Gone with the Wind / Унесённые ветром. Уровень 3

«Child, I’ll try. I can’t promise you. But I’ll try. The Yankees are coming and the troops are moving out of town. I don’t know what they’ll do with the wounded. There aren’t any trains. The Macon line has been captured. But I’ll try. Don’t bother me. It’snot difficult: just tie up the cord”.

The man at her feet looked up at Scarlett compassionately. She turned away, for the doctor had forgotten her.

She went back. Home! She wanted to be at home, Yankees or no Yankees. Home, even if Ellen was sick.

When she came in sight of the house, she saw Wade. When he saw her, he began to cry.

«Hurt!» he sobbed and showed her the hurt finger. «Hurt!»

«Hush! Hush! Hush! Or I’ll spank you».

«Wade is hungry», he sobbed and put the hurt finger in his mouth.

«I don’t care. Go in the back yard».

Prissy came down the stairs.

«Will he come?»

«No. He can’t come».

«God, Miss Scarlett! Miss Melly is very bad!»

«The doctor can’t come. Nobody can come. You’ll bring the baby and I’ll help you».

Prissy’s mouth opened and her tongue wagged wordlessly. She looked at Scarlett.

«Don’t look so simple minded!» cried Scarlett. «What’s the matter?»

«Miss Scarlett… «Fright and shame were in her eyes.

«Well?»

«For God, Miss Scarlett! We need a doctor. Ah… Ah… Miss Scarlett, I don’t know anything about babies».

«You black liar… what do you mean? You said you knew everything about them! What is the truth? Tell me!»

«I was lying, Miss Scarlett! I don’t know why».

Scarlett glared at Prissy and she slapped the black cheek with all the force in her tired arm. Prissy screamed, and began to dance up and down. As she screamed, Melanie’s voice, weak and trembling, called:

«Scarlett? Is it you? Please come! Please!»

Scarlett tried to think of all the things Mammy and Ellen had done for her when Wade was born. She spoke to Prissy rapidly,

«Build a fire in the stove and keep hot water boiling in the kettle. And bring up all the towels you can find. And get me the scissors. Get them and get them quick. Now hurry».

Chapter XVII

It was all over. Melanie was not dead and the small baby boy who made noises like a young kitten was receiving his first bath at Prissy’s hands. Melanie was asleep. How could she sleep after that nightmare? Why wasn’t she dead? When it was over, Melanie whispered weakly: «Thank you». And then she went to sleep. How could she go to sleep?

Scarlett forgot everything. Her mind was a vacuum; the world was a vacuum. She heard her own breath. She heard sounds of feet upstairs and thought «May the Lord damn Prissy», before her eyes closed and something like sleep descended upon her.

«We did it, Miss Scarlett. Ma couldn’t do better».

From the shadows, Scarlett glared at her. And the Yankees wanted to free the negroes! Well, the Yankees were welcome to them.

She lay back against the pillar in silence. Scarlett heard the sound of faint voices from up the road. Soldiers! She sat up slowly and called to them.

«Oh, please!»

A shadow came to the gate.

«Are you going? Are you leaving us?»

«Yes, Ma’am. That’s what we’re doing».

«Are you… is the army really retreating?»

«Yes, Ma’am. You see, the Yankees are coming».

The Yankees are coming! She had forgotten that. Her throat suddenly contracted and she could say nothing more. The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming!

«The Yankees are coming!» bawled Prissy. «Oh, Miss Scarlett, they’ll kill us all! They’ll…»

«Oh, hush!»

What to do? How to escape? Suddenly she thought of Rhett Butler. She hated him, but he was strong and smart and he wasn’t afraid of the Yankees. And he was still in town. Of course, she was mad at him. But he had a horse and carriage, too. He can take them all away from this doomed place, away from the Yankees, somewhere, anywhere.

She turned to Prissy.

«You know where Captain Butler lives… at the Atlanta Hotel?»

«Yes ma’am, but…»

«Well, go there, now, as quick as you can run and tell him I want him. I want him to come quickly and bring his horse and carriage. Tell him about the baby. Tell him I want him to take us out of here. Go, now. Hurry!»

«God Almighty, Miss Scarlett! I’m scared to go in the dark! The Yankees can catch me. And if Captain Butler isn’t at the hotel?»

«Then ask where he is. Haven’t you any gumption? If he isn’t at the hotel, go to the barrooms on Decatur Street and ask for him. Go to Belle Watling’s house. You fool, don’t you see that if you don’t hurry and find him the Yankees will surely get us all?»

«Miss Scarlett!»

Scarlett pushed her.

«You can stand outside in the street and yell for him, can’t you? Or ask somebody if he’s inside. Go».

Scarlett gave her another push.