飘

　her　eyes。
　“You　drunken　fool；”　she　said。　“Take　your　hands　off　me。”
　To　her　surprise；　he　did　so　and　seating　himself　on　the　edge　of　the　table　he　poured　himself　another　drink。
　“I　have　always　admired　your　spirit；　my　dear。　Never　more　than　now　when　you　are　cornered。”
　She　drew　her　wrapper　close　about　her　body。　Oh；　if　she　could　only　reach　her　room　and　turn　the　key　in　the　stout　door　and　be　alone。　Somehow；　she　must　stand　him　off；　bully　him　into　submission；　this　Rhett　she　had　never　seen　before。　She　rose　without　haste；　though　her　knees　shook；　tightened　the　wrapper　across　her　hips　and　threw　back　her　hair　from　her　face。
　“I’m　not　cornered；”　she　said　cuttingly。　“You’ll　never　corner　me；　Rhett　Butler；　or　frighten　me。　You　are　nothing　but　a　drunken　beast　who’s　been　with　bad　women　so　long　that　you　can’t　understand　anything　else　but　badness。　You　can’t　understand　Ashley　or　me。　You’ve　lived　in　dirt　too　long　to　know　anything　else。　You　are　jealous　of　something　you　can’t　understand。　Good　night。”
　She　turned　casually　and　started　toward　the　door　and　a　burst　of　laughter　stopped　her。　She　turned　and　he　swayed　across　the　room　toward　her。　Name　of　God；　if　he　would　only　stop　that　terrible　laugh！　What　was　there　to　laugh　about　in　all　of　this？　As　he　came　toward　her；　she　backed　toward　the　door　and　found　herself　against　the　wall。　He　put　his　hands　heavily　upon　her　and　pinned　her　shoulders　to　the　wall。
　“Stop　laughing。”
　“I　am　laughing　because　I　am　so　sorry　for　you。”
　“Sorry—for　me？　Be　sorry　for　yourself。”
　“Yes；　by　God；　I’m　sorry　for　you；　my　dear；　my　pretty　little　fool。　That　hurts；　doesn’t　it？　You　can’t　stand　either　laughter　or　pity；　can　you？”
　He　stopped　laughing；　leaning　so　heavily　against　her　shoulders　that　they　ached。　His　face　changed　and　he　leaned　so　close　to　her　that　the　heavy　whisky　smell　of　his　breath　made　her　turn　her　head。
　“Jealous；　am　I？”　he　said。　“And　why　not？　Oh；　yes；　I’m　jealous　of　Ashley　Wilkes。　Why　not？　Oh；　don’t　try　to　talk　and　explain。　I　know　you’ve　been　physically　faithful　to　me。　Was　that　what　you　were　trying　to　say？　Oh；　I’ve　known　that　all　along。　All　these　years。　How　do　I　know？　Oh；　well；　I　know　Ashley　Wilkes　and　his　breed。　I　know　he　is　honorable　and　a　gentleman。　And　that　my　dear；　is　more　than　I　can　say　for　you—or　for　me；　for　that　matter。　We　are　not　gentlemen　and　we　have　no　honor；　have　we？　That’s　why　we　flourish　like　green　bay　trees。”
　“Let　me　go。　I　won’t　stand　here　and　be　insulted。”
　“I’m　not　insulting　you。　I’m　praising　your　physical　virtue。　And　it　hasn’t　fooled　me　one　bit。　You　think　men　are　such　fools；　Scarlett。　It　never　pays　to　underestimate　your　opponent’s　strength　and　intelligence。　And　I’m　not　a　fool。　Don’t　you　suppose　I　know　that　you’ve　lain　in　my　arms　and　pretended　I　was　Ashley　Wilkes？”
　Her　jaw　dropped　and　fear　and　astonishment　were　written　plainly　in　her　face。
　“Pleasant　thing；　that。　Rather　ghostly；　in　fact。　Like　having　three　in　a　bed　where　there　ought　to　be　just　two。”　He　shook　her　shoulders；　ever　so　slightly；　hiccoughed　and　smiled　mockingly。
　“Oh；　yes；　you’ve　been　faithful　to　me　because　Ashley　wouldn’t　have　you。　But；　hell；　I　wouldn’t　have　grudged　him　your　body。　I　know　how　little　bodies　mean—especially　women’s　bodies。　But　I　do　grudge　him　your　heart　and　your　dear；　hard；　unscrupulous；　stubborn　mind。　He　doesn’t　want　your　mind；　the　fool；　and　I　don’t　want　your　body。　I　can　buy　women　cheap。　But　I　do　want　your　mind　and　your　heart；　and　I’ll　never　have　them；　any　more　than　you’ll　ever　have　Ashley’s　mind。　And　that’s　why　I’m　sorry　for　you。”
　Even　through　her　fear　and　bewilderment；　his　sneer　stung。
　“Sorry—for　me？”
　“Yes；　sorry　because　you’re　such　a　child；　Scarlett。　A　child　crying　for　the　moon。　What　would　a　child　do　with　the　moon　if　it　got　it？　And　what　would　you　do　with　Ashley？　Yes；　I’m　sorry　for　you—sorry　to　see　you　throwing　away　happiness　with　both　hands　and　reaching　out　for　something　that　would　never　make　you　happy。　I’m　sorry　because　you　are　such　a　fool　you　don’t　know　there　can’t　ever　be　happiness　except　when　like　mates　like。　If　I　were　dead；　if　Miss　Melly　were　dead　and　you　had　your　precious　honorable　lover；　do　you　think　you’d　be　happy　with　him？　Hell；　no！　You　would　never　know　him；　never　know　what　he　was　thinking　about；　never　understand　him　any　more　than　you　understand　music　and　poetry　and　books　or　anything　that　isn’t　dollars　and　cents。　Whereas；　we；　dear　wife　of　my　bosom；　could　have　been　perfectly　happy　if　you　had　ever　given　us　half　a　chance；　for　we　are　so　much　alike。　We　are　both　scoundrels；　Scarlett；　and　nothing　is　beyond　us　when　we　want　something。　We　could　have　been　happy；　for　I　loved　you　and　I　know　you；　Scarlett；　down　to　your　bones；　in　a　way　that　Ashley　could　never　know　you。　And　he　would　despise　you　if　he　did　know。　。。。　But　no；　you　must　go　mooning　all　your　life　after　a　man　you　cannot　understand。　And　I；　my　darling；　will　continue　to　moon　after　whores。　And；　I　dare　say　we’ll　do　better　than　most　couples。”
　He　released　her　abruptly　and　made　a　weaving　way　back　toward　the　decanter。　For　a　moment；　Scarlett　stood　rooted；　thoughts　tearing　in　and　out　of　her　mind　so　swiftly　that　she　could　seize　none　of　them　long　enough　to　examine　them。　Rhett　had　said　he　loved　her。　Did　he　mean　it？　Or　was　he　merely　drunk？　Or　was　this　one　of　his　horrible　jokes？　And　Ashley—the　moon—crying　for　the　moon。　She　ran　swiftly　into　the　dark　hall；　fleeing　as　though　demons　were　upon　her。　Oh；　if　she　could　only　reach　her　room！　She　turned　her　ankle　and　the　slipper　fell　half　off。　As　she　stopped　to　kick　it　loose　frantically；　Rhett；　running　lightly　as　an　Indian；　was　beside　her　in　the　dark。　His　breath　was　not　on　her　face　and　his　hands　went　round　her　roughly；　under　the　wrapper；　against　her　bare　skin。
　“You　turned　me　out　on　the　town　while　you　chased　him。　By　God；　this　is　one　night　when　there　are　only　going　to　be　two　in　my　bed。”
　He　swung　her　off　her　feet　into　his　arms　and　started　up　the　stairs。　Her　head　was　crushed　against　his　chest　and　she　heard　the　hard　hammering　of　his　heart　beneath　her　ears。　He　hurt　her　and　she　cried　out；　muffled；　frightened。　Up　the　stairs；　he　went　in　the　utter　darkness；　up；　up；　and　she　was　wild　with　fear。　He　was　a　mad　stranger　and　this　was　a　black　darkness　she　did　not　know；　darker　than　death。　He　was　like　death；　carrying　her　away　in　arms　that　hurt。　She　screamed；　stifled　against　him　and　he　stopped　suddenly　on　the　landing　and；　turning　her　swiftly　in　his　arms；　bent　over　and　kissed　her　with　a　savagery　and　a　completeness　that　wiped　out　everything　from　her　mind　but　the　dark　into　which　she　was　sinking　and　the　lips　on　hers。　He　was　shaking；　as　though　he　stood　in　a　strong　wind；　and　his　lips；　traveling　from　her　mouth　downward　to　where　the　wrapper　had　fallen　from　her　body；　fell　on　her　soft　flesh。　He　was　muttering　things　she　did　not　hear；　his　lips　were　evoking　feelings　never　felt　before。　She　was　darkness　and　he　was　darkness　and　there　had　never　been　anything　before　this　time；　only　darkness　and　his　lips　upon　her。　She　tried　to　speak　and　his　mouth　was　over　hers　again。　Suddenly　she　had　a　wild　thrill　such　as　she　had　never　known；　joy；　fear；　madness；　excitement；　surrender　to　arms　that　were　too　strong；　lips　too　bruising；　fate　that　moved　too　fast　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　had　met　someone；　something　stronger　than　she；　someone　she　could　neither　bully　nor　break；　someone　who　was　bullying　and　breaking　her。　Somehow；　her　arms　were　around　his　neck　and　her　lips　trembling　beneath　his　and　they　were　going　up；　up　into　the　darkness　again；　a　darkness　that　was　soft　and　swirling　and　all　enveloping。
　
　When　she　awoke　the　next　morning；　he　was　gone　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　rumpled　pillow　beside　her；　she　would　have　thought　the　happenings；　of　the　night　before　a　wild　preposterous　dream。　She　went　crimson　at　the　memory　and；　pulling　the　bed　covers　up　about　her　neck；　lay　bathed　in　sunlight；　trying　to　sort　out　the　jumbled　impressions　in　her　mind。
　Two　things　stood　to　the　fore。　She　had　lived　for　years　with　Rhett；　slept　with　him；　eaten　with　him；　quarreled　with　him　and　borne　his　child—and　yet；　she　did　not　know　him。　The　man　who　had　carried　her　up　the　dark　stairs　was　a　stranger　of　whose　existence　she　had　not　dreamed。　And　now；　though　she　tried　to　make　herself　hate　him；　tried　to　be　indignant；　she　could　not。　He　had　humbled　her；　hurt　her；　used　her　brutally　through　a　wild　mad　night　and　she　had　gloried　in　it。
　Oh；　she　should　be　ashamed；　should　shrink　from　the　very　memory　of　the　hot　swirling　darkness！　A　lady；　a　real　lady；　could　never　hold　up　her　head　after　such　a　night。　But；　stronger　than　shame；　was　the　memory　of　rapture；　of　the　ecstasy　of　surrender。　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　had　felt　alive；　felt　passion　as　sweeping　and　primitive　as　the　fear　she　had　known　the　night　she　fled　Atlanta；　as　dizzy　sweet　as　the　cold　hate　when　she　had　shot　the　Yankee。
　Rhett　loved　her！　At　least；　he　said　he　loved　her　and　how　could　she　doubt　it　now？　How　odd　and　bewildering　and　how　incredible　that　he　loved　her；　this　savage　stranger　with　whom　she　had　lived　in　such　coolness。　She　was　not　altogether　certain　how　she　felt　about　this　revelation　but　as　an　idea　came　to　her　she　suddenly　laughed　aloud。　He　loved　her　and　so　she　had　him　at　last。　She　had　almost　forgotten　her　early　desire　to　entrap　him　into　loving　her；　so　she　could　hold