OOTY! “Part OneGone with the Wind Part One ‘You, Miss, are no lady,’ Rhett Butler said. ‘But ladies rarely interest me, and I cannot understand, my dear Miss O’Hara, what a wild and hot-blooded girl like you can find fo like about the handsome but very boring Mr Wilkes.’ Every man in Georgia is in love with Scaslett O’Hara. But Scarlett can think of no one else but Ashley Wilkes, the handsome, intelligent, educated, perfect Southern gentleman. | She will do anything to make him love her. : But as the winds of war begin to blow, Scarlett learns that, even for her, there are more important things in the world than Ashley Wilkes. Scarlett has to use all her cleverness to stay alive. The story of Scarlett O’Hara, Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler is a story of the American Civil War. But more than that: it is the greatest love story ever told. Gone with the Wind is the greatest best-seller of all time. It sold over a million copies in its first six months, in 1936, and then became even more famous as a film in 1939, Since it first appeared, the book has sold over twenty-eight million copies around the world. In the film, Vivien Leigh was Scarlett O’Hara, Clark Gable was Rhett Butler and Leslie Howard was Ashley Wilkes. Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United: States,-in 1900, She was always hearing stories from her family about the way of life in the ‘old South’ and the war between the American states (the American Civil War, 1861-5) which destroyed it. In 1926 she began to put together everything she knew in one story, which became Gone with the Wind. It took her ten years to write it. When it appeared, so many people wanted to meet her that she had to ‘hide! She died in 1949,OTHER TITLES IN THE SERIES The following titles are available at Levels 3, 4 and 5: Level 3- Black Beauty The Black Cat and Other Stories The Book of Heroic Failures Braveheart Calling All Monsters A Catskill Eagle Channel Runner The Darling Buds of May Dubliners Earthdark Forrest Gump ‘The Fugitive Jane Eyre King Solomon’s Mines Madame Doubtfire The Man with Two Shadows and Other Ghost Stories More Heroic Failures Mrs Dalloway My Family and Other Animals Nota Penny More, Not a Penny Less Rain Man The Reluctant Queen Santorini Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Boscombe Pool StarGate Summer of My German Soldier ‘The Thirty-nine Steps ‘Thunder Point Time Bird The Turn of the Screw Twice Shy Level4 - ‘The Boys from Brazil The Breathing Method ‘TheBurden of Proof ‘The Client ‘The Danger Detective Work The Doll's House and Other Stories Dracula Far from the Madding Crowd Farewell; My Lovely Glitz * Gone with the Wind, Part 2 ‘The House of Stairs The Locked Room and Other Horror Stories “The Mill on the Floss ‘The Mosquito Coast ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray Strangers on a Train White Fang Level 5 ‘The Baby Party and Other Stories The Body : ‘The Firm ‘The Grass is Singing Jude che Obscure "The Old Jest “The Pelican Brief Pride and Prejudice Prime Suspect Sons and Lovers A Twist in the Tale ‘The Warden WebGone with the Wind Part 1 MARGARET MITCHELL Level 4 Retold by John Escott Series Editor: Derek StrangeEscott, Jobn Gone with the wind/ Margaret Mitchell; retold by John Escott,— Esfahan: Jangal,- \WA\-2002 2 v,: tllus.— (Readers/series editor Derek Strange, level 4) ‘Added Ta PR. inrperstan:, . * . +64 SU DY Cataloging baged on CIP information. Publisher varies in different editions. [Link] - 1950 -. [Link] ~ Literature. [Link] language - Textbooks for foreign speakers. [.Mitchell, Margaret. 1900 ~ 1949, Gone with the wind. _Il.strange, Derek. HL, Fitles rn PELILT.E7346 SL. 428.64 1990zb . National fib. of Iran | . . M78-20239 rqils doldau lick Gonewithe thewindpart1 roils al John Eseott nAlge da det yb lad age silaneTo the teacher: In addition to all the language forms of Levels One to Three, which are used again at this level of the series, the main verb forms and tenses used at Level Four are: © present perfect continuous verbs, past perfect verbs, was/ were going to, passive verbs (simple aspects only and with available modal verbs), conditional clauses (using the ‘second’ ot ‘improbable’ or ‘hypothetical future’ condi~ tional) and further phrasal verbs - @ modal verbs: should and ought to (to give advice or express- ing desirability), used to (to describe past habits, states and routines), must and can’t (to express (deduced) likelihood), may and might (to express possibility or uncertainty), could (to express hypothetical ability), would (to express willing- ness) and had better (to give advice). Specific attention is paid to vocabulary development in the Vocabulary Work exercises at the end of the book. These exercises are aimed at training students to enlarge their vocabu- lary systematically through intelligent reading and effective use of a dictionary. To the student: Dictionary Words: @ As you read this bodk, you will find that some words are in darker black ink than the others on the page. Look them up in your dictionary, if you do not already know them, or try to guess the meaning of the words first, and then look them up later, to check,CHAPTER ONE Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men did not realize this when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were. Her cyes were green, and her skin was that soft white skin which Southern women valued so highly, and covered so carefully from the hot Georgia sun with hats and gloves. On that bright April afternoon of 1861, sixteen-year-old Scarlett sat in the cool shadows of the house at Tara, her father’s plantation. Stuart and Brent Tarleton sat each side of her. They were friendly young men with deep red-brown hair, and were clever in the things that mattered in north Georgia at that time — growing good cotton, riding well, shooting straight and behaving like a gentleman. ‘Don’t you two care about being sent home from the University of Georgia for bad behaviour?’ Scarlett was saying. ‘The war* will start soon,’ said Brent. ‘You didn’t think we'd stay in university with a war going on, did you?’ ‘There isn’t going to be a war,’ said Scarlett, looking bored. ‘Ashley Wilkes and his father told Pa just last week that our men in Washington will come to an agreement with Mr Lincoln about the Confederacy}. Anyway, the Yankeest are too frightened of us to fight. And if you say “‘war’’ once more, I’ll go inside the house and shut the door!’ They looked across the red earth of Gerald O’Hara’s land, which stretched away as far as the eye could see. The white house was like an island, sitting in a wild red sea, the earth blood-coloured after the rains of recent weeks, * war: in this story, the word describes the American Civil War. + Confederacy: the Southern States of America. £ Yankees: the name used for the soldiers and people of the Northern States of America. .“Scarlett, you'll promise to dance with us at the party at Twelve Oaks tomorrow, won't you?” said Brent. ‘I£ you do, we'll tell you a secret,’ said Stuart. ‘What secret?” asked Scarlett. ‘Who told you?” ‘Miss Pittcypat Hamilton, Ashley Wilkes’ cousin who lives in Atlanta. Charles and Melanie Hamilton’s aunt,’ said Stuart. “She said that we'll hear news of a wedding tomorrow night, at the party,’ said Brent, ‘Oh, I know that!’ said Scarlett, disappointed. ‘It’s about Charlie Hamilton and Honey Wilkes. Everyone knows they'll get married some day.’ ‘No, it’s about Ashley,’ said Stuart. ‘He’s going to marry Charlie’s sister, Miss Melanie!’ Scarlett’s face did not change but her lips went white — like a person who is in the first moments of shock. ‘They weren’t going to marry until next year,” said Stuart, ‘but with all the talk of war, both families think it will be better if they’re marzied soon.’ He smiled. ‘Now, Scarlett, you must promise to eat supper with us at the party.’ “Of course I will,’ said Scarlett automatically. ‘And give us plenty of dances?’ “Yes.’ She spoke as if in a dream. ‘And sit with us at lunch, too?’ said Brent. ‘ ‘What?’ said Scarlett. ‘Oh, yes, of course.’ The twins were unable to believe their good luck. They talked on about the dance, and Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton. They laughed and joked, and waited for Scarlett to invite them to supper; and it was some time before they realized she was not listening to them. ° Scarlett watched the twins ride away. . Ashley was going to marry Melanie Hamilton! Oh, it couldn’t be true! It was all a mistake. Ashley was in love with her, not Melanie!The twins waited for Scarlett to invite them to supper; and it was some time before they realized she. was not listening to them. .Mammy came out of the house. She was a big old Negro who loved Ellen O’Hara and her family. ‘Are the gen’lemen gone?” she asked. ‘Why didn’ you ask them to stay to supper?” ‘I didn’t want to listen to them talking to Pa about the war all through supper,’ said Scarlett. “You just ain’t* polite, Miss Scarlett,’ said Mammy. ‘Now come into the house before you get cold.’ ‘I want to watch the sun go down,’ said Scarlett. ‘Vl sit here until Pa comes home. Just fetch me a light coat, Mammy.’ ' Mammy went back into the house and Scarlett made a sudden decision. ‘Til go and meet Pa,’ she thought. ‘He'll be coming back from Twelve Oaks soon, and he'll know about Ashley.” “As a child, Scarlett had not given Ashley Wilkes a single ‘thought. But two years ago, he had arrived home after touring Europe — riding up to Tara with the sun so bright on his ‘fair hair that it shone like silver. “You’ve grown up, Scarlett,’ he had said, kissing her hand. And from that moment ‘on, she wanted him as simply as she wanted food to eat, and * horses to ride, and a soft bed to sleep in. For two years, he took her to dances and suppers, and a week did not go past without Ashley calling at Tara. It was true he never spoke to her of love, and his clear grey eyes never burned with that hot light Scarlett knew so well in other men.. But she was sure that he loved her. She saw him looking at her sometimes, in that sad, strange way of his. Scarlett heard the sound of Gerald O’Hara’s horse and saw him coming across the fields at full speed. Gerald was. sixty years old, a small man with silver-white hair and hard little blue eyes. He was surprised to see her. ‘How is everyone at Twelve Oaks?” she asked him. * ain't: aren’t or isn’t or haven’t in Southern American English, 4‘They're all talking about the war,’ he said, ‘and—’ ‘Did they speak about the party?” Scarlett asked quickly. “Yes, I think they did,’ said Gerald. ‘Miss Melanie Hamilton - and her brother Charles have come from Atlanta and — “Oh, so she did come!’ Scarlett’s heart became heavy. “Was Ashley there, too?” “Yes, he was.’ Gerald looked closely at his daughter. “That's why you came to meet me, isn’t it? Why didn’t you say so before? Now what’s all this about you and Ashley?” “There’s nothing, Pa,’ she said. ‘Has he asked to marry you?” ‘No,’ said Scarlett, quietly. ‘And he won't,’ said Gerald. ‘John Wilkes says that Ashley is to marry Miss Melanie. They'll tell everyone tomorrow.’ A pain cut across Scarlett’s heart and she found it hard to breathe. Her father watched her, and looked uncomfortable. “Have you run after a man who’s not in love with you?” ‘Nol’ said Scarlett. “You're lying!’ said Gerald. Then went on in a kind way, . “There are lots of other young men, Scarlett. I want you to be happy, and you wouldn’t be happy with him.’ ‘Oh, I would! I would!’ ‘The Wilkes are different from other people,’ said Gerald. ‘They marry their cousins and keep their strangeness in the family. Look how they read books, and go to Boston and New York to see paintings and hear music.’ ‘Nobody rides a horse better than Ashley!’ said Scarlett. ‘Oh, yes, Ashley can ride and drink with the best of men, but he cares nothing about those things,’ said Gerald. ‘Now listen, there are other fine boys to marry, Scarlett. And when I’m gone, I'll leave Tara to you and— ‘I don’t want Tara!’ cried Scarlett, angrily. ‘Plantations don’t mean anything when — She was going to say when you don’t have the man you want, but Gerald’s shout stopped her.‘Not mean anything! Land is the only thing in the world that does mean anything!’ be cried. ‘It will come to you, Scarlett, this love of the land. It’s in your blood and there’s no denying it.’ He held her arm as they walked towards the house. ‘Pll not worry your mother with this, and nor must you.” They met Ellen O'Hara at the door. She was carrying the black bag in which she always kept the medicines she used for the slaves. Mammy was with her, and did not look pleased. ‘Mr O'Hara,’ Ellen said, ‘a baby is dying at the Slattery house and Mammy and I are going to see what we can do.’ ‘The Slatterys!’ shouted Gerald. ‘Those white trash? “She is always nursin’ negroes and white trash who could look after themselves,’ said Mammy, annoyed. ‘Take my place at supper, Scarlett,’ said Ellen, touching her daughter’s cheek. She was a tall’ woman, with a quict, gentle voice and a warm smile that charmed everyone. There was something magical about her mother’s touch, _thought Scarlett, and for a moment forgot all about Ashley. But later an idea came to her. ‘Ashley doesn’t know I love him! she thought. ‘He thinks I love Brent or Stuart, and he’s marrying Melanie because he thinks he can’t have me! I must tell him, then we can run off to Jonesboro and get married! By this time tomorrow night, I might be Mrs Ashley Wilkes!” ” CHAPTER TWO Early the next morning, Gerald told his plantation manager, Jonas Wilkerson, to pack his things and leave. Jonas, Ellen had discovered, was the father of Emmie Slattery’s dead baby, and. now Ellen would not have him working at Tara. Jonas was a Yankee and hated ‘all Southerners, and he was angry at losing the best manager's job in the neighbourhood. 6Ellen told Gerald that she was not going to the party at Twelve Oaks. ‘I must check Jonas’s figures inthe. plantation books,’ she said. ‘Mammy will stay and help me.” So Gerald rode on his horse beside the carriage [Link] Scarlett and her two sisters dowri the road to Twelve Oaks. Scarlett thought about-her plans to marry Ashley..‘No one must suspect anything,’ she thought, ‘so I'll flirt with every man there, from oid Frank Kennedy to shy Charlie Hamilton, It will-be cruel to Ashley, but it will make him want me more.’ ‘I don’t know why you look so happy this morning,’ said her sister, Suellen, looking at Scarlett. “You know Ashley’s going to marry Melanie, Pa said so. And I:know you love Ashley!” . ‘Suellen, that’s not true!’ said Careen, the youngest of the three. ‘Ie’s Brent that Scarlett cares about.’ The whole family knew that Careen loved Brent Tarleton. But he never gave her 2 thought except as Scarlett’s baby sister. ‘I don’t care about Brent,’ said Scarlett, smiling, ‘and he doesn’t care about me. He’s waiting for you to grow up!” Careen went red in the face, ‘Oh, Scarlett, is he-really?” she said, . They went over the hill, and saw Twelve Oaks. The house was white and beautiful under the blue sky. Lunch was going to be served outside, and Scarlett saw the Tarleton twins with their two brothers, Boyd- and Toim; and Alex and Tony Fontaine; and the two Calvert boys, Raiford and Cade. ‘Good! Everyone is here!’ thought Scarlett. John Wilkes stood on the entrance steps, a silver-haired man with a quiet charm that was as warm as a summer sun. Next to him was his daughter, Honey Wilkes. His other daughter, India, was nowhere to be seen, and Scarlett guessed that she was in the kitchen giving final orders to the servants. ‘Poor India,’ thought Scarlett. ‘She’s been so busy looking after Twelve Oaks since her mother died that she’s had no 7time to catch any: man except Stuart Tarleton, and it’s not my problem if he thinks I’m prettier than her.’ John Wilkes helped Scarlett from the carriage, and Frank Kennedy hurried to give a helping hand to Suellen, who went red but looked delighted. Frank was forty, with a. thin red beard. He was nervous with women and was surprised when Scarlett, remembering her plan, gave him one of her best smiles. Stuart and Brent Tarleton moved towards her, and Scarlett looked around as she talked and laughed with them. Suddenly, she noticed a stranger standing alone. He looked at least thirty-five and was tall and strong, with a black moustache. Scarlett went red as he stared at her with a cool smile. Then he turned away as someone called, ‘Rhett! Rhett Butler!’ Rhett Butler? Did she know the name? Scarlett’s thoughts tumed to Ashley and she forgot about the smiling man. ‘I must go and: comb may hair,’ she told Stuart and Brent. *You boys wait for me, and don’t run off with any other piel! : : As she went up the wide stairs, a shy voice behind her called her name. -Scarlett turned and saw Charles Hamilton, a nice-looking boy with soft brown hair and deep brown eyes. She gave him her biggest smile. “Why, Charles Hamilton, you handsome old thing! Pm sure you came all the way from Atlanta just to break my poor heart!’ Charles almost fainted. This was the way girls talked to other boys, not to him! ‘Now you wait here until I come back,’ said Scarlett, ‘And don’t talk to those other girls or I’ll be very jealous!” ‘I~I won't,’ he said. - Scarlett saw Rhett Butler, a few feet away. He was smiling again, and had a strange look in his eye as he stared at her. Scarlett went red again and hurried on up the stairs. Cathleen Calvert was in the bedroom. ‘Cathleen,’ said Scarlett, ‘who is that nasty man Butler?’ 8‘My dear, don’t you know?’ whispered Cathleen, excitedly. ‘He’s from Charleston, but his family won’t speak to him!’ ‘Really?’ said Scarlett. “Why?” s “He took a girl out riding in a carriage one afternoon and they stayed out nearly all night! When they finally arrived home, he said that the horse ran away and that they got lost in the forest. And guess what?’ ‘Tell me,’ said Scarlett, hoping for the worst. ‘He refused to marry her the next day!” ‘Oh,’ said Scarlett, disappointed. ‘He said that he did nothing to her, but her brother invited him to fight — and Mr Butler shot him! ‘Well, after that, Mr Butler had to leave Charleston.’ ‘Did she have a baby?’ whispered Scarlett ‘No,’ said Cathleen, ‘but no one will ever marry her now.” ‘I wish Ashley would stay out all night with me,’ thought Scarlett. ‘He’s too much of a gentleman. not to marry me afterwards.” CHAPTER THREE Scarlett sat under a large tree, with her lunch on a plate, in front of her. But although there were seven handsome young men sitting around her, Ashley was not one of them and she - was not happy. He was sitting on the grass with Melanie Hamilton, talking quietly and smiling the slow, lazy smile that Scarlett loved. Melanie had dark hair and a heart-shaped face. She was small, but seemed older than her seventeen years. Scarlett saw Rhett Butler talking to John Wilkes. He looked at her and laughed, and she had. the feeling that this nasty man knew her true-feelings about Ashley, and was amused.It was two o’clock and the sun was warm. Scarlett was just wondering if India. would suggest that the ladies went into the house, when she heard Gerald arguing with John Wilkes. “Hope for peace with the Yankees?’ Gerald was shouting. ‘No, the South must show that it’s strong and ready for a fight!” Other men joined in the discussion. ‘Of course we'll fight!’ “Yankee thieves!’ “One Southerner can fight twenty Yankees!’ Charles Hamilton found himself alone with Scarlett as the others-moved away. ‘Miss O’Hara,’ he said, ‘if 1 go to fight, will you be sorry?’ Scarlett thought men were stupid to think women were interested in these things, but she answered, ‘T’'ll cry into my pillow every night,’ not meaning a word of it. “Miss O’Hara, I must tell you something,” said Charles, suddenly feeling brave. ‘II love you! I want to marry you!’ Scarlett wanted to tell Charles he looked silly, but said automatically, “This is so sudden. I don’t know what to say.” ‘Tl wait for ever!’ cried Charles. Scarlett noticed that Ashley was now with the group of men. ‘If Georgia fights, Pl go with her,’ Ashley was saying. ‘But most of the sadness in the world was caused by wars, and when they were over, no one knew what they were about.’ More arguing burst out after this until Rhett Butler spoke. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘can I say a word? There’s not [Link] factory in the South, and not a wool or cotton factory either. We haven’t a single war-ship, and the Yankees could quickly stop us selling our cotton abroad with a blockade. They have all the things we haven’t got, gentlemen. All we have is cotton and slaves — and brave talk!” Everyone was shocked, but Scarlett could not help feeling he was right. She had never seen a factory, and did not know anyone who had. “But he’s no gentleman to say these things 10at a party, where everyone is having a good time,’ she thought. : ¢ It was late afternoon, and the ladies were resting in’ the six great bedrooms at Twelve Oaks, to be ready for the dance that evening. They had their dresses off, and most were asleep. Scarlett checked that Melanie was lying down next to Honey Wilkes before she quietly left the room and: went down the stairs. From a window, she saw Ashley drinking and talking with a group of men on the step outside. She . walked silently across to the library. ‘ll wait in here’ until he comes into the house,” she thought, ‘and then: I'll call to him.’ . The library was half-dark with the curtains closed to keep out the sun. Across the room was a sofa with its high back towards her, and around the walls were hundreds of books. Scarlett left the door open and tried to remember what she was going to say to Ashley. ‘Perhaps it will help if I pray,’ she thought, and closed her cyes. - ‘Scarlett!’ It was Ashley’s voice. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her from the doorway. ‘Are you hiding from Charles or the Tarletons?” he said. : She pulled him into the room. . “What is it?” he said. ‘Have you got a secret to tell me?” - *Yes—a secret,’ she said. ‘I love you!’ + . He was silent, and there was a worried and confused look in his eyes. Then he made himself smile and said lightly, ‘You have every, other man’s heart here today, Scarlett, isn’t that enough? Do you want mine, too? Well, you've always had it.’ : : arty ‘He doesn’t believe me!’ she thought. ‘He thinks I’m just flirting with him!’ Scarlett looked-into his eyes. ‘Ashley! Tell me you love me, my dear!’ she cried. tote 11He put his hand across her lips. ‘Don’t say these things.’ ‘But I love you,’ she cried, ‘and I know you love me. Ashley, you do care, don’t you?” “Yes,’ he said quietly. ‘I care,’ ‘And you do want to marry .me® she said. ‘Tm going to marry Melanie,’ he replied. He took her hands in his. ‘How can I make you understand, Scarlett? Love just isn’t enough when two people are as different as we are.’ ‘But you said you cared for me,’ said Scarlett. ‘Iwas wrong to say it.’ She began to get angry. ‘You're afraid to marty mel’ she said, her voice getting louder. ‘You'll marry that stupid litle fool [Link] only say “No” and “Yes”! Ashley's face went white. ‘Stop!’ he said. She pulled away from him. ‘Pll hate you until I die!’ she shouted, and she hit him hard across the face. He said nothing, but lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he was gone, and the memory of the sad and hopeless look on his face would stay with her until the day she died, Scarlett began to shake. ‘Now he’ll hate me,’ she thought. ‘Every time he looks at me he'll remember me saying all those things.’ She began to feel hot all over. Did other people know how she felt about Ashley? Was everyone laughing at her? Her hand dropped to a little table next to her, and her fingers closed around a pretty glass bowl. She picked it up and threw it wildly across the room. It missed the top of the sofa but crashed against the wall beyond. “ ‘This,’ said.a voice from the other side of the sofa, ‘is too much!’ A man had been lying on it, but now he stood up. It was Rhett Butler. Scarlett almost fainted. ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘you are no gentleman to listen to other people’s conversations!’ ‘And you, Miss, are no lady,’ he said. ‘But ladies rarely interest me, and I cannot understand, my dear Miss O’Hara, 12“But I love you,’ she cried, ‘and I know you love me. Ashley, you do care, don’t you?”what a wild and hot-blooded girl like you can find to like about the handsome but very boring Mr Wilkes.’ “You aren’t good enough to clean his boots!’ she shouted. He ‘Jaughed. ‘And you were going to hate him all your life!” She wanted to kill him, but she walked out of the room and pulled the heavy door shut behind her with a crash. ¢ A horse came fast towards the house, its rider low over the animal’s back. Excitement was in every line of the man’s face as he jumped down. The other men crowded round him, and he spoke quickly. Suddenly, Stuart Tarelton gave a shout. Scarlett saw these things through a window as she went quietly back up the stairs. ‘Somebody’s house must be on fire,’ she thought. She went on to the bedroom and was about to open the door when she heard voices inside. ‘Scarlett flirted with every man here today,’ Honey Wilkes. was saying. ‘She was certainly going after Charles, and you - know Charles and I are going to be married.’ ‘Are you really!’ whispered other voices excitedly. “Yes, but don’t tell anybody yet,’ said Honcy. ‘But there’s only one person Scarlett cares about — and that’s Ashley!’ ‘Honey, you know that isn’t true,’ said Melanie. ‘And ‘it’s so unkind to say it.’ ‘It is true! Scarlett took Stuart from India, and today she tried to take Mr Kennedy from Suellen. And Ashley ~ Scarlett ran back down the stairs. ‘I must get home!” she thought. But when she was on the steps outside, she stopped. She couldn’t go home! She couldn't run away and show them how ashamed she was feeling! It would only make things worse. She hated them. She hated Ashley. She hated everyone! ‘Tl stay and make them sorry,’ she thought. ‘I will!’ She turned towards the house — and saw Charles Hamilton. 14‘Do you know what's happened?” he cried. She said nothing, only stared at him. ‘Mr Lincoln called for soldiers!” he said. ‘Seventy-five thou- sand of them! Of course, it will mean fighting, Miss Scarlett, but don’t you worry, it'll be all over in a month.’ Scarlett was only half-listening. ‘He has plenty of money,’ she was thinking. ‘He lives in Atlanta, and if I marry him quickly it will show Ashley that I don’t care — that I was only flirting with him, And it will just kil! Honey. She'll never get another man, and everyone will laugh at her! And it will hurt Melanie because she loves Charles so much.’ . “Will you wait for me, Miss Scarlett?” Charles was saying. Scarlett made a decision. ‘I don’t want to wait,’ she said. He held her hand, his mouth wide open. Twice he tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. At last he said, ‘Can — can you possibly love me?” She said nothing but looked down at the floor, pretending to be shy. Charles wanted to shout and sing and kiss her, and then to tell everyone that Scarlett O’Hara loved him! “Will you marry me soon?’ he said, not daring to breathe. ‘The sooner the better,’ she said. ¢ Within two weeks, Ashley was married to Melanie, and Scarlett was married to Charles. Two months later she was 2 widow. Charles died from typhoid. He never fought a battle. He never got close to a Yankee. Soon after, Scarlett discovered that she was going to have a baby, and she became the mother of Charles’ son. She called him Wade. She did not love or want the child, and it did not scem possible that he was hers. Every time she thought of Ashley, she cried, and went back to her bed and refused to eat. Ellen tried to help but failed. And then Charles’ aunt, Miss Pittypat Hamilton, wrote 15asking if Scarlett could come to Atlanta for a long visit. She and Melanie wanted very much to see Charlic’s dear little baby. So Scarlett went to Atlanta with Wade, and Prissy, her young slave. She did not want to go, but any change was welcome. - CHAPTER FOUR The war was making Atlanta a busy city, Trains thundered in and out, and the narrow, muddy streets were full of army wagons and ambulances. Scarlett rode from the railway station in Miss Pittypat’s carriage, with ‘Uncle Peter’, a tall, thin Negro who was Aunt Pitty’s old slave. She saw a tall, handsome woman in a bright coloured dress, and with hair so red that it couldn’t possibly be the real colour. “Who is that, Uncle Peter?’ shx. whispered. ‘¥ don't know,’ saia Uncle Peter, looking away quickly. “Yes, you do. Who is she?” ‘Belle Watling,’ he said after a moment, ‘Miss Pitty ain’t goin’ to like you askin’ questions about women like that.’ Scarlett was suddenly shocked. ‘She must be a bad woman!” she thought, staring. She had never scen 1 prostitute before. Miss Pittypat’s red-brick house was on Peachtree Road, and Aunt Pitty was waiting excitedly on the front step. Melanie was with hex and Scarlett saw the loving smile of welcome on the little heart-shaped face — and felt a rush of dislike. This jealous dislike grew as the days went by, and some- times Scarlett had to leave the room when Melanie talked about Ashley. But Atlanta was more interesting than Tara, and she was’ busy nursing at the hospital with Mrs Meade, the doctor’s wife, and other women. All married women in Atlanta nursed the soldiers, and most were glad to do it. But Searlett was a nurse only because she had to be. “Melanie is content to stay at home and never go to parties, 16and to wear black for her brother when she’s only eighteen years old,’ thought Scarlett. “But she was never popular like me and she doesn’t miss the things ] miss. And she’s got Ashiey and I haven’t got. anybody!’ And she began to cry. One afternoon, two ladies of the town — Mrs-Merriwether and Mrs Elsing — visited Aunt Pitty. “The McLure girls were called to Virginia to bring home their brother,’ Mrs Elsing told them. ‘He was hurt.’ ‘Pitty, we need you and Melanie to take their places at the sale tonight,’ said Mrs Merriwether. “Oh, but we can’t go,’ said Aunt Pitty. ‘With poor Charlie dead only a-’ . . ‘Don’t say “can’t” to me, Pittypat Hamilton,’ said Mrs Merriwether. ‘We need you to watch the negroes with the food, and we need Melanie for the McLure girls’ table. Just remember, it’s to make money for the Cause*!” ‘T think we should go,’ said Scarlett suddenly, trying not to took too enthusiastic. “We must do it for the hospital.’ They all looked surprised that it was Scarlett who offered, but Mrs Merriwether said, ‘Scarlett’s right. You must all come,’ Scarlett sat behind a table with Melanie at the sale. They were in a large room, which was usually full of soldiers learning the business of war. But tonight there were flowers and coloured lights around the room, and music was playing. There would be dancing soon, but already Scarlett’s fect were secretly moving in time with the music. Across the room, a tall man, dressed in black, with a fine white shirt, was staring at her. He smiled and she smiled back — until she remembered who he was, and then her hand flew to her mouth! It was Rhett Butler, and now he was coming over! * Cause: the one word used to describe all the reasons for the South going to war with the North. v7‘T did not think you would remember me, Miss O’Hara,’ he said, There was laughter in his eyes, and Scarlett’s face went bright red as she remembered their last meeting. Melanie turned at the sound of his voice. ‘Oh, it’s Mr Rhett Butler, isn’t it?’ she said, smiling. ‘I met you ~” ‘At Twelve Oaks,’ he finished for her. “What are you doing so far from Charleston, Mr Butler?’ ‘Business,’ he said. ‘I find I must not only bring things into your city but must also stay here to sell them. Melanie gave him a delighted smile. ‘You must be the famous. Captain Butler we’ve heard so much about — the blockade runner. Scarlett, what’s the matter? Are you feeling faint?’ Scarlett sat down on a chair. ‘Of all the people to come here,’ she was thinking, ‘why did he have to come?’ ‘It’s quite warm in here,’ Rhett was saying. ‘Can I take you actoss to a window, Miss O’Hara?” ‘No,’ said Scarlett, so rudely that Melanie stared. “She’s not Miss O'Hara any longer,’ said Melanie, smiling in a kind way. ‘She is Mrs Hamilton, and my sister now.” ‘Oh,’ said Rhett, looking closely at Scarlett. ‘And are your husbands here tonight?” ‘My husband is in Virginia,’ said Melanie, proudly, ‘But Charles —’ She could not go on. . ‘Charles is dead,’ said Scarlett. ‘My dear ladies!’ said Rhett. ‘I’m so sorry. But to die for one’s country is to live for ever.’ Melanie smiled at him through her tears while Scarlett felt herself hating him. ‘He doesn’t mean a word,’ she thought. Melanie forgot about Captain Butler and Scarlett as customers crowded round her table. Scarlett sat quietly on her chair, wishing that Captain Butler was back on his ship. ‘Has your husband been dead long?’ he asked her. “Yes, almost a year,’ . ‘And this is the first time —?” 18‘I know it looks strange,” she said, ‘but the McLure girls couldn’t come, so Melanie and J came —’ “For the Cause,’ he finished for her. “Why does he make it sound so cheap?’ thought Scarlett. ‘When Mrs Merriwether spoke of ‘the Cause’, she spoke proudly. Scarlett wanted to tell him this but then remembered she was only here because she was tired of sitting at home. He seemed to guess her thoughts, because he said, ‘Would you be here if the Confederacy didn’t need you, Mrs Hamil- ton?’ “Of course not,’ said Scarlett. ‘People would think I hadn’t loved —’ And she stopped. She could not pretend to him that she had loved Charlie, not after the things he had heard in the library at Twelve Oaks. He moved close to her. ‘Don’t worry,’ he whispered. “Your guilty secret is safe with me!” ‘How can you say those things!’ she said, angrily. But then she looked at him, saw the laughter in his eyes and realized he was joking with her — and she found herself laughing, too. Several people near them were shocked to see Charles’ widow laughing with a strange man, and began to whisper about it. Dr Meade called for everyone to be quiet. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘if you want to dance with a lady this evening, you must pay for her! Remember, all the money is for the Cause!” The young girls whispered excitedly, while the men Jaughed. ‘Oh, if only I could wear an apple-green dress and have flowers in my hair!’ thought Scarlett. ‘Twenty men would fight to dance with me and pay their money to the doctor!’ . Rhett Butler was watching her. Suddenly, he called ont: ‘Mrs Charles Hamilton — onc hundred and fifty dollars in gold!’ Scarlett was so surprised, she [Link] move. Everyone 19