Doan you know Miss Bonnie's 'fraid of de dahk?'"
Melanie's horror struck eyes met Mammy's and Mammy nodded ominously.
"Dat's whut he say.
'Miss Bonnie's 'fraid of de dahk.'"
Mammy shivvered.
"W'en Ah gits him a dozen candles, he say
'Git!'
An' den he lock de do' an' dar he set wid Lil Miss, an' he din' open de do' fer Miss Scarlett even w'en she beat an' hollered ter him.
An' dat's de way it been fer two days.
He woan say nuthin' 'bout de fune'l, an' in de mawnin' he lock de do' an' git on his hawse an' go off ter town.
An' he come back at sundown drunk an' lock hisseff in agin, an' he ain' et nuthin' or slept none.
An' now his ma, Ole Miss Butler, she come frum Cha'ston fer de fune'l an' Miss Suellen an' Mist' Will, dey come frum Tara, but Mist' Rhett woan talk ter none of dem.
Oh, Miss Melly, it been awful!
An' it's gwine be wuss, an' folks gwine talk sumpin' scan'lous.
"An' den, dis evenin'," Mammy paused and again wiped her nose on her hand. "Dis evenin' Miss Scarleft ketch him in de upstairs hall w'en he come in, an' she go in de room wid him an' she say:
'De fune'l set fer termorrer mawnin'.'
An' he say:
'Do dat an' Ah kills you termorrer.'"
"Oh, he must have lost his mind!"
"Yas'm. An' den dey talks kinder low an' Ah doan hear all whut dey say, 'cept he say agin 'bout Miss Bonnie bein' sceered of de dahk an' de grabe pow'ful dahk.
An' affer aw'ile, Miss Scarlett say:
'You is a fine one ter tek on so, affer killin' her ter please yo' pride.'
An' he say:
'Ain' you got no mercy?'
An' she say:
'No.
An' Ah ain' got no chile, needer.
An' Ah'm wo'out wid de way you been ackin' sence Bonnie wuz kilt.
You is a scan'al ter de town.
You been drunk all de time an' ef you doan think Ah knows whar you been spendin' yo' days, you is a fool.
Ah knows you been down ter dat creeter's house, dat Belle Watling.'"
"Oh, Mammy, no!"
"Yas'm. Dat whut she said.
An', Miss Melly, it's de truff.
Niggers knows a heap of things quicker dan w'ite folks, an' Ah knowed dat's whar he been but Ah ain' said nuthin' 'bout it.
An' he doan deny it.
He say:
'Yas'm, dat's whar Ah been an' you neen tek on, kase you doan give a damn.
A bawdy house is a haben of refuge affer dis house of hell.
An' Belle is got one of de worl's kines' hearts. She doan th'ow it up ter me dat Ah done kilt mah chile.'"
"Oh," cried Melanie, stricken to the heart.
Her own life was so pleasant, so sheltered, so wrapped about with people who loved her, so full of kindness that what Mammy told her was almost beyond comprehension or belief.
Yet there crawled into her mind a memory, a picture which she hastily put from her, as she would put from her the thought of another's nudity.
Rhett had spoken of Belle Watling the day he cried with his head on her knees.
But he loved Scarlett. She could not have been mistaken that day. And of course, Scarlett loved him.
What had come between them?
How could a husband and a wife cut each other to pieces with such sharp knives?
Mammy took up her story heavily.
"Affer a w'ile, Miss Scarlett come outer de room, w'ite as a sheet but her jaw set, an' she see me stan'in' dar an' she say:
'De fune'l be termorrer, Mammy.'