Impact, something in the impertinence and bland mockery of his

dark eyes that challenged her spirit to subdue him.

"It's almost like I was in love with him!" she thought,

bewildered. "But I'm not and I just can't understand it."

But the exciting feeling persisted. When he came to call, his

complete masculinity made Aunt Pitty's well-bred and ladylike

house seem small, pale and a trifle fusty. Scarlett was not the

only member of the household who reacted strangely and unwillingly

to his presence, for he kept Aunt Pitty in a flutter and a

ferment.

While Pitty knew Ellen would disapprove of his calls on her

daughter, and knew also that the edict of Charleston banning him

from polite society was not one to be lightly disregarded, she

could no more resist his elaborate compliments and hand kissing

than a fly can resist a honey pot. Moreover, he usually brought

her some little gift from Nassau which he assured her he had

purchased especially for her and blockaded in at risk of his life--

papers of pins and needles, buttons, spools of silk thread and

hairpins. It was almost impossible to obtain these small luxuries

now--ladies were wearing hand-whittled wooden hairpins and

covering acorns with cloth for buttons--and Pitty lacked the moral

stamina to refuse them. Besides, she had a childish love of

surprise packages and could not resist opening his gifts. And,

having once opened them, she did not feel that she could refuse

them. Then, having accepted his gifts, she could not summon

courage enough to tell him his reputation made it improper for him

to call on three lone women who had no male protector. Aunt Pitty

always felt that she needed a male protector when Rhett Butler was

In the house.

"I don't know what it is about him," she would sigh helplessly.

"But--well, I think he'd be a nice, attractive man if I could just

feel that--well, that deep down in his heart he respected women."

Since the return of her wedding ring, Melanie had felt that Rhett

was a gentleman of rare refinement and delicacy and she was

shocked at this remark. He was unfailingly courteous to her, but

she was a little timid with him, largely because she was shy with

any man she had not known from childhood. Secretly she was very

sorry for him, a feeling which would have amused him had he been

aware of it. She was certain that some romantic sorrow had

blighted his life and made him hard and bitter, and she felt that

what he needed was the love of a good woman. In all her sheltered

life she had never seen evil and could scarcely credit its

existence, and when gossip whispered things about Rhett and the

girl in Charleston she was shocked and unbelieving. And, instead

of turning her against him, it only made her more timidly gracious

toward him because of her indignation at what she fancied was a

gross injustice done him.

Scarlett silently agreed with Aunt Pitty. She, too, felt that he

had no respect for any woman, unless perhaps for Melanie. She

still felt unclothed every time his eyes ran up and down her

figure. It was not that he ever said anything. Then she could

have scorched him with hot words. It was the bold way his eyes

looked out of his swarthy face with a displeasing air of