An' she pass me by lak a ghos'.
Den mah heart tuhn over, kase whut Miss Scarlett say, she mean.
An' whut Mist' Rhett say, he mean too.
An' he say he kill her ef she do dat.
Ah wuz plumb 'stracted, Miss Melly, kase Ah done had sumpin' on mah conscience all de time an' it weighin' me down.
Miss Melly, it wuz me as sceered Lil Miss of de dahk."
"Oh, but Mammy, it doesn't matter--not now."
"Yas'm, it do. Dat whut de whole trouble.
An' it come ter me Ah better tell Mist' Rhett even ef he kill me, kase it on mah conscience.
So Ah slip in de do' real quick, fo' he kin lock it, an' Ah say:
'Mist' Rhett, Ah's come ter confess.'
An' he swung roun' on me lak a crazy man an' say:
'Git!' An', fo' Gawd, Ah ain' never been so sceered!
But Ah say:
'Please, suh, Mist' Rhett, let me tell you. It's 'bout ter kill me.
It wuz me as sceered Lil Miss of de dahk.'
An' den, Miss Melly, Ah put mah haid down an' waited fer him ter hit me.
But he din' say nuthin'.
An' An say:
'Ah din' mean no hahm.
But, Mist' Rhett, dat chile din' have no caution an' she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'.
An' she wuz allus gittin' outer baid affer eve'ybody sleep an runnin' roun' de house barefoot.
An' it worrit me, kase Ah 'fraid she hu't herseff.
So Ah tells her dar's ghos'es an' buggerboos in de dahk.'
"An' den--Miss Melly, you know whut he done?
His face got right gentle lak an' he come ter me an' put his han' on mah arm.
Dat's de fust time he ever done dat.
An' he say:
'She wuz so brave, wuzn' she?
'Cept fer de dahk, she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'.'
An' wen Ah bust out cryin' he say:
'Now, Mammy,' an' he pat me.
'Now, Mammy, doan you cahy on so.
Ah's glad you tole me.
Ah knows you love Miss Bonnie an' kase you love her, it doan matter.
It's whut de heart is dat matter.'
Well'm dat kinder cheered me up, so Ah ventu' ter say:
'Mist Rhett, suh, what 'bout de fune'l?'
Den he tuhn on me lak a wile man an' his eyes glitter an' he say:
'Good Gawd, Ah thought you'd unnerstan' even ef nobody else din'!
Does you think Ah'm gwine ter put mah chile away in de dahk w'en she so sceered of it?
Right now Ah kin hear de way she uster scream w'en she wake up in de dahk.
Ah ain' gwine have her sceered.'
Miss Melly, den Ah know he los' his mine.
He drunk an' he need sleep an' sumpin' ter eat but dat ain' all.
He plumb crazy.
He jes' push me outer de do' an' say:
'Git de hell outer hyah!'
"Ah goes downstairs an' Ah gits ter thinkin' dat he say dar ain' gwine be no fune'l an' Miss Scarlett say it be termorrer mawnin' an' he say dar be shootin'.
An' all de kin-folks in de house an' all de neighbors already gabblin' 'bout it lak a flock of guinea hens, an' Ah thought of you, Miss Melly.