Vexed with me, dear, for saying that. I don't mean you've ever

been unwomanly or unsexed yourself, as lots of folks have said.

Because you haven't. People just don't understand you and people

can't bear for women to be smart. But your smartness and your

success don't give people the right to say that you and Ashley--

Stars above!"

The soft vehemence of this last ejaculation would have been, upon a

man's lips, profanity of no uncertain meaning. Scarlett stared at

her, alarmed by so unprecedented an outburst.

"And for them to come to me with the filthy lies they'd concocted--

Archie, India, Mrs. Elsing! How did they dare? Of course, Mrs.

Elsing didn't come here. No, indeed, she didn't have the courage.

But she's always hated you, darling, because you were more popular

than Fanny. And she was so incensed at your demoting Hugh from the

management of the mill. But you were quite right in demoting him.

He's just a piddling, do-less, good-for-nothing!" Swiftly Melanie

dismissed the playmate of her childhood and the beau of her teen

years. "I blame myself about Archie. I shouldn't have given the

old scoundrel shelter. Everyone told me so but I wouldn't listen.

He didn't like you, dear, because of the convicts, but who is he to

criticize you? A murderer, and the murderer of a woman, too! And

after all I've done for him, he comes to me and tells me-- I

shouldn't have been a bit sorry if Ashley had shot him. Well, I

packed him off with a large flea in his ear, I can tell you! And

he's left town.

"And as for India, the vile thing! Darling, I couldn't help

noticing from the first time I saw you two together that she was

jealous of you and hated you, because you were so much prettier and

had so many beaux. And she hated you especially about Stuart

Tarleton. And she's brooded about Stuart so much that--well, I

hate to say it about Ashley's sister but I think her mind has

broken with thinking so much! There's no other explanation for her

action. . . . I told her never to put foot in this house again and

that if I heard her breathe so vile an insinuation I would--I would

call her a liar in public!"

Melanie stopped speaking and abruptly the anger left her face and

sorrow swamped it. Melanie had all that passionate clan loyalty

peculiar to Georgians and the thought of a family quarrel tore her

heart. She faltered for a moment. But Scarlett was dearest,

Scarlett came first in her heart, and she went on loyally:

"She's always been jealous because I loved you best, dear. She'll

never come in this house again and I'll never put foot under any

roof that receives her. Ashley agrees with me, but it's just about

broken his heart that his own sister should tell such a--"

At the mention of Ashley's name, Scarlett's overwrought nerves gave

way and she burst into tears. Would she never stop stabbing him to

the heart? Her only thought had been to make him happy and safe

but at every turn she seemed to hurt him. She had wrecked his

life, broken his pride and self-respect, shattered that inner

peace, that calm based on integrity. And now she had alienated him

from the sister he loved so dearly. To save her own reputation and

his wife's happiness, India had to be sacrificed, forced into the

light of a lying, half-crazed, jealous old maid--India who was

absolutely justified in every suspicion she had ever harbored and

every accusing word she had uttered. Whenever Ashley looked into