Gone with the Wind / Унесённые ветром

Whar’s yo’ manners?”[9 - Здесь и далее: буквенная звукопередача негритянской речи]

“Oh, I was so tired of hearing them talk about the war that I couldn’t have endured it through supper.”

“Ah done tole you an’ tole you ’bout gittin’ fever frum settin’ in de night air wid nuthin’ on yo’ shoulders. Come on in de house, Miss Scarlett.”

Scarlett turned away from Mammy. “No, I want to sit here and watch the sunset. It’s so pretty.

You run get my shawl. Please, Mammy, and I’ll sit here till Pa comes home.”

Her father had ridden over to Twelve Oaks, the Wilkes plantation, that afternoon to buy Dilcey, the wife of his valet, Pork. Dilcey was head woman and midwife at Twelve Oaks, and, since the marriage six months ago, Pork had asked his master night and day to buy Dilcey, so the two could live on the same plantation. That afternoon, Gerald had set out to make an offer for Dilcey.

Surely, thought Scarlett, Pa will know whether this awful story is true.

It was past time for him to come home. Every moment she expected to hear the pounding of his horse’s hooves and see him come up the hill at his usual breakneck speed. But the minutes slipped by and Gerald did not come. She looked down the road for him, the pain in her heart starting up again.

“Oh, it can’t be true!” she thought. “Why doesn’t he come?”

Her eyes followed the winding road. In her thought she went to Twelve Oaks and saw the beautiful white-columned house on the hill where Ashley lived.

“Oh, Ashley! Ashley!” she thought, and her heart beat faster.

It seemed strange now that when she was growing up Ashley had never seemed so very attractive to her. But since that day two years ago when Ashley, back home from his three years’ Grand Tour in Europe, had called to pay his respects, she had loved him. It was as simple as that.

She had been on the front porch when he had ridden up.

Even now, she could recall each detail of his dress. He had alighted and stood looking up at her. And he said, “So you’ve grown up, Scarlett.” And, coming lightly up the steps, he had kissed her hand. And his voice! She would never forget the leap of her heart as she heard it.

She had wanted him, in that first instant, wanted him as simply as she wanted food to eat, horses to ride and a soft bed on which to lay herself.