'Dulce et decorum est--' or any of the other popular epitaphs."
"I don't see why!"
"You never see anything that isn't written in letters a foot high and then shoved under your nose, do you?
If they were dead, their troubles would be over, there'd be no problems to face, problems that have no solutions.
Moreover, their families would be proud of them through countless generations.
And I've heard the dead are happy.
Do you suppose Ashley Wilkes is happy?"
"Why, of course--" she began and then she remembered the look in Ashley's eyes recently and stopped.
"Is he happy or Hugh Elsing or Dr. Meade?
Any more than my father and your father were happy?"
"Well, perhaps not as happy as they might be, because they've all lost their money."
He laughed.
"It isn't losing their money, my pet.
I tell you it's losing their world--the world they were raised in.
They're like fish out of water or cats with wings.
They were raised to be certain persons, to do certain things, to occupy certain niches.
And those persons and things and niches disappeared forever when General Lee arrived at Appomattox.
Oh, Scarlett, don't look so stupid!
What is there for Ashley Wilkes to do, now that his home is gone and his plantation taken up for taxes and fine gentlemen are going twenty for a penny?
Can he work with his head or his hands?
I'll bet you've lost money hand over fist since he took over that mill."
"I have not!"
"How nice.
May I look over your books some Sunday evening when you are at leisure?"
"You can go to the devil and not at your leisure.
You can go now, for all I care."
"My pet, I've been to the devil and he's a very dull fellow.
I won't go there again, even for you. . . .
You took my money when you needed it desperately and you used it.
We had an agreement as to how it should be used and you have broken that agreement.
Just remember, my precious little cheat, the time will come when you will want to borrow more money from me.
You'll want me to bank you, at some incredibly low interest, so you can buy more mills and more mules and build more saloons.
And you can whistle for the money."
"When I need money I'll borrow it from the bank, thank you," she said coldly, but her breast was heaving with rage.
"Will you?
Try to do it.
I own plenty of stock in the bank."
"You do?"
"Yes, I am interested in some honest enterprises."
"There are other banks--"
"Plenty of them.
And if I can manage it, you'll play hell getting a cent from any of them.
You can go to the Carpetbag usurers if you want money."
"I'll go to them with pleasure."
"You'll go but with little pleasure when you learn their rates of interest.
My pretty, there are penalties in the business world for crooked dealing.
You should have played straight with me."
"You're a fine man, aren't you?
So rich and powerful yet picking on people who are down, like Ashley and me!"
"Don't put yourself in his class.