“What did you say？”
“Nothing；” and he looked at her and laughed； but it was not a pleasant laugh； “Name the day； my dear；” and he laughed again and bent and kissed her hands。 She was relieved to see his mood pass and good humor apparently return； so she smiled too。
He played with her hand for a moment and grinned up at her。
“Did you ever in your novel reading come across the old situation of the disinterested wife falling in love with her own husband？”
“You know I don’t read novels；” she said and； trying to equal his jesting mood； went on： “Besides； you once said it was the height of bad form for husbands and wives to love each other。”
“I once said too God damn many things；” he retorted abruptly and rose to his feet。
“Don’t swear。”
“You’ll have to get used to it and learn to swear too。 You’ll have to get used to all my bad habits。 That’ll be part of the price of being—fond of me and getting your pretty paws on my money。”
“Well； don’t fly off the handle so； because I didn’t lie and make you feel conceited。 You aren’t in love with me； are you？ Why should I be in love with you？”
“No； my dear； I’m not in love with you； no more than you are with me； and if I were； you would be the last person I’d ever tell。 God help the man who ever really loves you。 You’d break his heart； my darling； cruel； destructive little cat who is so careless and confident she doesn’t even trouble to sheathe her claws。”
He jerked her to her feet and kissed her again； but this time his lips were different for he seemed not to care if he hurt her—seemed to want to hurt her； to insult her。 His lips slid down to her throat and finally he pressed them against the taffeta over her breast； so hard and so long that his breath burnt to her skin。 Her hands struggled up； pushing him away in outraged modesty。
“You mustn’t！ How dare you！”
“Your heart’s going like a rabbit’s；” he said mockingly。 “All too fast for mere fondness I would think； if I were conceited。 Smooth your ruffled feathers。 You are just putting on these virginal airs。 Tell me what I shall bring you from England。 A ring？ What kind would you like？”
She wavered momentarily between interest in his last words and a feminine desire to prolong the scene with anger and indignation。
“Oh—a diamond ring—and Rhett； do buy a great big one。”
“So you can flaunt it before your poverty…stricken friends and say ‘See what I caught！’ Very well； you shall have a big one； one so big that your less…fortunate friends can comfort themselves by whispering that it’s really vulgar to wear such large stones。”
He abruptly started off across the room and she followed him； bewildered； to the closed doors。
“What is the matter？ Where are you going？”
‘To my rooms to finish packing。”
“Oh； but—”
“But； what？”
“Nothing。 I hope you have a nice trip。”
“Thank you。”
He opened the door and walked into the hall。 Scarlett trailed after him； somewhat at a loss； a trifle disappointed as at an unexpected anticlimax。 He slipped on his coat and picked up his gloves and hat。
“I’ll write you。 Let me know if you change your mind。”
“Aren’t you—”
“Well？” He seemed impatient to be off。
“Aren’t you going to kiss me good…by？” she whispered； mindful of the ears of the house。
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough kissing for one evening？” he retorted and grinned down at her。 “To think of a modest； well…brought…up young woman— Well； I told you it would be fun； didn’t I？”
“Oh； you are impossible！” she cried in wrath； not caring if Mammy did hear。 “And I don’t care if you never come back。”
She turned and flounced toward the stairs； expecting to feel his warm hand on her arm； stopping her。 But he only pulled open the front door and a cold draft swept in。
“But I will come back；” he said and went out； leaving her on the bottom step looking at the closed door。
The ring Rhett brought back from England was large indeed； so large it embarrassed Scarlett to wear it。 She loved gaudy and expensive jewelry but she had an uneasy feeling that everyone was saying； with perfect truth； that this ring was vulgar。 The central stone was a four…carat diamond and； surrounding it； were a number of emeralds。 It reached to the knuckle of her finger and gave her hand the appearance of being weighted down。 Scarlett had a suspicion that Rhett had gone to great pains to have the ring made up and； for pure meanness； had ordered it made as ostentatious as possible。
Until Rhett was back in Atlanta and the ring on her finger she told no one； not even her family； of her intentions； and when she did announce her engagement a storm of bitter gossip broke out。 Since the Klan affair Rhett and Scarlett had been； with the exception of the Yankees and Carpetbaggers； the town’s most unpopular citizens。 Everyone had disapproved of Scarlett since the far…away day when she abandoned the weeds worn for Charlie Hamilton。 Their disapproval had grown stronger because of her unwomanly conduct in the matter of the mills； her immodesty in showing herself when she was pregnant and so many other things。 But when she brought about the death of Frank and Tommy and jeopardized the lives of a dozen other men； their dislike flamed into public condemnation。
As for Rhett； he had enjoyed the town’s hatred since his speculations during the war and he had not further endeared himself to his fellow citizens by his alliances with the Republicans since then。 But； oddly enough； the fact that he had saved the lives of some of Atlanta’s most prominent men was what aroused the hottest hate of Atlanta’s ladies。
It was not that they regretted their men were still alive。 It was that they bitterly resented owing the men’s lives to such a man as Rhett and to such an embarrassing trick。 For months they had writhed under Yankee laughter and scorn； and the ladies felt and said that if Rhett really had the good of the Klan at heart he would have managed the affair in a more seemly fashion。 They said he had deliberately dragged in Belle Watling to put the nice people of the town in a disgraceful position。 And so he deserved neither thanks for rescuing the men nor forgiveness for his past sins。
These women； so swift to kindness； so tender to the sorrowing； so untiring in times of stress； could be as implacable as furies to any renegade who broke one small law of their unwritten code。 This code was simple。 Reverence for the Confederacy； honor to the veterans； loyalty to old forms； pride in poverty； open hands to friends and undying hatred to Yankees。 Between them； Scarlett and Rhett had outraged every tenet of this code。
The men whose lives Rhett had saved attempted； out of decency and a sense of gratitude； to keep their women silent but they had little success。 Before the announcement of their coming marriage； the two had been unpopular enough but people could still be polite to them in a formal way。 Now even that cold courtesy was no longer possible。 The news of their engagement came like an explosion； unexpected and shattering； rocking the town； and even the mildest…mannered women spoke their minds heatedly。 Marrying barely a year after Frank’s death and she had killed him！ And marrying that Butler man who owned a brothel and who was in with the Yankees and Carpetbaggers in all kinds of thieving schemes！ Separately the two of them could be endured； but the brazen combination of Scarlett and Rhett was too much to be borne。 Common and vile； both of them！ They ought to be run out of town！
Atlanta might perhaps have been more tolerant toward the two if the news of their engagement had not come at a time when Rhett’s Carpetbagger and Scalawag cronies were more odious in the sight of respectable citizens than they had ever been before。 Public feeling against the Yankees and all their allies was at fever heat at the very time when the town learned of the engagement； for the last citadel of Georgia’s resistance to Yankee rule had just fallen。 The long campaign which had begun when Sherman moved southward from above Dalton； four years before； had finally reached its climax； and the state’s humiliation was complete。
Three years of Reconstruction had passed and they had been three years of terrorism。 Everyone had thought that conditions were already as bad as they could ever be。 But now Georgia was discovering that Reconstruction at its worst had just begun。
For three years the Federal government had been trying to impose alien ideas and an alien rule upon Georgia and； with an army to enforce its commands； it had largely succeeded。 But only the power of the military upheld the new regime。 The state was under the Yankee rule but not by the state’s consent。 Georgia’s leaders had kept on battling for the state’s right to govern itself according to its own ideas。 They had continued resisting all efforts to force them to bow down and accept the dictates of Washington as their own state law。
Officially； Georgia’s government had never capitulated but it had been a futile fight； an ever…losing fight。 It was a fight that could not win but it had； at least； postponed the inevitable。 Already many other Southern states had illiterate negroes in high public office and legislatures dominated by negroes and Carpetbaggers。 But Georgia； by its stubborn resistance； had so far escaped this final degradation。 For the greater part of three years； the state’s capital had remained in the control of white men and Democrats。 With Yankee soldiers everywhere； the state officials could do little but protest and resist。 Their power was nominal but they had at least been able to keep the state government in the hands of native Georgians。 Now even that last stronghold had fallen。
Just as Johnston and his men had been driven back step by step from Dalton to Atlanta； four years before； so had the Georgia Democrats been driven back little by little； from 1865 on。 The power of the Federal government over the state’s affairs and the lives of its citizens had been steadily made greater and greater。 Force had been piled on top of force and military edicts in increasing numbers had rendered the civil authority more and more impotent。 Finally； with Georgia in the status of a milit