第95章

One bright summer morning some weeks later， he reappeared with a brightly trimmed hatbox in his hand and， after finding that Scarlett was alone in the house， he opened it. Wrapped in layers of tissue was a bonnet， a creation that made her cry： “Oh， the darling thing！” as she reached for it. Starved for the sight， much less the touch， of new clothes， it seemed the loveliest bonnet she had ever seen. It was of dark-green taffeta， lined with water silk of a pale-jade color. The ribbons that tied under the chin were as wide as her hand and they， too， were pale green. And， curled about the brim of this confection was the perkiest of green ostrich plumes.

“Put it on，” said Rhett， smiling.

She flew across the room to the mirror and plopped it on her head， pushing back her hair to show her earrings and tying the ribbon under her chin.

“How do I look？” she cried， pirouetting for his benefit and tossing her head so that the plume danced. But she knew she looked pretty even before she saw confirmation in his eyes. She looked attractively saucy and the green of the lining made her eyes dark emerald and sparkling.

“Oh， Rhett， whose bonnet is it？ I’ll buy it. I’ll give you every cent I’ve got for it.”

“It’s your bonnet，” he said. “Who else could wear that shade of green？ Don’t you think I carried the color of your eyes well in my mind？”

“Did you really have it trimmed just for me？”

“Yes， and there’s ‘Rue de la Paix’ on the box， if that means anything to you.”

It meant nothing to her， smiling at her reflection in the mirror. Just at this moment， nothing mattered to her except that she looked utterly charming in the first pretty hat she had put on her head in two years. What she couldn’t do with this hat！ And then her smile faded.

“Don’t you like it？”

“Oh， it’s a dream but— Oh， I do hate to have to cover this lovely green with crêpe and dye the feather black.”

He was beside her quickly and his deft fingers untied the wide bow under her chin. In a moment the hat was back in its box.

“What are you doing？ You said it was mine.”

“But not to change to a mourning bonnet. I shall find some other charming lady with green eyes who appreciates my taste.”

“Oh， you shan’t！ I’ll die if I don’t have it！ Oh， please， Rhett， don’t be mean！ Let me have it.”

“And turn it into a fright like your other hats？ No.”

She clutched at the box. That sweet thing that made her look so young and enchanting to be given to some other girl？ Oh， never！ For a moment she thought of the horror of Pitty and Melanie. She thought of Ellen and what she would say， and she shivered. But vanity was stronger.

“I won’t change it. I promise. Now， do let me have it.”

He gave her the box with a slightly sardonic smile and watched her while she put it on again and preened herself.

“How much is it？” she asked suddenly， her face falling. “I have only fifty dollars but next month—”

“It would cost about two thousand dollars， Confederate money，” he said with a grin at her woebegone expression.

“Oh， dear— Well， suppose I give you the fifty now and then when I get—”

“I don’t want any money for it，” he said， “It’s a gift.” Scarlett’s mouth dropped open. The line was so closely， so carefully drawn where gifts from men were concerned.

“Candy and flowers， dear，” Ellen had said time and again， “and perhaps a book of poetry or an album or a small bottle of Florida water are the only things a lady may accept from a gentleman. Never， never any expensive gift， even from your fiancé. And never any gift of jewelry or wearing apparel， not even gloves or handkerchiefs. Should you accept such gifts， men would know you were no lady and would try to take liberties.”

“Oh， dear，” thought Scarlett， looking first at herself in the mirror and then at Rhett’s unreadable face. “I simply can’t tell him I won’t accept it. It’s too darling. I’d—I’d almost rather he took a liberty， if it was a very small one.” Then she was horrified at herself for having such a thought and she turned pink.

“I’ll—I’ll give you the fifty dollars—”

“If you do I will throw it in the gutter. Or， better still buy masses for your soul. I’m sure your soul could do with a few masses.”

She laughed unwillingly， and the laughing reflection under the green brim decided her instantly.

“Whatever are you trying to do to me？”

I’m tempting you with fine gifts until your girlish ideals are quite worn away and you are at my mercy，” he said. “ ‘Accept only candy and flowers from gentlemen， dearie，’ ” he mimicked， and she burst into a giggle.

“You are a clever， black-hearted wretch， Rhett Butler， and you know very well this bonnet’s too pretty to be refused.”

His eyes mocked her， even while they complimented her beauty.

“Of course， you can tell Miss Pitty that you gave me a sample of taffeta and green silk and drew a picture of the bonnet and I extorted fifty dollars from you for it.”

“No. I shall say one hundred dollars and she’ll tell everybody in town and everybody will be green with envy and talk about my extravagance. But Rhett， you mustn’t bring me anything else so expensive. It’s awfully kind of you， but I really couldn’t accept anything else.”

“Indeed？ Well， I shall bring you presents so long as it pleases me and so long as I see things that will enhance your charms. I shall bring you dark-green watered silk for a frock to match the bonnet. And I warn you that I am not kind. I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. Always remember I never do anything without reason and I never give anything without expecting something in return. I always get paid.”