If he'd only make it easier for her!
If only he would hold out his arms, so she could crawl thankfully into his lap and lay her head on his chest.
Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words.
But as she looked at him, she realized that he was not holding her off just to be mean.
He looked drained and as though nothing she had said was of any moment.
"Glad?" he said.
"Once I would have thanked God, fasting, to hear you say all this.
But, now, it doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter?
What are you talking about?
Of course, it matters!
Rhett, you do care, don't you?
You must care.
Melly said you did."
"Well, she was right, as far as she knew.
But, Scarlett, did it ever occur to you that even the most deathless love could wear out?"
She looked at him speechless, her mouth a round O.
"Mine wore out," he went on, "against Ashley Wilkes and your insane obstinacy that makes you hold on like a bulldog to anything you think you want. . . . Mine wore out."
"But love can't wear out!"
"Yours for Ashley did."
"But I never really loved Ashley!"
"Then, you certainly gave a good imitation of it--up till tonight.
Scarlett, I'm not upbraiding you, accusing you, reproaching you.
That time has passed.
So spare me your defenses and your explanations.
If you can manage to listen to me for a few minutes without interrupting, I can explain what I mean. Though God knows, I see no need for explanations.
The truth's so plain."
She sat down, the harsh gas light falling on her white bewildered face.
She looked into the eyes she knew so well--and knew so little--listened to his quiet voice saying words which at first meant nothing.
This was the first time he had ever talked to her in this manner, as one human being to another, talked as other people talked, without flippancy, mockery or riddles.
"Did it ever occur to you that I loved you as much as a man can love a woman?
Loved you for years before I finally got you?
During the war I'd go away and try to forget you, but I couldn't and I always had to come back.
After the war I risked arrest, just to come back and find you.
I cared so much I believe I would have killed Frank Kennedy if he hadn't died when he did.
I loved you but I couldn't let you know it.
You're so brutal to those who love you, Scarlett.
You take their love and hold it over their heads like a whip."
Out of it all only the fact that he loved her meant anything.
At the faint echo of passion in his voice, pleasure and excitement crept back into her.
She sat, hardly breathing, listening, waiting.
"I knew you didn't love me when I married you.
I knew about Ashley, you see. But, fool that I was, I thought I could make you care.
Laugh, if you like, but I wanted to take care of you, to pet you, to give you everything you wanted.
I wanted to marry you and protect you and give you a free rein in anything that would make you happy--just as I did Bonnie.
You'd had such a struggle, Scarlett.
No one knew better than I what you'd gone through and I wanted you to stop fighting and let me fight for you.
I wanted you to play, like a child--for you were a child, a brave, frightened, bullheaded child.
I think you are still a child.
No one but a child could be so headstrong and so insensitive."