told　her　instead　that　a　man　of　his　position　could　not　afford　to　have　only　one　nurse。　It　did　not　look　well。　He　would　hire　two　others　to　do　the　drudgery　and　leave　her　as　Mammy…in…chief。　This　Mammy　understood　very　well。　More　servants　were　a　credit　to　her　position　as　well　as　Rhett’s。　But　she　would　not；　she　told　him　firmly；　have　any　trashy　free　issue　niggers　in　her　nursery。　So　Rhett　sent　to　Tara　for　Prissy。　He　knew　her　shortcomings　but；　after　all；　she　was　a　family　darky。　And　Uncle　Peter　produced　a　great…niece　named　Lou　who　had　belonged　to　one　of　Miss　Pitty’s　Burr　cousins。
　Even　before　Scarlett　was　able　to　be　about　again；　she　noticed　Rhett’s　pre…occupation　with　the　baby　and　was　somewhat　nettled　and　embarrassed　at　his　pride　in　her　in　front　of　callers。　It　was　all　very　well　for　a　man　to　love　his　child　but　she　felt　there　was　something　unmanly　in　the　display　of　such　love。　He　should　be　offhand　and　careless；　as　other　men　were。
　“You　are　making　a　fool　of　yourself；”　she　said　irritably；　“and　I　don’t　see　why。”
　“No？　Well；　you　wouldn’t。　The　reason　is　that　she’s　the　first　person　who’s　ever　belonged　utterly　to　me。”
　“She　belongs　to　me；　too！”
　“No；　you　have　two　other　children。　She’s　mine。”
　“Great　balls　of　fire！”　said　Scarlett。　“I　had　the　baby；　didn’t　I？　Besides；　honey；　I　belong　to　you。”
　Rhett　looked　at　her　over　the　black　head　of　the　child　and　smiled　oddly。
　“Do　you；　my　dear？”
　Only　the　entrance　of　Melanie　stopped　one　of　those　swift　hot　quarrels　which　seemed　to　spring　up　so　easily　between　them　these　days。　Scarlett　swallowed　her　wrath　and　watched　Melanie　take　the　baby。　The　name　agreed　upon　for　the　child　was　Eugenic　Victoria；　but　that　afternoon　Melanie　unwittingly　bestowed　a　name　that　clung；　even　as　“Pittypat”　had　blotted　out　all　memory　of　Sarah　Jane。
　Rhett　leaning　over　the　child　had　said：　“Her　eyes　are　going　to　be　pea　green。”
　“Indeed　they　are　not；”　cried　Melanie　indignantly；　forgetting　that　Scarlett’s　eyes　were　almost　that　shade。　“They　are　going　to　be　blue；　like　Mr。　O’Hara’s　eyes；　as　blue　as—as　blue　as　the　bonnie　blue　flag。”
　“Bonnie　Blue　Butler；”　laughed　Rhett；　taking　the　child　from　her　and　peering　more　closely　into　the　small　eyes。　And　Bonnie　she　became　until　even　her　parents　did　not　recall　that　she　had　been　named　for　two　queens。
　
　CHAPTER　LI
　WHEN　SHE　WAS　FINALLY　able　to　go　out　again；　Scarlett　had　Lou　lace　her　into　stays　as　tightly　as　the　strings　would　pull。　Then　she　passed　the　tape　measure　about　her　waist。　Twenty　inches！　She　groaned　aloud。　That　was　what　having　babies　did　to　your　figure！　Her　waist　was　a　large　as　Aunt　Pitty’s；　as　large　as　Mammy’s。
　“Pull　them　tighter；　Lou。　See　if　you　can’t　make　it　eighteen　and　a　half　inches　or　I　can’t　get　into　any　of　my　dresses。”
　“It’ll　bust　de　strings；”　said　Lou。　“Yo’　wais’　jes’　done　got　bigger；　Miss　Scarlett；　an’　dar　ain’　nuthin’　ter　do　‘bout　it。”
　“There　is　something　to　do　about　it；”　thought　Scarlett　as　she　ripped　savagely　at　the　seams　of　her　dress　to　let　out　the　necessary　inches。　“I　just　won’t　have　any　more　babies。”
　Of　course；　Bonnie　was　pretty　and　a　credit　to　her　and　Rhett　adored　the　child；　but　she　would　not　have　another　baby。　Just　how　she　would　manage　this　she　did　not　know；　for　she　couldn’t　handle　Rhett　as　she　had　Frank。　Rhett　wasn’t　afraid　of　her。　It　would　probably　be　difficult　with　Rhett　acting　so　foolishly　about　Bonnie　and　probably　wanting　a　son　next　year；　for　all　that　he　said　he’d　drown　any　boy　she　gave　him。　Well；　she　wouldn’t　give　him　a　boy　or　girl　either。　Three　children　were　enough　for　any　woman　to　have。
　When　Lou　had　stitched　up　the　ripped　seams；　pressed　them　smooth　and　buttoned　Scarlett　into　the　dress；　she　called　the　carriage　and　Scarlett　set　out　for　the　lumber　yard。　Her　spirits　rose　as　she　went　and　she　forgot　about　her　waist　line；　for　she　was　going　to　meet　Ashley　at　the　yard　to　go　over　the　books　with　him。　And；　if　she　was　lucky；　she　might　see　him　alone。　She　hadn’t　seen　him　since　long　before　Bonnie　was　born。　She　hadn’t　wanted　to　see　him　at　all　when　she　was　so　obviously　pregnant。　And　she　had　missed　the　daily　contact　with　him；　even　if　there　was　always　someone　around。　She　had　m