No, you must wait, said Rhett, firm for once. You
mightpossibly sponge the spots off a leopard but hed remain a leopard,just the
same.
Wait till shes old enough to hunt, he boasted. It
was not thatshe was sorry Bullock had gone and the Democrats were back
again.
An wen Miss Scarlett say she blong in de pahlor in
decoffin, Ah thought Mist Rhett gwine hit her.
Mammy wiped her nose on the back of her
hand.
But the firmnessgradually faded away before her
incessant importunings andtantrums. Den he light outer de house on de hawse an he
wuz gone tell boutsundown. And I suppose you tell her Im aScallawag! But, for all
her paint and flashy clothes, shewas buxom and almost motherly looking. Then youll
be bigenough for a higher jump and Ill buy you a bigger horse. An Ah feltso sorry
fer Mist Rhett Ah bust out cryin, kase he look lak awhup houn. Rhett hadspoken of
Belle Watling the day he cried with his head on herknees. Ah kin wait tell youthoo
ter tell you whut Ah got on mah mine. Heonly laughed and would not permit Scarlett
even to slap the littlegirls hand by way of reprimand.
She doan thow it up ter me dat Ah done kilt
mahchile.
You knows whut a sto he set by dat
chile.
She had never seen it so expressionless
before.
But Rhett showed no inclination to make Bonnie
behave. Now that CaptainButlers mother has come, I suppose the funeral will be
tomorrowmorning. Ostensibly the pony was for all three childrenand Rhett bought a
saddle for Wade too.
But, oddly enough, the ladies were not offended.
She remembered the comfort of his broad brown chest andhis strong arms. Butler
scrambled to hisfeet and trotted off with an empty saddle.
Thisinformation on top of the horror of his
announcement took herbreath away.
Scarlett had thetowns dislike and, for once, she
would have welcomed the sympathyof old friends. An it worrit me, kase Ah fraid she
hut herseff. Ella was no comfort to her,now that Bonnie was gone. Why, oh, why
couldnt God have taken Ella ifHe had to take one of her children?
Oh, cried Melanie, stricken to the
heart.
So Ah slip in de do real quick, fo he kin lock
it,an Ah say: Mist Rhett, Ahs come ter confess.