IN THE TIME that followed her illness Scarlett noticed a change in Rhett and she was notaltogether certain that she liked it. He was sober and quiet and preoccupied. He was at home more often for supper now and he was kinder to the servants and more affectionate to Wade and Ella. Henever referred to anything in their past, pleasant or otherwise, and silently seemed to dare her tobring up such subjects. Scarlett held her peace, for it was easier to let well enough alone, and lifewent on smoothly enough, on the surface. His impersonal courtesy toward her that had begunduring her convalescence continued and he did not fling softly drawled barbs at her or sting herwith sarcasm. She realized now that though he had infuriated her with his malicious comments androused her to heated rejoinders, he had done it because he cared what she did and said. Now shewondered if he cared about anything she did. He was polite and disinterested and she missed hisinterest, perverse though it had been, missed the old days of bickering and retort.
He was pleasant to her now, almost as though she were a stranger; but, as his eyes had oncefollowed her, they now followed Bonnie. It was as though the swift flood of his life had beendiverted into one narrow channel. Sometimes Scarlett thought that if Rhett had given her one-halfthe attention and tenderness he lavished on Bonnie, life would have been different. Sometimes itwas hard to smile when people said: “How Captain Butler idolizes that child!” But, if she did notsmile, people would think it strange and Scarlett hated to acknowledge, even to herself, that shewas jealous of a little girl, especially when that little girl was her favorite child. Scarlett alwayswanted to be first in the hearts of those around her and it was obvious now that Rhett and Bonniewould always be first with each other.
Rhett was out late many nights but he came home sober on these nights. Often she heard himwhistling softly to himself as he went down the hall past her closed door. Sometimes men camehome with him in the late hours and sat talking in the dining room around the brandy decanter.
They were not the same men with whom he had drunk the first year they were married. No richCarpetbaggers, no Scalawags, no Republicans came to the house now at his invitation. Scarlett,creeping on tiptoe to the banister of the upstairs hall, listened and, to her amazement, frequentlyheard the voices of René Picard, Hugh Rising, the Simmons boys and Andy Bonnell. And alwaysGrandpa Merriwether and Uncle Henry were there. Once, to her astonishment, she heard the tonesof Dr. Meade. And these men had once thought hanging too good for Rhett
This group was always linked in her mind with Frank’s death, and the late hours Rhett keptthese days reminded her still more of the times preceding the Klan foray when Frank lost his life.
She remembered with dread Rhett’s remark that he would even join their damned Klan to be respectable,though he hoped God would not lay so heavy a penance on his shoulders. SupposeRhett, like Frank—One night when he was out later than usual she could stand the strain no longer. When she heardthe rasp of his key in the lock, she threw on a wrapper and, going into the gas lit upper hall, methim at the top of the stairs. His expression, absent, thoughtful, changed to surprise when he sawher standing there.
Rhett, I’ve got to know! I’ve got to know if you—if it’s the Klan—is that why you stay out solate? Do you belong
In the flaring gas light he looked at her incuriously and then he smiled.
You are way behind the times,” he said. “There is no Klan in Atlanta now. Probably not inGeorgia. You’ve been listening to the Klan outrage stories of your Scalawag and Carpetbagger friends.
No Klan? Are you lying to try to soothe me
My dear, when did I ever try to soothe you? No, there is no Klan now. We decided that it didmore harm than good because it just kept the Yankees stirred up and furnished more grist for theslander mill of his Excellency, Governor Bullock. He knows he can stay in power just so long ashe can convince the Federal government and the Yankee newspapers that Georgia is seething withrebellion and there’s a Klansman hiding behind every bush. To keep in power he’s beendesperately manufacturing Klan outrage stories where none exist, telling of loyal Republicansbeing hung up by the thumbs and honest darkies lynched for rape. But he’s shooting at anonexistent target and he knows it. Thank you for your apprehensions, but there hasn’t been anactive Klan since shortly after I stopped being a Scalawag and became an humble Democrat.
Most of what he said about Governor Bullock went in one ear and out the other for her mindwas mainly occupied with relief that there was no Klan any longer. Rhett would not be killed asFrank was killed; she wouldn’t lose her store or his money. But one word of his conversation swamto the top of her mind. He had said “we,” linking himself naturally with those he had once calledthe “Old Guard.
Rhett” she asked suddenly, “did you have anything to do with the breaking up of the Klan
He gave her a long look and his eyes began to dance. “My love, I did. Ashley Wilkes and I aremainly responsible.
Ashley—and you
Yes, platitudinously but truly, politics make strange bedfellows. Neither Ashley nor I caredmuch for each other as bedfellows but— Ashley never believed in the Klan because he’s againstviolence of any sort. And I never believed in it because it’s damned foolishness and not the way toget what we want. It’s the one way to keep the Yankees on our necks till Kingdom Come. And betweenAshley and me, we convinced the hot heads that watching, waiting and working would getus further than nightshirts and fiery crosses.
You don’t mean the boys actually took your advice when you
When I was a speculator? A Scalawag? A consorter with Yankees? You forget Mrs. Butler, thatI am now a Democrat in good standing, devoted to my last drop of blood to recovering our belovedstate from the hands of her ravishers! My advice was good advice and they took it. My advice inother political matters is equally good. We have a Democratic majority in the legislature now,haven’t we? And soon, my love, we will have some of our good Republican friends behind thebars. They are a bit too rapacious these days, a bit too open.
You’d help put them in jail? Why, they were your friends! They let you in on that railroad-bondbusiness that you made thousands out of
Rhett grinned suddenly, his old mocking grin.
Oh, I bear them no ill will. But I’m on the other side now and if I can assist in any way inputting them where they belong, I’ll do it. And how that will redound to my credit! I know justenough about the inside of some of these deals to be very valuable when the legislature starts digging into them—and that won’t be far off, from the way things look now. They’re going toinvestigate the governor, too, and they’ll put him in jail if they can. Better tell your good friendsthe Gelerts and the Hundons to be ready to leave town on a minute’s notice, because if they cannab the governor, they’ll nab them too.
For too many years Scarlett had seen the Republicans, backed up by the force of the YankeeArmy, in power in Georgia to believe Rhett’s light words. The governor was too stronglyentrenched for any legislature to do anything to him, much less put him in jail.
How you do run on,” she observed.
If he isn’t put in jail, at least he won’t be reelected. We’re going to have a Democratic governornext time, for a change.
And I suppose you’ll have something to do with it?” she questioned sarcastically.
My pet, I will. I am having something to do with it now. That’s why I stay out so late at nights.
I’m working harder than I ever worked with a shovel in the gold rush, trying to help get theelection organized. And—I know this will hurt you, Mrs. Butler, but I am contributing plenty ofmoney to the organization, too. Do you remember telling me, years ago, in Frank’s store, that itwas dishonest for me to keep the Confederate gold? At last I’ve come to agree with you and theConfederate gold is being spent to get the Confederates back into power.
You’re pouring money down a rat hole
What! You call the Democratic party a rat hole?” His eyes mocked her and then were quiet,expressionless. “It doesn’t matter a damn to me who wins this election. What does matter is thateveryone knows I’ve worked for it and that I’ve spent money on it. And that’ll be remembered inBonnie’s favor in years to come.
I was almost afraid from your pious talk that you’d had a change of heart, but I see you’ve gotno more sincerity about the Democrats than about anything else.
Not a change of heart at all. Merely a change of hide. You might possibly sponge the spots off aleopard but he’d remain a leopard, just the same.
Bonnie, awakened by the sound of voices in the hall, called sleepily but imperiously: “Daddy
and Rhett started past Scarlett.
Rhett, wait a minute. There’s something else I want to tell you. You must stop taking Bonniearound with you in the afternoons to political meetings. It just doesn’t look well. The idea of a littlegirl at such places! And it makes you look so silly. I never dreamed that you took her until UncleHenry mentioned it, as though he thought I knew and
He swung round on her and his face was hard.
How can you read wrong in a little girl sitting on her father’s lap while he talks to friends? Youmay think it looks silly but it isn’t silly. People will remember for years that Bonnie sat on my lapwhile I helped run the Republicans out of this state. People will remember for years—” Thehardness went out of his face and a malicious light danced in his eyes. “Did you know that whenpeople ask her who she loves best, she says ‘Daddy and the Demiquats,’ and who she hates most,she says: ‘The Scallywags.’ People, thank God, remember things like that
Scarlett’s voice rose furiously. “And I suppose you tell her I’m a Scalawag
Daddy!” said the small voice, indignant now, and Rhett, still laughing, went down the hall tohis daughter.
That October Governor Bullock resigned his office and fled from Georgia. Misuse of publicfunds, waste and corruption had reached such proportions during his administration that the edificewas toppling of its own weight. Even his own party was split, so great had public indignationbecome. The Democrats had a majority in the legislature now, and that meant just one thing.
Knowing that he was going to be investigated and fearing impeachment, Bullock did not wait. Hehastily and secretly decamped, arranging that his resignation would not become public until he wassafely in the North.
When it was announced, a week after his flight, Atlanta was wild with excitement and joy.
People thronged the streets, men laughing and shaking hands in congratulation, ladies kissing eachother and crying. Everybody gave parties in celebration and the fire department was kept busyfighting the flames that spread from the bonfires of jubilant small boys.
Almost out of the woods! Reconstruction’s almost over! to be sure, the acting governor was aRepublican too, but the election was coming up in December and there was no doubt in anyone’smind as to what the result would be. And when the election came, despite the frantic efforts of theRepublicans, Georgia once more had a Democratic governor.
There was joy then, excitement too, but of a different sort from that which seized the town whenBullock took to his heels. This sober heartfelt joy, a deep-souled feeling of thanksgiving,andthechurcheswerefill(was) ed(a) asmin(more) isters reverently thanked God for the deliveranceof the state. There was pride too, mingled with the elation and joy, pride that Georgia was back inthe hands of her own people again, in spite of all the administration in Washington could do, inspite of the army, the Carpetbaggers, the Scalawags and the native Republicans.
Seven times Congress had passed crushing acts against the state to keep it a conquered province,three times the army had set aside civil law. The negroes had frolicked through the legislature,grasping aliens had mismanaged the government, private individuals had enriched themselvesfrom public funds. Georgia had been helpless, tormented, abused, hammered down. But now, inspite of them all, Georgia belonged to herself again and through the efforts of her own people.
The sudden overturn of the Republicans did not bring joy to everyone. There was consternationin the ranks of the Scalawags, the Carpetbaggers and the Republicans. The Gelerts and Hundons,evidently apprised of Bullock’s departure before his resignation became public, left town abruptly,disappearing into that oblivion from which they had come. The other Carpetbaggers andScalawags who remained were uncertain, frightened, and they hovered together for comfort,wondering what the legislative investigation would bring to light concerning their own privateaffairs. They were not insolent now. They were stunned, bewildered, afraid. And the ladies whocalled on Scarlett said over and over
But who would have thought it would turn out this way? We thought the governor was toopowerful. We thought he was here to stay. We thought
Scarlett was equally bewildered by the turn of events, despite Rhett’s warning as to the directionit would take. It was not that she was sorry Bullock had gone and the Democrats were back again.
Though no one would have believed it she, too, felt a grim happiness that the Yankee rule was atlast thrown off. She remembered all too vividly her struggles during those first days ofReconstruction, her fears that the soldiers and the Carpetbaggers would confiscate her money andher property. She remembered her helplessness and her panic at her helplessness and her hatred ofthe Yankees who had imposed this galling system upon the South. And she had never stoppedhating them. But, in trying to make the best of things, in trying to obtain complete security, she hadgone with the conquerors. No matter how much she disliked them, she had surrounded herself withthem, cut herself off from her old friends and her old ways of living. And now the power of theconquerors was at an end. She had gambled on the continuance of the Bullock regime and she hadlostAs she looked about her, that Christmas of 1871, the happiest Christmas the state had known inover ten years, she was disquieted. She could not help seeing that Rhett, once the most execratedman in Atlanta, was now one of the most popular, for he had humbly recanted his Republicanheresies and given his time and money and labor and thought to helping Georgia fight her wayback. When he rode down the streets, smiling, tipping his hat, the small blue bundle that wasBonnie perched before him on his saddle, everyone smiled back, spoke with enthusiasm andlooked with affection on the little girl. Whereas, she, Scarlett