But Mrs.Whiting went and many other ladies of Scarlett's circle.Aunt Pitty,who had been the first to denounce Old Joe for his policy of retreat,was among the first to pack her trunks.Her nerves,she said,were delicate and she could not endure noises.She feared she might faint at an explosion and not be able to reach the cellar.No,she was not afraid.Her baby mouth tried to set in martial lines but failed.She'd go to Macon and stay with her cousin,Old Mrs.Burr,and the girls should come with her.
Scarlett did not want to go to Macon.Frightened as she was of the shells,she'd rather stay in Atlanta than go to Macon,for she hated old Mrs.Burr cordially.Years ago,Mrs.Burr had said she was “fast”after catching her kissing her son Willie at one of the Wilkeses'house parties.No,she told Aunt Pitty,I'll go home to Tara and Melly can go to Macon with you.
At this Melanie began to cry in a frightened,heartbroken way.When Aunt Pitty fled to get Dr.Meade,Melanie caught Scarlett's hand in hers,pleading:
“Dear,don't go to Tara and leave me!I'll be so lonely without you.Oh,Scarlett,I'd just die if you weren't with me when the baby came!Yes—Yes,I know I've got Aunt Pitty and she is sweet.But after all,she's never had a baby,and sometimes she makes me so nervous I could scream.Don't desert me,darling.You've been just like a sister to me,and besides,”she smiled wanly,“you promised Ashley you'd take care of me.He told me he was going to ask you.”
Scarlett stared down at her in wonderment.With her own dislike of this woman so strong she could barely conceal it,how could Melly love her so?How could Melly be so stupid as not to guess the secret of her love of Ashley?She had given herself away a hundred times during these months of torment,waiting for news of him.But Melanie saw nothing.Melanie who could see nothing but good in anyone she loved....Yes,she had promised Ashley she would look out for Melanie.Oh,Ashley!Ashley!you must be dead,dead these many months!And now your promise reaches out and clutches me!
“Well,”she said shortly,“I did promise him that and I don't go back on my promises.But I won't go to Macon and stay with that old Burr cat.I'd claw her eyes out in five minutes.I'm going home to Tara and you can come with me.Mother would love to have you.”
“Oh,I'd like that!Your mother is so sweet.But you know Auntie would just die if she wasn't with me when the baby came,and I know she won't go to Tara.It's too close to the fighting,and Auntie wants to be safe.”
Dr.Meade,who had arrived out of breath,expecting to find Melanie in premature labor at least,judging by Aunt Pitty's alarmed summoning,was indignant and said as much.And upon learning the cause of the upset,he settled the matter with words that left no room for argument.
“It's out of the question for you to go to Macon,Miss Melly.I won't answer for you if you move.The trains are crowded and uncertain and the passengers are liable to be put off in the woods at any time,if the trains are needed for the wounded or troops and supplies.In your condition—”
“But if I went to Tara with Scarlett—”
“I tell you I won't have you moved.The train to Tara is the train to Macon and the same conditions prevail.Moreover,no one knows just where the Yankees are now,but they are all over everywhere.Your train might even be captured.And even if you reached Jonesboro safely,there'd be a five-mile ride over a rough road before you ever reached Tara.It's no trip for a woman in a delicate condition.Besides,there's not a doctor in the County since old Dr.Fontaine joined the army.”
“But there are midwives—”
“I said a doctor,”he answered brusquely and his eyes unconsciously went over her tiny frame.“I won't have you moved.It might be dangerous.You don't want to have the baby on the train or in a buggy,do you?”
This medical frankness reduced the ladies to embarrassed blushes and silence.
“You've got to stay right here where I can watch you,and you must stay in bed.No running up and down stairs to cellars.No,not even if shells come right in the window.After all,there's not so much danger here.We'll have the Yankees beaten back in no time....Now,Miss Pitty,you go right on to Macon and leave the young ladies here.”
“Unchaperoned?”she cried,aghast.
“They are matrons,”said the doctor testily.“And Mrs.Meade is just two houses away.They won't be receiving any male company anyway with Miss Melly in her condition.Good Heavens,Miss Pitty!This is war time.We can't think of the proprieties now.We must think of Miss Melly.”
He stamped out of the room and waited on the front porch until Scarlett joined him.
“I shall talk frankly to you,Miss Scarlett,”he began,jerking at his gray beard.“You seem to be a young woman of common sense,so spare me your blushes.I do not want to hear any further talk about Miss Melly being moved.I doubt if she could stand the trip.She is going to have a difficult time,even in the best of circumstances—very narrow in the hips,as you know,and probably will need forceps for her delivery,so I don't want any ignorant darky midwife meddling with her.Women like her should never have children,but—Anyway,you pack Miss Pitty's trunk and send her to Macon.She's so scared she'll upset Miss Melly and that won't do any good.And now,Miss,”he fixed her with a piercing glance,“I don't want to hear about you going home,either.You stay with Miss Melly till the baby comes.Not afraid,are you?”
“Oh,no!”lied Scarlett,stoutly.
“That's a brave girl.Mrs.Meade will give you whatever chaperonage you need and I'll send over old Betsy to cook for you,if Miss Pitty wants to take her servants with her.It won't be for long.The baby ought to be here in another five weeks,but you never can tell with first babies and all this shelling going on.It may come any day.”
