Dretfull big.
And claws."
"Ah, claws, too.
Well, now.
I shall certainly sit up all night and shoot him if he comes back."
Rhett's voice was interested and soothing and Bonnie's sobs died away.
Her voice became less choked as she went into detailed description of her monster guest in a language which only he could understand.
Irritation stirred in Scarlett as Rhett discussed the matter as if it had been something real.
"For Heaven's sake, Rhett--"
But he made a sign for silence.
When Bonnie was at last asleep, he laid her in her bed and pulled up the sheet.
"I'm going to skin that nigger alive," he said quietly.
"It's your fault too.
Why didn't you come up here to see if the light was burning?"
"Don't be a fool, Rhett," she whispered.
"She gets this way because you humor her.
Lots of children are afraid of the dark but they get over it.
Wade was afraid but I didn't pamper him.
If you'd just let her scream for a night or two--"
"Let her scream!"
For a moment Scarlett thought he would hit her.
"Either you are a fool or the most inhuman woman I've ever seen."
"I don't want her to grow up nervous and cowardly."
"Cowardly?
Hell's afire!
There isn't a cowardly bone in her body!
But you haven't any imagination and, of course, you can't appreciate the tortures of people who have one--especially a child.
If something with claws and horns came and sat on your chest, you'd tell it to get the hell off you, wouldn't you?
Like hell you would.
Kindly remember, Madam, that I've seen you wake up squalling like a scalded cat simply because you dreamed of running in a fog.
And that's not been so long ago either!"
Scarlett was taken aback, for she never liked to think of that dream.
Moreover, it embarrassed her to remember that Rhett had comforted her in much the same manner he comforted Bonnie.
So she swung rapidly to a different attack.
"You are just humoring her and--"
"And I intend to keep on humoring her.
If I do, she'll outgrow it and forget about it."
"Then," said Scarlett acidly, "if you intend to play nursemaid, you might try coming home nights and sober too, for a change."
"I shall come home early but drunk as a fiddler's bitch if I please."
He did come home early thereafter, arriving long before time for Bonnie to be put to bed.
He sat beside her, holding her hand until sleep loosened her grasp.
Only then did he tiptoe downstairs, leaving the lamp burning brightly and the door ajar so he might hear her should she awake and become frightened.
Never again did he intend her to have a recurrence of fear of the dark.
The whole household was acutely conscious of the burning light, Scarlett, Mammy, Prissy and Pork, frequently tiptoeing upstairs to make sure that it still burned.
He came home sober too, but that was none of Scarlett's doing.
For months he had been drinking heavily, though he was never actually drunk, and one evening the smell of whisky was especially strong upon his breath.
He picked up Bonnie, swung her to his shoulder and asked her:
"Have you a kiss for your sweetheart?"
She wrinkled her small upturned nose and wriggled to get down from his arms.
"No," she said frankly.