Oh, if she could only reach her room and turn the key in the stout door and be alone.
Somehow, she must stand him off, bully him into submission, this Rhett she had never seen before.
She rose without haste, though her knees shook, tightened the wrapper across her hips and threw back her hair from her face.
"I'm not cornered," she said cuttingly.
"You'll never corner me, Rhett Butler, or frighten me.
You are nothing but a drunken beast who's been with bad women so long that you can't understand anything else but badness.
You can't understand Ashley or me.
You've lived in dirt too long to know anything else.
You are jealous of something you can't understand.
Good night."
She turned casually and started toward the door and a burst of laughter stopped her.
She turned and he swayed across the room toward her.
Name of God, if he would only stop that terrible laugh!
What was there to laugh about in all of this?
As he came toward her, she backed toward the door and found herself against the wall.
He put his hands heavily upon her and pinned her shoulders to the wall.
"Stop laughing."
"I am laughing because I am so sorry for you."
"Sorry--for me?
Be sorry for yourself."
"Yes, by God, I'm sorry for you, my dear, my pretty little fool.
That hurts, doesn't it?
You can't stand either laughter or pity, can you?"
He stopped laughing, leaning so heavily against her shoulders that they ached.
His face changed and he leaned so close to her that the heavy whisky smell of his breath made her turn her head.
"Jealous, am I?" he said.
"And why not?
Oh, yes, I'm jealous of Ashley Wilkes.
Why not?
Oh, don't try to talk and explain.
I know you've been physically faithful to me.
Was that what you were trying to say?
Oh, I've known that all along.
All these years.
How do I know?
Oh, well, I know Ashley Wilkes and his breed.
I know he is honorable and a gentleman.
And that, my dear, is more than I can say for you--or for me, for that matter.
We are not gentlemen and we have no honor, have we?
That's why we flourish like green bay trees."
"Let me go.
I won't stand here and be insulted."
"I'm not insulting you.
I'm praising your physical virtue.
And it hasn't fooled me one bit.
You think men are such fools, Scarlett.
It never pays to underestimate your opponent's strength and intelligence.
And I'm not a fool.
Don't you suppose I know that you've lain in my arms and pretended I was Ashley Wilkes?"
Her jaw dropped and fear and astonishment were written plainly in her face.