It for prying. Give me a smile and let's be pleasant for a minute

or two before I take up an unpleasant subject."

Oh, dear! she thought. Now, he's going to talk about Ashley and

the mill! and she hastened to smile and show her dimple to divert

him. "Where else did you go, Rhett? You haven't been in New

Orleans all this time, have you?"

"No, for the last month I've been in Charleston. My father died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm sure he wasn't sorry to die, and I'm sure I'm not

sorry he's dead."

"Rhett, what a dreadful thing to say!"

"It would be much more dreadful if I pretended to be sorry, when I

wasn't, wouldn't it? There was never any love lost between us. I

cannot remember when the old gentleman did not disapprove of me. I

was too much like his own father and he disapproved heartily of his

father. And as I grew older his disapproval of me became downright

dislike, which, I admit, I did little to change. All the things

Father wanted me to do and be were such boring things. And finally

he threw me out into the world without a cent and no training

whatsoever to be anything but a Charleston gentleman, a good pistol

shot and an excellent poker player. And he seemed to take it as a

personal affront that I did not starve but put my poker playing to

excellent advantage and supported myself royally by gambling. He

was so affronted at a Butler becoming a gambler that when I came

home for the first time, he forbade my mother to see me. And all

during the war when I was blockading out of Charleston, Mother had

to lie and slip off to see me. Naturally that didn't increase my

love for him."

"Oh, I didn't know all that!"

"He was what is pointed out as a fine old gentleman of the old

school which means that he was ignorant, thick headed, intolerant

and incapable of thinking along any lines except what other

gentlemen of the old school thought. Everyone admired him

tremendously for having cut me off and counted me as dead. 'If thy

right eye offend thee, pluck it out.' I was his right eye, his

oldest son, and he plucked me out with a vengeance."

He smiled a little, his eyes hard with amused memory.

"Well, I could forgive all that but I can't forgive what he's done

to Mother and my sister since the war ended. They've been

practically destitute. The plantation house was burned and the

rice fields have gone back to marsh lands. And the town house went

for taxes and they've been living in two rooms that aren't fit for

darkies. I've sent money to Mother, but Father has sent it back--

tainted money, you see!--and several times I've gone to Charleston

and given money, on the sly, to my sister. But Father always found

out and raised merry hell with her, till her life wasn't worth

living, poor girl. And back the money came to me. I don't know

how they've lived. . . . Yes, I do know. My brother's given what

he could, though he hasn't much to give and he won't take anything

from me either--speculator's money is unlucky money, you see! And

the charity of their friends. Your Aunt Eulalie, she's been very

kind. She's one of Mother's best friends, you know. She's given

them clothes and-- Good God! My mother on charity!"