Cease your cackle."
There was male authority in his voice and the women stood suddenly silent, anger fading swiftly from their faces as he stumped across the room to the door.
"Who's thar?" he questioned before the caller even knocked.
"Captain Butler.
Let me in."
Melanie was across the floor so swiftly that her hoops swayed up violently, revealing her pantalets to the knees, and before Archie could put his hand on the knob she flung the door open.
Rhett Butler stood in the doorway, his black slouch hat low over his eyes, the wild wind whipping his cape about him in snapping folds.
For once his good manners had deserted him. He neither took off his hat nor spoke to the others in the room.
He had eyes for no one but Melanie and he spoke abruptly without greeting.
"Where have they gone?
Tell me quickly.
It's life or death."
Scarlett and Pitty, startled and bewildered, looked at each other in wonderment and, like a lean old cat, India streaked across the room to Melanie's side.
"Don't tell him anything," she cried swiftly.
"He's a spy, a Scallawag!"
Rhett did not even favor her with a glance.
"Quickly, Mrs. Wilkes!
There may still be time."
Melanie seemed in a paralysis of terror and only stared into his face.
"What on earth--" began Scarlett.
"Shet yore mouth," directed Archie briefly.
"You too, Miss Melly.
Git the hell out of here, you damned Scallawag."
"No, Archie, no!" cried Melanie and she put a shaking hand on Rhett's arm as though to protect him from Archie.
"What has happened?
How did--how did you know?"
On Rhett's dark face impatience fought with courtesy.
"Good God, Mrs. Wilkes, they've all been under suspicion since the beginning--only they've been too clever--until tonight!
How do I know?
I was playing poker tonight with two drunken Yankee captains and they let it out.
The Yankees knew there'd be trouble tonight and they've prepared for it.
The fools have walked into a trap."
For a moment it was as though Melanie swayed under the impact of a heavy blow and Rhett's arm went around her waist to steady her.
"Don't tell him!
He's trying to trap you!" cried India, glaring at Rhett.
"Didn't you hear him say he'd been with Yankee officers tonight?"
Still Rhett did not look at her.
His eyes were bent insistently on Melanie's white face.
"Tell me.
Where did they go?
Have they a meeting place?"
Despite her fear and incomprehension, Scarlett thought she had never seen a blanker, more expressionless face than Rhett's but evidently Melanie saw something else, something that made her give her trust.
She straightened her small body away from the steadying arm and said quietly but with a voice that shook:
"Out the Decatur road near Shantytown.
They meet in the cellar of the old Sullivan plantation--the one that's half-burned."
"Thank you.
I'll ride fast.
When the Yankees come here, none of you know anything."
He was gone so swiftly, his black cape melting into the night, that they could hardly realize he had been there at all until they heard the spattering of gravel and the mad pounding of a horse going off at full gallop.
"The Yankees coming here?" cried Pitty and, her small feet turning under her, she collapsed on the sofa, too frightened for tears.