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Chapter 42
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SCARLETT’S CHILD was a girl, a small bald-headed mite2, ugly as a hairless monkey andabsurdly like Frank. No one except the doting3 father could see anything beautiful about her, but theneighbors were charitable enough to say that all ugly babies turned out pretty, eventually. She wasnamed Ella Lorena, Ella for her grandmother Ellen, and Lorena because it was the mostfashionable name of the day for girls, even as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were popularfor boys and Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation4 for negro children.

  She was born in the middle of a week when frenzied5 excitement gripped Atlanta and the air wastense with expectation of disaster. A negro who had boasted of rape6 had actually been arrested, butbefore he could be brought to trial the jail had been raided by the Ku Klux Klan and he had beenquietly hanged. The Klan had acted to save the as yet unnamed victim from having to testify in open court. Rather than have her appear and advertise her shame, her father and brother wouldhave shot her, so lynching the negro seemed a sensible solution to the townspeople, in fact, theonly decent solution possible. But the military authorities were in a fury. They saw no reason whythe girl should mind testifying publicly.

  The soldiers made arrests right and left, swearing to wipe out the Klan if they had to put everywhite man in Atlanta in jail. The negroes, frightened and sullen7, muttered of retaliatory8 houseburnings. The air was thick with rumors9 of wholesale10 hangings by the Yankees should the guiltyparties be found and of a concerted uprising against the whites by the negroes. The people of thetown stayed at home behind locked doors and shuttered windows, the men fearing to go to theirbusinesses and leave their women and children unprotected.

  Scarlett, lying exhausted11 in bed, feebly and silently thanked God that Ashley had too much senseto belong to the Klan and Frank was too old and poor spirited. How dreadful it would be to knowthat the Yankees might swoop12 down and arrest them at any minute! Why didn’t the crack-brainedyoung fools in the Klan leave bad enough alone and not stir up the Yankees like this? Probably thegirl hadn’t been raped13 after all. Probably she’d just been frightened silly and, because of her, a lotof men might lose their lives.

  In this atmosphere, straining watching slow fuse burn toward a barrel of gunpowder,Scarlettcame(as) rapidl(nerve) ybacktost(as) rength.The(a) healthy vigor14 which had carried herthrough the hard days at Tara stood her in good stead now, and within two weeks of Ella Lorena’sbirth she was strong enough to sit up and chafe15 at her inactivity. In three weeks she was up,declaring she had to see to the mills. They were standing16 idle because both Hugh and Ashleyfeared to leave their families alone all day.

  Then the blow fell.

  Frank, full of the pride of new fatherhood, summoned up courage enough to forbid Scarlettleaving the house while conditions were so dangerous. His commands would not have worried herat all and she would have gone about her business in spite of them, if he had not put her horse andbuggy in the livery stable and ordered that they should not be surrendered to anyone excepthimself. To make matters worse, he and Mammy had patiently searched the house while she was illand unearthed18 her hidden store of money. And Frank had deposited it in the bank in his own name,so now she could not even hire a rig.

  Scarlett raged at both Frank and Mammy, then was reduced to begging and finally cried all onemorning like a furious thwarted19 child. But for all her pains she heard only: “There, Sugar! You’rejust a sick little girl.” And: “Miss Scarlett, ef you doan quit cahyin’ on so, you gwine sour yo’ milkan’ de baby have colic, sho as gun’s iron.”

  In a furious temper, Scarlett charged through her back yard to Melanie’s house and thereunburdened herself at the top of her voice, declaring she would walk to the mills, she would goabout Atlanta telling everyone what a varmint she had married, she would not be treated like anaughty simple-minded child. She would carry a pistol and shoot anyone who threatened her. Shehad shot one man and she would love, yes, love to shoot another. She would—Melanie who feared to venture onto her own front porch was appalled20 by such threats.

  “Oh, you must not risk yourself! I should die if anything happened to you! Oh, please—”

  “I will! I will! I will walk—”

  Melanie looked at her and saw that this was not the hysteria of a woman still weak fromchildbirth. There was the same breakneck, headlong determination in Scarlett’s face that Melaniehad often seen in Gerald O’Hara’s face when his mind was made up. She put her arms aroundScarlett’s waist and held her tightly.

  “It’s all my fault for not being brave like you and for keeping Ashley at home with me all thistime when he should have been at the mill. Oh, dear! I’m such a ninny! Darling, I’ll tell AshleyI’m not a bit frightened and I’ll come over and stay with you and Aunt Pitty and he can go back towork and—”

  Not even to herself would Scarlett admit that she did not think Ashley could cope with thesituation alone and she shouted: “You’ll do nothing of the kind! What earthly good would Ashleydo at work if he was worried about you every minute? Everybody is just so hateful! Even UnclePeter refuses to go out with me! But I don’t care! I’ll go alone. I’ll walk every step of the way andpick up a crew of darkies somewhere—”

  “Oh, no! You mustn’t do that! Something dreadful might happen to you. They say thatShantytown settlement on the Decatur road is just full of mean darkies and you’d have to pass rightby it. Let think— Darling, promise me you won’t do anything today and I’ll think ofsomething. Pro(me) mise me you’ll go home and lie down. You look right peaked. Promise me.”

  Because she was too exhausted by her anger to do otherwise, Scarlett sulkily promised and wenthome, haughtily21 refusing any overtures22 of peace from her household.

  That afternoon a strange figure stumped23 through Melanie’s hedge and across Pitty’s back yard.

  Obviously, he was one of those men whom Mammy and Dilcey referred to as “de riff-raff whutMiss Melly pick up off de streets an’ let sleep in her cellar.”

  There were three rooms in the basement of Melanie’s house which formerly24 had been servants’

  quarters and a wine room. Now Dilcey occupied one, and the other two were in constant use by astream of miserable25 and ragged26 transients. No one but Melanie knew whence they came or wherethey were going and no one but she knew where she collected them. Perhaps the negroes wereright and she did pick them up from the streets. But even as the great and the near great gravitatedto her small parlor27, so unfortunates found their way to her cellar where they were fed, bedded andsent on their way with packages of food. Usually the occupants of the rooms were formerConfederate soldiers of the rougher, illiterate28 type, homeless men, men without families, beatingtheir way about the country in hope of finding work.

  Frequently, brown and withered29 country women with broods of tow-haired silent children spentthe night there, women widowed by the war, dispossessed of their farms, seeking relatives whoscattered and lost. Sometimes the neighborhood was scandalized by the presence offoreig(were) ners, speaking little or no English, who had been drawn30 South by glowing tales of fortuneseasily made. Once a Republican had slept there. At least, Mammy insisted he was a Republican,saying she could smell a Republican, same as a horse could smell a rattlesnake; but no one believedMammy’s story, for there must be some limit even to Melanie’s charity. At least everyone hoped so.

  Yes, thought Scarlett, sitting on the side porch in the pale November sunshine with the baby onher lap, he is one of Melanie’s lame31 dogs. And he’s really lame, at that!

  The man who was making his way across the back yard stumped, like Will Benteen, on awooden leg. He was a tall, thin old man with a bald head, which shone pinkishly dirty, and agrizzled beard so long he could tuck it in his belt. He was over sixty, to judge by his hard, seamedface, but there was no sag32 of age to his body. He was lank33 and ungainly but, even with his woodenpeg, he moved as swiftly as a snake.

  He mounted the steps and came toward her and, even before he spoke35, revealing in his tones atwang and a burring of “r s” unusual in the lowlands, Scarlett knew that he was mountain born.

  For all his dirty, ragged clothes there was about him, as about most mountaineers, an air of fiercesilent pride that permitted no liberties and tolerated no foolishness. His beard was stained withtobacco juice and a large wad in his jaw36 made his face look deformed37. His nose was thin andcraggy, his eyebrows38 bushy and twisted, into witches’ locks and a lush growth of hair sprang fromhis ears, giving them the tufted look of a lynx’s ears. Beneath his brow was one hollow socketfrom which a scar ran down his cheek, carving39 a diagonal line through his beard. The other eyewas small, pale and cold, an unwinking and remorseless eye. There was a heavy pistol openly inhis trouser band and from the top of his tattered40 boot protruded41 the hilt of a bowie knife.

  He returned Scarlett’s stare coldly and spat42 across the rail of the banister before he spoke. Therewas contempt in his one eye, not a personal contempt for her, but for her whole sex.

  “Miz Wilkes sont me to work for you,” he said shortly. He spoke rustily43, as one unaccustomed tospeaking, the words coming slowly and almost with difficulty. “M’ name’s Archie.”

  “I’m sorry but I have no work for you, Mr. Archie.”

  “Archie’s m’fuss name.”

  “I beg your pardon. What is your last name?”

  He spat again. “I reckon that’s my bizness,” he said. “Archie’ll do.”

  “I don’t care what your last name is! I have nothing for you to do.”

  “I reckon you have. Miz Wilkes was upsot about yore wantin’ to run aroun’ like a fool byyoreself and she sont me over here to drive aroun’ with you.”

  “Indeed?” cried Scarlett, indignant both at the man’s rudeness and Melly’s meddling44.

  His one eye met hers with an impersonal45 animosity. “Yes. A woman’s got no bizness botherin’

  her men folks when they’re tryin’ to take keer of her. If you’re bound to gad46 about, I’ll drive you. Ihates niggers—Yankees too.”

  He shifted his wad of tobacco to the other cheek and, without waiting for an invitation, sat downon the top step. “I ain’t sayin’ I like drivin’ women aroun’, but Miz Wilkes been good to me, lettin’

  me sleep in her cellar, and she sont me to drive you.”

  “But—” began Scarlett helplessly and then she stopped and looked at him. After a moment shebegan to smile. She didn’t like the looks of this elderly desperado but his presence would simplify matters. With him beside her, she could go to town, drive to the mills, call on customers. No onecould doubt her safety with him and his very appearance was enough to keep from giving rise toscandal.

  “It’s a bargain,” she said. “That is, if my husband agrees.”

  After a private conversation with Archie, Frank gave his reluctant approval and sent word to thelivery stable to release the horse and buggy. He was hurt and disappointed that motherhood had notchanged Scarlett as he had hoped it would but, if she was determined47 to go back to her damnablemills, then Archie was a godsend.

  So began the relationship that at first startled Atlanta. Archie and Scarlett were a queerlyassorted pair, the truculent48 dirty old man with his wooden peg34 sticking stiffly out over thedashboard and the pretty, neatly49 dressed young woman with forehead puckered50 in an abstractedfrown. They could be seen at all hours and at all places in and near Atlanta, seldom speaking toeach other, obviously disliking each other, but bound together by mutual52 need, he of money, she ofprotection. At least, said the ladies of the town, it’s better than riding around so brazenly53 with thatButler man. They wondered curiously54 where Rhett was these days, for he had abruptly55 left townthree months before and no one, not even Scarlett, knew where he was.

  Archie was a silent man, never speaking unless spoken to and usually answering with grunts56.

  Every morning he came from Melanie’s cellar and sat on the front steps of Pitty’s house, chewingand spitting until Scarlett came out and Peter brought the buggy from the stable. Uncle Peter fearedhim only a little less than the devil or the Ku Klux and even Mammy walked silently andtimorously around him. He hated negroes and they knew it and feared him. He reinforced his pistoland knife with another pistol, and his fame spread far among the black population. He never oncehad to draw a pistol or even lay his hand on his belt. The moral effect was sufficient. No negrodared even laugh while Archie was in hearing.

  Once Scarlett asked him curiously why he hated negroes and was surprised when he answered,for generally all questions were answered by “I reckon that’s my bizness.”

  “I hates them, like all mountain folks hates them. We never liked them and we never ownednone. It was them niggers that started the war. I hates them for that, too.”

  “But you fought in the war.”

  “I reckon that’s a man’s privilege. I hates Yankees too, more’n I hates niggers. Most as much asI hates talkative women.”

  It was such outspoken57 rudeness as this that threw Scarlett into silent furies and made her long tobe rid of him. But how could she do without him? In what other way could she obtain suchfreedom? He was rude and dirty and, occasionally, very odorous but he served his purpose. Hedrove her to and from the mills and on her round of customers, spitting and staring off into spacewhile she talked and gave orders. If she climbed down from the buggy, he climbed after her anddogged her footsteps. When she was among rough laborers59, negroes or Yankee soldiers, he wasseldom more than a pace from her elbow.

  Soon Atlanta became accustomed to seeing Scarlett and her bodyguard60 and, from beingaccustomed, the ladies grew to envy her her freedom of movement. Since the Ku Klux lynching, the ladies had been practically immured61, not even going to town to shop unless there were half adozen in their group. Naturally social minded, they became restless and, putting their pride in theirpockets, they began to beg the loan of Archie from Scarlett. And whenever she did not need him,she was gracious enough to spare him for the use of other ladies.

  Soon Archie became an Atlanta institution and the ladies competed for his free time. There wasseldom a morning when a child or a negro servant did not arrive at breakfast time with a notesaying: “If you aren’t using Archie this afternoon, do let me have him. I want to drive to thecemetery with flowers.” “I must go to the milliners.” “I should like Archie to drive Aunt Nelly foran airing.” “I must go calling on Peters Street and Grandpa is not feeling well enough to take me.

  Could Archie—”

  He drove them all, maids, matrons and widows, and toward all he evidenced the sameuncompromising contempt. It was obvious that he did not like women, Melanie excepted, anybetter than he liked negroes and Yankees. Shocked at first by his rudeness, the ladies finallybecame accustomed to him and, as he was so silent, except for intermittent62 explosions of tobaccojuice, they took him as much for granted as the horses he drove and forgot his very existence. Infact, Mrs. Merriwether related to Mrs. Meade the complete details of her niece’s confinement63 beforeshe even remembered Archie’s presence on the front seat of the carriage.

  At no other time than this could such a situation have been possible. Before the war, he wouldnot have been permitted even in the ladies’ kitchens. They would have handed him food throughthe back door and sent him about his business. But now they welcomed his reassuring64 presence.

  Rude, illiterate, dirty, he was a bulwark65 between the ladies and the terrors of Reconstruction66. Hewas neither friend nor servant. He was a hired bodyguard, protecting the women while their menworked by day or were absent from home at night.

  It seemed to Scarlett that after Archie came to work for her Frank was away at night veryfrequently. He said the books at the store had to be balanced and business was brisk enough now togive him little time to attend to this in working hours. And there were sick friends with whom hehad to sit. Then there was the organization of Democrats67 who forgathered every Wednesday nightto devise ways of regaining68 the ballot69 and Frank never missed a meeting. Scarlett thought thisorganization did little else except argue the merits of General John B. Gordon over every ottergeneral, except General Lee, and refight the war. Certainly she could observe no progress in thedirection of the recovery of the ballot. But Frank evidently enjoyed the meetings for he stayed outuntil all hours on those nights.

  Ashley also sat up with the sick and he, too, attended the Democratic meetings and he wasusually away on the same nights as Frank. On these nights, Archie escorted Pitty, Scarlett, Wadeand little Ella though the back yard to Melanie’s house and the two families spent the eveningstogether. The ladies sewed while Archie lay full length on the parlor sofa snoring, his graywhiskers fluttering at each rumble70. No one had invited him to dispose himself on the sofa and as itwas the finest piece of furniture in the house, the ladies secretly moaned every time he lay down onit, planting his boot on the pretty upholstery. But none of them had the courage to remonstrate71 withhim. Especially after he remarked that it was lucky he went to sleep easy, for otherwise the soundof women clattering72 like a flock of guinea hens would certainly drive him crazy.

  Scarlett sometimes wondered where Archie had come from and what his life had been before hecame to live in Melly’s cellar but she asked no questions. There was that about his grim one-eyedface which discouraged curiosity. All she knew was that his voice bespoke73 the mountains to thenorth and that he had been in the army and had lost both leg and eye shortly before the surrender. Itwas words spoken in a fit of anger against Hugh Elsing which brought out the truth of Archie’spast.

  One morning, the old man had driven her to Hugh’s mill and she had found it idle, the negroesgone and Hugh sitting despondently74 under a tree. His crew had not made their appearance thatmorning and he was at a loss as to what to do. Scarlett was in a furious temper and did not scrupleto expend75 it on Hugh, for she had just received an order for a large amount of lumber76—a rushorder at that. She had used energy and charm and bargaining to get that order and now the mill wasquiet.

  “Drive me out to the other mill,” she directed Archie. “Yes, I know it’ll take a long time and wewon’t get any dinner but what am I paying you for? I’ll have to make Mr. Wilkes stop what he’sdoing and run me off this lumber. Like as not, his crew won’t be working either. Great balls of fire!

  I never saw such a nincompoop as Hugh Elsing! I’m going to get rid of him just as soon as thatJohnnie Gallegher finishes the stores he’s building. What do I care if Gallegher was in the YankeeArmy? He’ll work. I never saw a lazy Irishman yet. And I’m through with free issue darkies. Youjust can’t depend on them. I’m going to get Johnnie Gallegher and lease me some convicts. He’llget work out of them. He’ll—”

  Archie turned to her, his eye malevolent77, and when he spoke there was cold anger in his rustyvoice.

  “The day you gits convicts is the day I quits you,” he said.

  Scarlett was startled. “Good heavens! Why?”

  “I knows about convict leasin’. I calls it convict murderin’. Buyin’ men like they was mules78.

  Treatin’ them worse than mules ever was treated. Beatin’ them, starvin’ them, killin’ them. Andwho cares? The State don’t care. It’s got the lease money. The folks that gits the convicts, theydon’t care. All they want is to feed them cheap and git all the work they can out of them. Hell,Ma’m. I never thought much of women and I think less of them now.”

  “Is it any of your business?”

  “I reckon,” said Archie laconically79 and, after a pause, “I was a convict for nigh on to fortyyears.”

  Scarlett gasped80, and, for a moment, shrank back against the cushions. This then was the answerto the riddle81 of Archie, his unwillingness82 to tell his last name or the place of his birth or any scrapof his past life, the answer to the difficulty with which he spoke and his cold hatred83 of the world.

  Forty years! He must have gone into prison a young man. Forty years! Why—he must have been alife prisoner and lifers were—“Was it—murder?”

  “Yes,” answered Archie briefly84, as he flapped the reins85. “M’ wife.”

  Scarlett’s eyelids86 batted rapidly with fright. The mouth beneath the beard seemed to move, as ifhe were smiling grimly at her fear. “I ain’t goin’ to kill you, Ma’m, if that’s what’s frettin’ you.

  Thar ain’t but one reason for killin’ a woman.”

  “You killed your wife!”

  “She was layin’ with my brother. He got away. I ain’t sorry none that I kilt her. Loose womenought to be kilt. The law ain’t got no right to put a man in jail for that but I was sont.”

  “But—how did you get out? Did you escape? Were you pardoned?”

  “You might call it a pardon.” His thick gray brows writhed87 together as though the effort ofstringing words together was difficult.

  “ ‘Long in ‘sixty-four when Sherman come through, I was at Milledgeville jail, like I had beenfor forty years. And the warden88 he called all us prisoners together and he says the Yankees are acomin’

  a-burnin’ and a-killin’. Now if that’s one thing I hates worse than a nigger or a woman, it’sa Yankee.”

  “Why? Had you— Did you ever know any Yankees?”

  “No’m. But I’d beam tell of them. I’d beam tell they couldn’t never mind their own bizness. Ihates folks who can’t mind their own bizness. What was they doin’ in Georgia, freein’ our niggersand burnin’ our houses and killin’ our stock? Well, the warden he said the army needed moresoldiers bad, and any of us who’d jine up would be free at the end of the war—if we come outalive. But us lifers—us murderers, the warden he said the army didn’t want us. We was to be sontsomewheres else to another jail. But I said to the warden I ain’t like most lifers. I’m just in forkillin’ my wife and she needed killin’. And I wants to fight the Yankees. And the warden he sawmy side of it and he slipped me out with the other prisoners.”

  He paused and grunted89.

  “Huh. That was right funny. They put me in jail for killin’ and they let me out with a gun in myhand and a free pardon to do more killin’. It shore was good to be a free man with a rifle in myhand again. Us men from Milledgeville did good fightin’ and killin’—and a lot of us was kilt. Inever knowed one who deserted90. And when the surrender come, we was free. I lost this here legand this here eye. But I ain’t sorry.”

  “Oh,” said Scarlett, weakly.

  She tried to remember what she had heard about the releasing of the Milledgeville convicts inthat last desperate effort to stem the tide of Sherman’s army. Frank had mentioned it that Christmasof 1864. What had he said? But her memories of that time were too chaotic91. Again she felt the wildterror of those days, heard the siege guns, saw the line of wagons93 dripping blood into the red roads,saw the Home Guard marching off, the little cadets and the children like Phil Meade and the oldmen like Uncle Henry and Grandpa Merriwether. And the convicts had marched out too, to die inthe twilight94 of the Confederacy, to freeze in the snow and sleet95 of that last campaign in Tennessee.

  For a brief moment she thought what a fool this old man was, to fight for a state which hadtaken forty years from his life. Georgia had taken his youth and his middle years for a crime thatwas no crime to him, yet he had freely given a leg and an eye to Georgia. The bitter words Rhett had spoken in the early days of the war came back to her, and she remembered him saying hewould never fight for a society that had made him an outcast. But when the emergency had arisenhe had gone off to fight for that same society, even as Archie had done. It seemed to her that allSouthern men, high or low, were sentimental96 fools and cared less for their hides than for wordswhich had no meaning.

  She looked at Archie’s gnarled old hands, his two pistols and his knife, and fear pricked97 heragain. Were there other ex-convicts at large, like Archie, murderers, desperadoes, thieves,pardoned for their crimes, in the name of the Confederacy? Why, any stranger on the street mightbe a murderer! If Frank ever learned the truth about Archie, there would be the devil to pay. Or ifAunt Pitty—but the shock would kill Pitty. And as for Melanie—Scarlett almost wished she couldtell Melanie the truth about Archie. It would serve her right for picking up trash and foisting98 it offon her friends and relatives.

  “I’m—I’m glad you told me, Archie. I—I won’t tell anyone. It would be a great shock to Mrs.

  Wilkes and the other ladies if they knew.”

  “Huh. Miz Wilkes knows. I told her the night she fuss let me sleep in her cellar. You don’t thinkI’d let a nice lady like her take me into her house not knowin’?”

  “Saints preserve us!” cried Scarlet1, aghastMelanie knew this man was a murderer and a woman murderer at that and she hadn’t ejectedhim from her house. She had trusted her son with him and her aunt and sister-in-law and all herfriends. And she, the most timid of females, had not been frightened to be alone with him in herhouse.

  “Miz Wilkes is right sensible, for a woman. She lowed that I was all right She ‘lowed that a liarallus kept on lyin’ and a thief kept on stealin’ but folks don’t do more’n one murder in a lifetime.

  And she reckoned as how anybody who’d fought for the Confederacy had wiped out anything badthey’d done. Though I don’t hold that I done nothin’ bad, killin’ my wife. ... Yes, Miz Wilkes isright sensible, for a woman. ... And I’m tellin’ you, the day you leases convicts is the day I quitsyou.”

  Scarlett made no reply but she thought,“The sooner you quit me the better it will suit me. A murderer!”

  How could Melly have been so—so— Well, there was no word for Melanie’s action in taking inthis old ruffian and not telling her friends he Was a jailbird. So service in the army wiped out pastsins! Melanie had that mixed up with baptism! But then Melly was utterly99 silly about theConfederacy, its veterans, and anything pertaining100 to them. Scarlett silently damned the Yankeesand added another mark on her score against them. They were responsible for a situation thatforced a woman to keep a murderer at her side to protect her.

  Driving home with Archie in the chill twilight, Scarlett saw a clutter101 of saddle horses, buggiesand wagons outside the Girl of the Period Saloon. Ashley was sitting on his horse, a strained alertlook on his face; the Simmons boys were leaning from their buggy, making emphatic102 gestures; Hugh Elsing, his lock of brown hair falling in his eyes, was waving his hands. GrandpaMerriwether’s pie wagon92 was in the center of the tangle103 and, as she came closer, Scarlett saw thatTommy Wellburn and Uncle Henry Hamilton were crowded on the seat with him.

  “I wish,” thought Scarlett irritably104, “that Uncle Henry wouldn’t ride home in that contraption.

  He ought to be ashamed to be seen in it. It isn’t as though he didn’t have a horse of his own. Hejust does it so he and Grandpa can go to the saloon together every night”

  As she came abreast105 the crowd something of their tenseness reached her, insensitive though shewas, and made fear clutch at her heart.

  “Oh!” she thought. “I hope no one else has been raped! If the Ku Klux lynch just one moredarky the Yankees will wipe us out!” And she spoke to Archie. “Pull up. Something’s wrong.”

  “You ain’t goin’ to stop outside a saloon,” said Archie.

  “You heard me. Pull up. Good evening, everybody. Ashley—Uncle Henry—is somethingwrong? You all look so—”

  The crowd turned to her, ripping their hats and smiling, but there was a driving excitement intheir eyes.

  “Something’s right and something’s wrong,” barked Uncle Henry. “Depends on how you look atit. The way I figure is the legislature couldn’t have done different.”

  The legislature? thought Scarlett in relief. She had little interest in the legislature, feeling that itsdoings could hardly affect her. It was the prospect106 of the Yankee soldiers on a rampage again thatfrightened her.

  “What’s the legislature been up to now?”

  “They’ve flatly refused to ratify107 the amendment108,” said Grandpa Merriwether and there was pridein his voice. “That’ll show the Yankees.”

  “And there’ll be hell to pay for it—I beg your pardon, Scarlett,” said Ashley.

  “Oh, the amendment?” questioned Scarlett, trying to look intelligent.

  Politics were beyond her and she seldom wasted time thinking about them. There had been aThirteenth Amendment ratified109 sometime before or maybe it had been the Sixteenth Amendmentbut what ratification110 meant she had no idea. Men were always getting excited about such things.

  Something of her lack of comprehension showed in her face and Ashley smiled.

  “It’s the amendment letting the darkies vote, you know,” he explained. “It was submitted to thelegislature and they refused to ratify it.”

  “How silly of them! You know the Yankees are going to force it down our throats!”

  “That’s what I meant by saying there’d be hell to pay,” said Ashley.

  “I’m proud of the legislature, proud of their gumption111!” shouted Uncle Henry. “The Yankeescan’t force it down our throats if we won’t have it”

  “They can and they will.” Ashley’s voice was calm but there was worry in his eyes. “And it’llmake things just that much harder for us.”

  “Oh, Ashley, surely not! Things couldn’t be any harder than they are now!”

  “Yes, things can get worse, even worse than they are now. Suppose we have a darky legislature?

  A darky governor? Suppose we have a worse military rule than we now have?”

  Scarlett’s eyes grew large with fear as some understanding entered her mind.

  “I’ve been trying to think what would be best for Georgia, best for all of us.” Ashley’s face wasdrawn. “Whether it’s wisest to fight this thing like the legislature has done, rouse the North againstus and bring the whole Yankee Army on us to cram112 the darky vote down us, whether we want it ornot. Or—swallow our pride as best we can, submit gracefully113 and get the whole matter over withas easily as possible. It will amount to the same thing in the end. We’re helpless. We’ve got to takethe dose they’re determined to give us. Maybe it would be better for us to take it without kicking.”

  Scarlett hardly heard his words, certainly their full import went over her head. She knew thatAshley, as usual, was seeing both sides of a question. She was seeing only one side—how this slapin the Yankees’ faces might affect her.

  “Going to turn Radical114 and vote the Republican ticket, Ashley?” jeered115 Grandpa Merriwetherharshly.

  There was a tense silence. Scarlett saw Archie’s hand make a swift move toward his pistol andthen stop. Archie thought, and frequently said, that Grandpa was an old bag of wind and Archiehad no intention of letting him insult Miss Melanie’s husband, even if Miss Melanie’s husband wastalking like a fool.

  The perplexity vanished suddenly from Ashley’s eyes and hot anger flared116. But before he couldspeak, Uncle Henry charged Grandpa.

  “You God—you blast— I beg your pardon, Scarlett— Grandpa, you jackass, don’t you say thatto Ashley!”

  “Ashley can take care of himself without you defending him,” said Grandpa coldly. “And he istalking like a Scalawag. Submit, hell! I beg your pardon, Scarlett.”

  “I didn’t believe in secession,” said Ashley and his voice shook with anger. “But when Georgiaseceded, I went with her. And I didn’t believe in war but I fought in the war. And I don’t believe inmaking the Yankees madder than they already are. But if the legislature has decided117 to do it, I’llstand by the legislature. I—”

  “Archie,” said Uncle Henry abruptly, “drive Miss Scarlett on home. This isn’t any place for her.

  Politics aren’t for women folks anyway, and there’s going to be cussing in a minute. Go on, Archie.

  Good night, Scarlett.”

  As they drove off down Peachtree Street, Scarlett’s heart was beating fast with fear. Would thisfoolish action of the legislature have any effect on her safety? Would it so enrage118 the Yankees thatshe might lose her mills?

  “Well, sir,” rumbled119 Archie, “I’ve hearn tell of rabbits spittin’ in bulldogs’ faces but I ain’t neverseen it till now. Them legislatures might just as well have hollered ‘Hurray for Jeff Davis and theSouthern Confederacy’ for all the good it’ll do them—and us. Them nigger-lovin’ Yankees havemade up their mind to make the niggers our bosses. But you got to admire them legislatures’ sperrit!”

  “Admire them? Great balls of fire! Admire them? They ought to be shot! It’ll bring the Yankeesdown on us like a duck on a June bug17. Why couldn’t they have rati—radi—whatever they weresupposed to do to it and smoothed the Yankees down instead of stirring them up again? They’regoing to make us knuckle120 under and we may as well knuckle now as later.”

  Archie fixed121 her with a cold eye.

  “Knuckle under without a fight? Women ain’t got no more pride than goats.”

  When Scarlett leased ten convicts, five for each of her mills, Archie made good his threat andrefused to have anything further to do with her. Not all Melanie’s pleading or Frank’s promises ofhigher pay would induce him to take up the reins again. He willingly escorted Melanie and Pittyand India and their friends about the town but not Scarlett. He would not even drive for the otherladies if Scarlett was in the carriage. It was an embarrassing situation, having the old desperadositting in judgment122 upon her, and it was still more embarrassing to know that her family andfriends agreed with the old man.

  Frank pleaded with her against taking the step. Ashley at first refused to work convicts and waspersuaded, against his will, only after tears and supplications and promises that when times werebetter she would hire free darkies. Neighbors were so outspoken in their disapproval123 that Frank,Pitty and Melanie found it hard to hold up their heads. Even Peter and Mammy declared that it wasbad luck to work convicts and no good would come of it. Everyone said it was wrong to takeadvantage of the miseries124 and misfortunes of others.

  “You didn’t have any objections to working slaves!” Scarlett cried indignantly.

  Ah, but that was different. Slaves were neither miserable nor unfortunate. The negroes were farbetter off under slavery than they were now under freedom, and if she didn’t believe it, just lookabout her! But, as usual, opposition125 had the effect of making Scarlett more determined on hercourse. She removed Hugh from the management of the mill, put him to driving a lumber wagonand closed the final details of hiring Johnnie Gallegher.

  He seemed to be the only person she knew who approved of the convicts. He nodded his bullethead briefly and said it was a smart move. Scarlett, looking at the little ex-jockey, planted firmlyon his short bowed legs, his gnomish126 face hard and businesslike, thought: “Whoever let him ridetheir horses didn’t care much for horse flesh. I wouldn’t let him get within ten feet of any horse ofmine.”

  But she had no qualms127 in trusting him with a convict gang.

  “And I’m to have a free hand with the gang?” he questioned, his eyes as cold as gray agates128.

  “A free hand. All I ask is that you keep that mill running and deliver my lumber when I want itand as much as I want.”

  “I’m your man,” said Johnnie shortly. “I’ll tell Mr. Wellburn I’m leaving him.”

  As he rolled off through the crowd of masons and carpenters and hod carriers Scarlett felt relieved and her spirits rose. Johnnie was indeed her man. He was tough and hard and there was nononsense about him. “Shanty Irish on the make,” Frank had contemptuously called him, but forthat very reason Scarlett valued him. She knew that an Irishman with a determination to getsomewhere was a valuable man to have, regardless of what his personal characteristics might be.

  And she felt a closer kinship with him than with many men of her own class, for Johnnie knew thevalue of money.

  The first week he took over the mill he justified129 all her hopes, for he accomplished130 more withfive convicts than Hugh had ever done with his crew of ten free negroes. More than that, he gaveScarlett greater leisure than she had had since she came to Atlanta the year before, because he hadno liking51 for her presence at the mill and said so frankly131.

  “You tend to your end of selling and let me tend to my end of lumbering,” he said shortly. “Aconvict camp ain’t any place for a lady and if nobody else’ll tell you so, Johnnie Gallegher’stelling you now. I’m delivering your lumber, ain’t I? Well, I’ve got no notion to be pestered132 everyday like Mr. Wilkes. He needs pestering133. I don’t.”

  So Scarlett reluctantly stayed away from Johnnie’s mill, fearing that if she came too often hemight quit and that would be ruinous. His remark that Ashley needed pestering stung her, for therewas more truth in it than she liked to admit. Ashley was doing little better with convicts than hehad done with free labor58, although why, he was unable to tell. Moreover, he looked as if he wereashamed to be working convicts and he had little to say to her these days.

  Scarlett was worried by the change that was coming over him. There were gray hairs in hisbright head now and a tired slump134 in his shoulders. And he seldom smiled. He no longer lookedthe debonair135 Ashley who had caught her fancy so many years before. He looked like a mansecretly gnawed136 by a scarcely endurable pain and there was a grim tight look about his mouth thatbaffled and hurt her. She wanted to drag his head fiercely down on her shoulder, stroke the grayinghair and cry: “Tell me what’s worrying you! I’ll fix it! I’ll make it right for you!”

  But his formal, remote air kept her at arm’s length.

  思嘉生了一个女儿,小家伙不大,头上光秃秃的,丑得像只没毛的猴子。她长得像弗兰克,真是可笑。父亲特别疼爱她,只有他才觉得认为女儿长得好看。不过邻居们出自好心,都说小的时候丑,长大了就漂亮了,小孩子都是这样。女儿取名爱拉·洛雷纳,爱拉是为了纪念外婆爱伦,洛雷纳是当时女孩子最流行的名字,正象生了男孩子取名罗伯特·李,或叫“石壁杰克逊,"黑人生了孩子就叫亚伯·林肯,或者叫"解放"。
  这孩子是在一个星期的中间出生的。那时亚特兰上空笼罩着一片紧张,人心惶惶,觉得大难临头。一个黑人夸耀说他强奸了一个白种女人,于是就被抓起来了,但是还没来得及审判,三K党就冲进监狱,悄悄把他绞死了。三K党这样做,是为了使那个尚未暴露姓名的不幸的女人不必到公开的法庭上去作证。这个女人的父兄哪怕把她杀了,也不会让她抛头露面,去宣扬自己的耻辱。因此市民们认为把这个黑人绞死似乎是一个合情合理的解决办法,实际上这也是惟一可行的体面的解决办法,但是军事当局却大发雷霆,他们弄不明白这个女人为什么不能当众作证。
  军队到处抓人,宣称即使把亚特兰大所有的白人男子全都关进监狱,更要把三K党消灭干净,黑人非常紧张,也很不满,暗地里抱怨说要放火烧白人的房子进行报复。谣言满天飞,有的说北方佬抓住肇事者要统统绞死,有的说黑人要集体暴动,反对白人,老百姓关门闭户,待在家中,男人们也不敢去上班,怕留在家里的妻子儿女无人保护。
  思嘉身体虚弱,卧床休养,默默地感谢上帝,艾希礼头脑清楚,没有参加三K党,弗兰克年纪太大,精神不济所以也没有参加。否则北方佬不定什么时候就突然出动,把他们抓起来,那有多么可怕呀!现在的情况就够糟的了,三K党里那些没有头脑的年轻人怎么就不能暂时不添乱,不这样刺激北方佬呢?说不定那个女人根本没有被奸污,说不定她只是受了惊吓,胡言乱语,而很多人却可能因为她而送命。
  气氛十分紧张,就好像看着一根点燃的导火线慢慢向一桶炸药烧去。在这样气氛下,思嘉倒很快恢复了体力。她充沛的精力曾帮她在塔拉渡过难关,现在又要发挥更大的作用。生下爱拉·洛雷纳不到两周,她就能坐起来,还责怪女儿不爱动,又过了一个星期她就下地了,她非要去照料厂子不可。厂子目前没有人管,因为休和艾希礼都不敢整天把家眷扔下不管。
  然而她遇到了沉重的打击。
  弗兰克刚刚做父亲,非常高兴,就鼓足勇气阻挡思嘉外出,因为外面情况的确很危险。思嘉本不必为此事着急,她可以不予理睬,径自出去办事就是了,可是弗兰克已经把她的马和车封闭在车房里,而且发了话,除了他本人以外,谁也不准动用,更糟糕的是在思嘉卧床的时候,弗兰克和嬷嬷在家里细心搜寻,把她藏的钱都找出来了,而且用弗兰克的姓名存在了银行里,因此思嘉现在连车也没法雇了。
  思嘉对弗兰克和嬷嬷大发雷霆,接着又软下来,苦苦哀求,最后她像一个得不到满足而急得发狂的孩子,整整哭了一上午,虽然她这么痛苦,却只听见人家说:“哎呀,宝贝儿!
  别耍小孩子脾气呀!"或者说:“思嘉小姐呀,你要是再哭啊,你的奶就要变酸了,孩子吃了是要肚子疼的哟!"思嘉气冲冲地跑出去,穿过后院,来到媚兰家里,嘶哑着嗓子诉说她的委屈,宣称就是走着也要到木才厂去,她要让亚特兰大所有的人都知道,她嫁给一个多么卑鄙的坏蛋,她可不能像个没有头脑的顽皮孩子,让人家耍着玩儿。她要带上一支手枪,谁威胁她,就打死谁,反正已经打死过一个人了,她想----的确很想----再打死一个。她要----媚兰本来连自家大门口都不敢迈出,听她说要这样干,吓得心惊胆颤。
  “哎呀,你可千万不能冒险呀!你要是有个三长两短,我也就活不成了。你可千万----““我偏去!我偏去!我走着----"媚兰看着她,发现她不像是一个产后休弱的女人在撒气。
  思嘉脸上那种天不怕地不怕、无所畏惧的表情,和她父亲杰拉尔德·奥哈拉拿定主意的时候脸上的表情一模一样,媚兰对这种表情是很熟悉的。她伸出胳臂搂住思嘉的腰,搂得紧紧的。
  “都是我不好,我没有你那么勇敢,这几天艾希礼到厂里去,我不敢让他去。唉,亲爱的,我真糊涂!亲爱的,我会告诉艾希礼,我一点也不害怕,我可以过来和你和皮蒂姑妈作伴,让他去上班----"思嘉自己很清楚,当时艾希礼是不可能独自应付局面的,所以她就大声说:“你这样干没用!他要是老惦记着你,去上班又有什么用?没有一个人不可恨!就连彼得大叔都不肯和我一起出去。可是我不怕!我自己去。我要一步一步走着去,总能在什么地方找几个黑鬼干活儿----”“不行,不行!你千万不能这样。你会出事的,听说迪凯特街上的棚户区有许多为非作歹的黑鬼,你还必须从那儿经过不可。让我想一想----亲爱的,答应我你今天什么事情也不做,让我想想办法。回家去休息会儿吧,你的脸色很不好。
  你要答应我。”
  思嘉由于大发脾气,此时已经筋疲力尽,也就只好这样了。她垂头丧气地表示同意,然后就回家去了。家里人想与她和好,都被她顶了回去。
  那天下午,一个陌生人穿过媚兰家和矮树篱笆,一拐一拐地走进了皮蒂姑妈的后院,虽然他就是嬷嬷和迪尔茜所说的那种"无业游民",媚兰小姐在街上遇见就会把他们接到家里,让他们住在地窖里。
  媚兰这所房子有三间地下室,过去两间人住,一间放酒。
  现在迪尔茜住着一间,另外两间住的是衣衫褴褛的可怜的过路人,川流不息,除了媚兰,谁也弄不清楚他们从哪儿来,到哪儿去,也只有她知道是在哪儿遇上他们的。也许那两个仆人说的是对的。她确实是在街上遇见他们的。不过既然有些重要人物和不那么重要的人物到她的小客厅里来,不幸的人们也就可以到她的地窖里来,吃点东西,睡一觉,带上点吃的,再赶路。到这里住宿的,一般都是过去南部联盟的兵,他们粗鲁,没有文化,无家可归,他们也没有亲人,四处流浪,寻求工作。
  在这里过夜的还往往有面色黝黑、饱经风霜的农村妇女,带着一大群金黄头发、默不作声的孩子。这些妇女在战争中失去了丈夫,丢掉了农场,正在到处寻找失散的亲人,令人吃惊的是附近有时还会出现外国人,他们不会讲或者只会讲一点英语,他们是听了花言巧语,以为南方的钱好挣,才到这里来的。有一天,一个共和党人在这里过夜,起码嬷嬷非说他是个共和党人,她说共和党人她能闻出来,就像马能闻到响尾蛇一样,当然谁也不相信嬷嬷说的这一套。因为大家认为媚兰慈爱也会有个限度,至少大家希望如此。
  那陌生人走进后院时,思嘉正在侧面的回廊上,怀里搂着小女儿,在11月微弱的阳光下晒太阳。思嘉一看见他就想:“是的,他一定是媚兰的那帮瘸腿狗。他还真是个瘸子呢!“这个人装着一条假腿,走起路来和威尔一样,一拐一拐的。他是一个高个子的瘦的老头,头发已经脱落,头皮红得发亮,看上去很脏,灰白胡子长得可以塞到腰带底下。他满脸皱纹,面无表情,看上去60开外,但身体看上去还较确朗。
  此人其貌不扬,虽然装了假腿,走起路来却和长虫一样快。
  他上了台阶,朝思嘉走来,还没讲话,思嘉发现他鼻音很重,带卷舌音,这在平原地带是很少见的,因而断定他是在山里长大的。他的衣服虽然破旧不堪,却和大部分山里人一样,有一种沉静而高傲的神气,决不容许别人冒犯,他的胡子上有嚼烟叶的口水,嘴里含着一大团烟叶,显得脸都有些变了形。他的鼻子又窄又高,两道眉毛下边是一个空洞,腮帮子上有一条很长的伤疤,形成一条对角线,一直插到胡子里。另一只眼睛很小,冷淡而无光,那是一只呆板无情的眼睛。在他的腰带上挂着一支沉甸甸的手枪,很显眼,破靴子的口上还露着一把单刃猎刀的刀柄。
  他冷冷地回敬了思嘉一眼,隔着栏杆啐过一口痰来,这才开始说话,"他那只独眼中有一种蔑视的眼光,但不是蔑视她个人,而是针对整个女性。"“威尔克斯小姐让我来给你干活,"他简捷地说。他说起话来结结巴巴,好像不习惯于说话,说得很慢,很费劲,"我叫阿尔奇。"“很抱歉,我没有活儿给你干,阿尔奇先生!““阿尔奇是我的名字。"“请原谅,那你姓什么?"他又啐了一口痰,"这不干你的事。"他说,"你就叫我阿尔奇吧。"“你姓什么我不管!我没有活儿给你干。”“我看不然,威尔克斯小姐说你要像个傻瓜似的到处乱跑,很不放心,所以派我来给你赶车。"“是吗?"思嘉说。这人说话如此放肆,媚兰多管闲事,这使她感到很生气。
  他那只怀着敌意的独眼与思嘉的眼光相遇,但这敌意并不是对她而来的,"是啊,男人要保护自家女人,女人就不该找麻烦,你要是非出去不可,我就给你赶车,你憎恨那些黑鬼,也憎恨北方佬。"他把嘴里烟叶从一边倒到另一边,没等主人让,就在最高一磴台阶上坐下来。"别以为我愿意给女人赶车,可是威尔斯小姐待我好哇,她让我住在她的地窖里,是她让我给你赶车的。"“可是----"思嘉无可奈何地说。但她刚一开口就又停住了,对这个人端详起来。过了一会儿,她脸上露出了笑容,这个老家伙的相貌她并不喜欢,可是用了他,事情就好办多了。
  有他赶车,思嘉就可以进城去,到木材厂去,或者去找顾客,有他做保镖,谁也不用怕她不安全。一看他那副模样,谁也不会说什么闲话。
  “就这样吧,"她说。"但是这件事得征求我丈夫的同意。"弗兰克单独和阿尔奇谈了谈,也勉强同意了,接着就给车房发话。思嘉的马车可以启用了。他原本期望思嘉做了母亲以后会变,现在他失望了,而且有些难过。但一转念,又觉得如果思嘉非要到那些该死的木材厂去,阿尔奇可就来得太巧了。
  对于这样一种安排,刚开始整个亚特兰大都感到惊讶。阿尔奇和思嘉在一起很不协调,一个是面貌凶恶的脏老头子,拖着一条假腿,耷拉在挡泥板上,一个是衣着整洁的漂亮少妇,双眉紧蹙,若有所思,只见他二人不停地在城内外到处奔波,彼此很少说话,显然是互相嫌弃。他们在一起,显然是各有所需,他需要的钱,而她需要有人保护。城里的女人都说,起码这比她在光天化日之下和那个叫巴特勒的男人驾着车到处跑要好。她们都在纳闷,不知道瑞德·巴特勒这些日子到哪里去了。三个月以前,他突然消失了,就连思嘉也不知道他到哪里去了。
  阿尔奇是个沉默寡言的人,别人不跟他说话,他是一声不吭的。回答别的问话,也是含含糊糊地说不清楚。每天早上从媚兰的地窖里出来,就坐在皮蒂姑妈房前的台阶上,一面嚼烟叶,啐唾沫,一面等候思嘉。思嘉一出来,彼得便把她的马车从车房赶出来。彼得大叔很怕阿尔奇,只是不像怕魔鬼和三K党那么厉害罢了。就连嬷嬷也是摄手摄脚地从他身旁走,过不敢出声。他憎恨黑人,黑人也知道,而且怕他。
  除了原有的手枪和猎刀以外,他又增加了一把手枪,他在黑人中间,真是远近闻名。他从来不真的拨出手枪,甚至不必往腰带上伸手,只凭心理上的影响就足够了,只要是阿尔奇在附近黑人是连笑也不敢笑的。
  有一次,思嘉出于好奇心,问他为什么仇恨黑人。他的回答使思嘉出乎意外,因为其时不管问他什么问题,他总是回答说:“这不干你的事。"这一回,他是这样回答的:“我憎恨他们,我们山里人都憎恨他们。我们从来就不喜欢他们,从来不理睬那玩艺儿。这场战争就是他们闹出来的。就冲着这个,我也不能不憎恨他们。"“可是你也参加打仗了。"“我认为那是一个男人应该干的。我也恨那些北方佬,比恨黑人更厉害,我最恨的是多嘴多舌的女人。"阿尔奇露骨地说出这样无礼的话,顿使思嘉感到不快,恨不得把他甩掉,但是离开他又怎么办呢?还有什么别的办法让她象这样想到哪儿去,就到哪儿去呢?他既无礼,又肮脏,有时甚至身上有股怪味儿,但是他能解决问题。思嘉去木材厂,他送她,接她,还送她一家家去找她的顾客,在她谈生意或下指示的时候,他就一边啐唾沫,一边望着远处发呆。她一下车,他也下车,紧紧跟在后面。她要是和粗鲁的工人,黑人或北方的军队打交道,他一般总是待在身边,寸步不离。
  没多久,人们就对思嘉和她的保镖看惯了,看惯了以后,妇女们就开始羡慕她的行动自由,自从三K党绞死人以后,妇女几乎是被软禁起来了,即便是进城买东西,也一定六七个人结伴而行。而这些女人们生来喜欢交往,这样一来,她们就坐立不安,因此就把面子撂在一旁,来找思嘉,求她把阿尔奇借给她们用用。她倒也挺大方的,只要自己不用,总是让他去为女友效力。
  阿尔奇转眼间就仿佛成了亚特兰大专营保镖行业的人,妇女们争先恐后地在他闲暇的时候雇用他,几乎每天早上吃早饭的时候都有一个孩子或者黑人仆人送来一张条子,上面写道:“今天下午如果您不用阿尔奇,能否让我雇用一下,我要到公墓去献花。"或者说:“我要去买一顶帽子。""我想让阿尔奇赶车送内利姑妈出去兜兜风。"还有的说:“我需要到彼得斯大街去一趟,但爷爷身体不大好,不能陪我去,能不能让阿尔奇----"姑娘,太太,寡妇,他都去给她们赶车,对她们统统表现出那种不以为然的鄙视态度,很显然,除了媚兰之外,他是不喜欢女人的,和对待黑人和北方佬的态度一样。妇女们刚开始对他的无礼感到惊讶,但后来也就习惯了,再加上他沉默寡言,只是有时候吐些嚼烟叶的唾液,大家自然把他和赶的马同样看待,而忘记了还有他这样一个人。有一次,梅里韦瑟太太把侄女生孩子的所有细节跟米德太太说了遍,压根儿没想起阿尔奇就坐在车前赶车。
  只有在当前这种局势之下才会出现这样的情况。在战前,妇女们连厨房也不会让他进的,她们在后门口拿给他一些吃的,就把他打发走了。现在大家都欢迎了,因为有他在场就感到安全。他粗鲁,没有文化,而且肮脏,但他有能力地保护妇女们免受重建时期各种恐怖行为的威胁。他以保镖为业,保护妇女的安全,这样她们的丈夫白天就可以去工作,夜晚有事也可以出去了。
  渐渐思嘉发现,自从阿尔奇来给她干活之后,弗兰克常常晚上出去,他说店里的帐目需要结。现在生意好,上班时间顾不上结帐。有时他说朋友生病了,需要去照料一下。另外还有一个民主党人的组织,每星期三晚上聚会,研究怎样重新获得选举权,而弗兰克从未缺席。思嘉觉得这个组织聚在一起不会谈别的,只是议论戈登将军怎样比其他各位将军功劳大,仅次于李将军,他们还要把整个战争重打一遍,她看得清楚,在重新争选举权方面没取得什么进展。弗兰克显然是很喜欢参加这些聚会的,因为他总是待到最后,待到很晚。
  艾希礼有时也出去照料病人,他也参加民主党人的聚会,而且常常是和弗兰克同一天晚上出去,每逢这种时候,阿尔奇就护送皮蒂、思嘉、韦德和小爱拉穿过后院,到媚兰家去,两个家庭在一起渡过这个夜晚,这几个女人做针线活儿,阿尔奇说直挺挺地躺在客厅里的沙发上打呼噜,每呼一声,他那灰白胡子就跳动一阵。没人请他在沙发上坐,而且这沙发是全家最精致的一件家具,每次见他往上前一躺,还把靴子放在漂亮的软垫上,她们就心疼得不得了。可是她们谁也没有这个勇气出来阻拦他。有一次,他说幸亏他一躺下就会睡着,否则一帮女人像一群母鸡似的不停地唠唠叨叨,会使他发疯的。大家一听,更不敢阻拦他了。
  有时思嘉也纳闷,阿尔奇到底是哪里人,在媚兰的地窖里住下之前是干什么的,但一直没敢问他。一看他那独眼的严厉的面孔,好奇心也就消失了。她只晓得,听他的口音,他是北方的人山里人,他当过兵,在南方军队投降之前不久,他受了伤,丢了一只眼睛、一条腿。有一天,她大骂休·埃尔辛,倒使得阿尔奇全盘托出了自己的经历。
  有一天早上,这个老头儿赶着车送思嘉到休经管的木材厂去,思嘉发现厂子没开工,黑人都不在,休无精打采地在树底下坐着,工人都不见人影,他也不知道怎么办好,一看这情形,思嘉怒火冲天,便毫不客平地和休发作起来,因为她刚弄到一份购买大宗木材的定单,而且要得很急,这份定单是她费了很大精力,搭上自己的姿色,而且争了半天才弄到手的,而木材厂现在却不开工。
  “送我到那个厂子去,"她向阿尔奇吩咐道:“我知道路上要走很长时间,饭也吃不上了。不过我花钱雇你又是为了什么呢?我要让威尔克斯先生把手上的活儿停下来,先把我这批木材赶出来。说不定他那里也没开工呢。这可就好了!我从来没见过休·埃尔辛这样蠢货!等约翰尼·加勒格尔一把商店盖好,我就把他赶走。加勒格尔在北方佬军队里干过事,这有什么关系?他能干活儿。我从没看见爱尔兰人有发懒的。
  我再也不雇自由的黑鬼了。那些人靠不祝我要把加勒格尔找来。再雇上几个犯人,他会让他们干活儿的,他----"阿尔奇一听这话,转过头来看着她,眼睛里充满了恶意,接着他用沙哑的声音带着冷酷的怒气说:“你什么时候雇来犯人,我什么时候走。"思嘉大吃一惊,说:“哎呀!这是为什么"“我知道雇犯人是怎么回事,我管它叫谋杀犯人,买人就像买骡子一样,他们受到的待遇连骡子都不如,他们挨打,挨饿,还要遭杀害。有谁过问呢?政府不管。政府已经把钱拿到手了。雇犯人的,他们也不管。他们只想花最少的钱给他们一口饭吃,让他们干最多的活儿。见鬼去吧,太太,我从来看不起女人,现在就更看不起女人了。"“这和你有什么关系嘛?"“有的,"他的答话十分简单。他停顿了一下又接着说:“我当犯人当了将近四十年。"思嘉倒抽了一口冷气,霎那间,倚在靠垫上直往后缩。原来阿尔奇这个谜和谜底在这里,他之所以不愿说出自己的姓和出生地,不愿谈自己的经历,原因就在这里,他说话不流利,对社会采取冷酷、仇恨的态度,原因也在这里。四十年啊!他入狱的时候肯定还年轻。四十年啊!他一定是判的无期徒刑,而判无期徒刑的人----“是不是因为----杀人?"“是的,"他坦率地答道,同时抖了抖缰绳,"杀了老婆。"思嘉吓得直眨眼睛。
  胡子遮盖着的嘴唇好像动了动,仿佛他在讥笑思嘉这样害怕。"你要是怕我杀你,感到紧张,那你可以放心,太太,我是不会杀你的。我不会无故杀死任何一个女人。"“你杀了你的老婆!"“她和我兄弟乱搞,他跑了,我就把她杀了。放荡的女人就该杀,法律不应该为了这个就把一个人关起来,可却把我关起来了。““可是----你是怎么出来的呢?跑出来的吗?还是赦免了?"“可是说是赦免,“他紧紧地皱了皱那两道灰色的浓眉,好像连续讲话有困难。
  “早在1864年,谢曼打到这里,当时我在米莱吉维尔监狱,四十年来我一直关在那里,狱长把我们这些犯人都召集起来,对我们说,北方佬来了,他们杀人,放火,现在除了黑鬼和女人以外,我要是还有什么更恨的东西,那就是北方佬。"“那是为什么?你曾经----你是不是


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
2 mite 4Epxw     
n.极小的东西;小铜币
参考例句:
  • The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
  • He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。
3 doting xuczEv     
adj.溺爱的,宠爱的
参考例句:
  • His doting parents bought him his first racing bike at 13.宠爱他的父母在他13岁时就给他买了第一辆竞速自行车。
  • The doting husband catered to his wife's every wish.这位宠爱妻子的丈夫总是高度满足太太的各项要求。
4 emancipation Sjlzb     
n.(从束缚、支配下)解放
参考例句:
  • We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 frenzied LQVzt     
a.激怒的;疯狂的
参考例句:
  • Will this push him too far and lead to a frenzied attack? 这会不会逼他太甚,导致他进行疯狂的进攻?
  • Two teenagers carried out a frenzied attack on a local shopkeeper. 两名十几岁的少年对当地的一个店主进行了疯狂的袭击。
6 rape PAQzh     
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸
参考例句:
  • The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
  • He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。
7 sullen kHGzl     
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的
参考例句:
  • He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
  • Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐,因为昨晚没睡好。
8 retaliatory XjUzzo     
adj.报复的
参考例句:
  • The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前,这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
  • Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网
9 rumors 2170bcd55c0e3844ecb4ef13fef29b01     
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷
参考例句:
  • Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 wholesale Ig9wL     
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售
参考例句:
  • The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物,以零售价卖出。
  • Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。
11 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
12 swoop nHPzI     
n.俯冲,攫取;v.抓取,突然袭击
参考例句:
  • The plane made a swoop over the city.那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
  • We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there.我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。
13 raped 7a6e3e7dd30eb1e3b61716af0e54d4a2     
v.以暴力夺取,强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 );强奸
参考例句:
  • A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
  • We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致,不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句
14 vigor yLHz0     
n.活力,精力,元气
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在,她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。
15 chafe yrIzD     
v.擦伤;冲洗;惹怒
参考例句:
  • The foaming waves chafe against the rocky shore.汹涌的波涛猛烈地冲击着礁岸。
  • A stiff collar may chafe your neck.硬的衣领会擦伤你的脖子。
16 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
17 bug 5skzf     
n.虫子;故障;窃听器;vt.纠缠;装窃听器
参考例句:
  • There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
  • The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。
18 unearthed e4d49b43cc52eefcadbac6d2e94bb832     
出土的(考古)
参考例句:
  • Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
  • Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。
19 thwarted 919ac32a9754717079125d7edb273fc2     
阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 ); 使受挫折; 挫败; 横过
参考例句:
  • The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
  • Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。
20 appalled ec524998aec3c30241ea748ac1e5dbba     
v.使惊骇,使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的;丧胆的
参考例句:
  • The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
  • They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 haughtily haughtily     
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地
参考例句:
  • She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
  • Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯,走到二楼,我刚好站在那儿。
22 overtures 0ed0d32776ccf6fae49696706f6020ad     
n.主动的表示,提议;(向某人做出的)友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 );(歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的)序曲,前奏曲
参考例句:
  • Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好,样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句
23 stumped bf2a34ab92a06b6878a74288580b8031     
僵直地行走,跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 ); 把(某人)难住; 使为难; (选举前)在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句:
  • Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活,然后很艰难地走出房间。
  • He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌,半天说不出话来。
24 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
25 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
26 ragged KC0y8     
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
参考例句:
  • A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
  • Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
27 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
28 illiterate Bc6z5     
adj.文盲的;无知的;n.文盲
参考例句:
  • There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
  • I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲,今天也认字了。
29 withered 342a99154d999c47f1fc69d900097df9     
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
  • The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。
30 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
31 lame r9gzj     
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句:
  • The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
  • I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
32 sag YD4yA     
v.下垂,下跌,消沉;n.下垂,下跌,凹陷,[航海]随风漂流
参考例句:
  • The shelf was beginning to sag beneath the weight of the books upon it.书架在书的重压下渐渐下弯。
  • We need to do something about the sag.我们须把下沉的地方修整一下。
33 lank f9hzd     
adj.瘦削的;稀疏的
参考例句:
  • He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来,紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。
  • The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏
34 peg p3Fzi     
n.木栓,木钉;vt.用木钉钉,用短桩固定
参考例句:
  • Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。
  • He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
35 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
36 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
37 deformed iutzwV     
adj.畸形的;变形的;丑的,破相了的
参考例句:
  • He was born with a deformed right leg.他出生时右腿畸形。
  • His body was deformed by leprosy.他的身体因为麻风病变形了。
38 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
39 carving 5wezxw     
n.雕刻品,雕花
参考例句:
  • All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
  • He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。
40 tattered bgSzkG     
adj.破旧的,衣衫破的
参考例句:
  • Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
  • Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。
41 protruded ebe69790c4eedce2f4fb12105fc9e9ac     
v.(使某物)伸出,(使某物)突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The child protruded his tongue. 那小孩伸出舌头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The creature's face seemed to be protruded, because of its bent carriage. 那人的脑袋似乎向前突出,那是因为身子佝偻的缘故。 来自英汉文学
42 spat pFdzJ     
n.口角,掌击;v.发出呼噜呼噜声
参考例句:
  • Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
  • There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。
43 rustily 403e0e851ba8c9d8724eb409f0acd24f     
锈蚀地,声音沙哑地
参考例句:
44 meddling meddling     
v.干涉,干预(他人事务)( meddle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
  • They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野,因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句
45 impersonal Ck6yp     
adj.无个人感情的,与个人无关的,非人称的
参考例句:
  • Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远,没有人情味。
  • His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。
46 gad E6dyd     
n.闲逛;v.闲逛
参考例句:
  • He is always on the gad.他老是闲荡作乐。
  • Let it go back into the gloaming and gad with a lot of longing.就让它回到暮色中,满怀憧憬地游荡吧。
47 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
48 truculent kUazK     
adj.野蛮的,粗野的
参考例句:
  • He was seen as truculent,temperamental,too unwilling to tolerate others.他们认为他为人蛮横无理,性情暴躁,不大能容人。
  • He was in no truculent state of mind now.这会儿他心肠一点也不狠毒了。
49 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
50 puckered 919dc557997e8559eff50805cb11f46e     
v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱,像要哭了。
  • His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸,眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
51 liking mpXzQ5     
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢
参考例句:
  • The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
  • I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。
52 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
参考例句:
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
53 brazenly 050b0303ab1c4b948fddde2c176e6101     
adv.厚颜无耻地;厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地
参考例句:
  • How dare he distort the facts so brazenly! 他怎么敢如此肆无忌惮地歪曲事实! 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • "I don't know," he answered, looking her brazenly over. “我也不知道,"他厚颜无耻地打量着她。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
54 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
55 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
56 grunts c00fd9006f1464bcf0f544ccda70d94b     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说; 石鲈
参考例句:
  • With grunts of anguish Ogilvie eased his bulk to a sitting position. 奥格尔维苦恼地哼着,伸个懒腰坐了起来。
  • Linda fired twice A trio of Grunts assembling one mortar fell. 琳达击发两次。三个正在组装迫击炮的咕噜人倒下了。
57 outspoken 3mIz7v     
adj.直言无讳的,坦率的,坦白无隐的
参考例句:
  • He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
  • She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。
58 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
59 laborers c8c6422086151d6c0ae2a95777108e3c     
n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工
参考例句:
  • Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言
60 bodyguard 0Rfy2     
n.护卫,保镖
参考例句:
  • She has to have an armed bodyguard wherever she goes.她不管到哪儿都得有带武器的保镖跟从。
  • The big guy standing at his side may be his bodyguard.站在他身旁的那个大个子可能是他的保镖。
61 immured 8727048a152406d66991e43b6eeaa1c8     
v.禁闭,监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was like a prisoner so long immured that freedom dazes him. 她象一个长年累月被关闭的囚犯,自由使她迷乱茫然。 来自辞典例句
  • He immured himself in a small room to work undisturbed. 他自己关在小屋里埋头工作,以免受到骚扰。 来自辞典例句
62 intermittent ebCzV     
adj.间歇的,断断续续的
参考例句:
  • Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗?
  • In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里,时断时续地下着雨,使整个大地都生气勃勃了。
63 confinement qpOze     
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限
参考例句:
  • He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
  • The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。
64 reassuring vkbzHi     
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的
参考例句:
  • He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
  • With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。
65 bulwark qstzb     
n.堡垒,保障,防御
参考例句:
  • That country is a bulwark of freedom.那个国家是自由的堡垒。
  • Law and morality are the bulwark of society.法律和道德是社会的防御工具。
66 reconstruction 3U6xb     
n.重建,再现,复原
参考例句:
  • The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后,该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
  • In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期,技术决定一切。
67 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
  • The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
68 regaining 458e5f36daee4821aec7d05bf0dd4829     
复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉,但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
  • She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道,又马上重新振作起精神来。
69 ballot jujzB     
n.(不记名)投票,投票总数,投票权;vi.投票
参考例句:
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
70 rumble PCXzd     
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说
参考例句:
  • I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
  • We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定,天要下雨了。
71 remonstrate rCuyR     
v.抗议,规劝
参考例句:
  • He remonstrated with the referee.他向裁判抗议。
  • I jumped in the car and went to remonstrate.我跳进汽车去提出抗议。
72 clattering f876829075e287eeb8e4dc1cb4972cc5     
发出咔哒声(clatter的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
  • The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。
73 bespoke 145af5d0ef7fa4d104f65fe8ad911f59     
adj.(产品)订做的;专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 );订(货);证明;预先请求
参考例句:
  • His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence. 他的衣着风格显得十分自信。
  • The haberdasher presented a cap, saying,"Here is the cap your worship bespoke." 帽匠拿出一顶帽子来说:“这就是老爷您定做的那顶。” 来自辞典例句
74 despondently 9be17148dd640dc40b605258bbc2e187     
adv.沮丧地,意志消沉地
参考例句:
  • It had come to that, he reflected despondently. 事情已经到了这个地步了,他沉思着,感到心灰意懒。 来自辞典例句
  • He shook his head despondently. 他沮丧地摇摇头。 来自辞典例句
75 expend Fmwx6     
vt.花费,消费,消耗
参考例句:
  • Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
  • They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。
76 lumber a8Jz6     
n.木材,木料;v.以破旧东西堆满;伐木;笨重移动
参考例句:
  • The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
  • They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。
77 malevolent G8IzV     
adj.有恶意的,恶毒的
参考例句:
  • Why are they so malevolent to me?他们为什么对我如此恶毒?
  • We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
78 mules be18bf53ebe6a97854771cdc8bfe67e6     
骡( mule的名词复数 ); 拖鞋; 顽固的人; 越境运毒者
参考例句:
  • The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。
  • She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。
79 laconically 09acdfe4bad4e976c830505804da4d5b     
adv.简短地,简洁地
参考例句:
  • "I have a key,'said Rhett laconically, and his eyes met Melanie's evenly. "我有钥匙,"瑞德直截了当说。他和媚兰的眼光正好相遇。 来自飘(部分)
  • 'says he's sick,'said Johnnie laconically. "他说他有玻"约翰尼要理不理的说。 来自飘(部分)
80 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
81 riddle WCfzw     
n.谜,谜语,粗筛;vt.解谜,给…出谜,筛,检查,鉴定,非难,充满于;vi.出谜
参考例句:
  • The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
  • Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。
82 unwillingness 0aca33eefc696aef7800706b9c45297d     
n. 不愿意,不情愿
参考例句:
  • Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题,这不利于她所处的形势。
  • His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱,他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。
83 hatred T5Gyg     
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
参考例句:
  • He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
  • The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。
84 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
85 reins 370afc7786679703b82ccfca58610c98     
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带
参考例句:
  • She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
  • The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。
86 eyelids 86ece0ca18a95664f58bda5de252f4e7     
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色
参考例句:
  • She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了,眼睑开始往下垂。
  • Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
87 writhed 7985cffe92f87216940f2d01877abcf6     
(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He writhed at the memory, revolted with himself for that temporary weakness. 他一想起来就痛悔不已,只恨自己当一时糊涂。
  • The insect, writhed, and lay prostrate again. 昆虫折腾了几下,重又直挺挺地倒了下去。
88 warden jMszo     
n.监察员,监狱长,看守人,监护人
参考例句:
  • He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
  • The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。
89 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
90 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
91 chaotic rUTyD     
adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的
参考例句:
  • Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
  • The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。
92 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
93 wagons ff97c19d76ea81bb4f2a97f2ff0025e7     
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车
参考例句:
  • The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
  • They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。
94 twilight gKizf     
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
参考例句:
  • Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
  • Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
95 sleet wxlw6     
n.雨雪;v.下雨雪,下冰雹
参考例句:
  • There was a great deal of sleet last night.昨夜雨夹雪下得真大。
  • When winter comes,we get sleet and frost.冬天来到时我们这儿会有雨夹雪和霜冻。
96 sentimental dDuzS     
adj.多愁善感的,感伤的
参考例句:
  • She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人,她相信姻缘命中注定。
  • We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。
97 pricked 1d0503c50da14dcb6603a2df2c2d4557     
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛
参考例句:
  • The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
  • He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。
98 foisting 32156d10e387ae35b7f4f0936a24e134     
强迫接受,把…强加于( foist的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • That's your fault for foisting the brute on us. 你真不该把那个畜生带到咱们这个圈子里来!
99 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地,绝对地
参考例句:
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民,把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
100 pertaining d922913cc247e3b4138741a43c1ceeb2     
与…有关系的,附属…的,为…固有的(to)
参考例句:
  • Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
101 clutter HWoym     
n.零乱,杂乱;vt.弄乱,把…弄得杂乱
参考例句:
  • The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱,我们什么也找不到。
  • We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。
102 emphatic 0P1zA     
adj.强调的,着重的;无可置疑的,明显的
参考例句:
  • Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决,不容有任何人怀疑。
  • He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。
103 tangle yIQzn     
n.纠缠;缠结;混乱;v.(使)缠绕;变乱
参考例句:
  • I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
  • If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你,我就不跟他们争吵。
104 irritably e3uxw     
ad.易生气地
参考例句:
  • He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了,暴躁地斥责孩子们。
  • On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事,他妻子大声斥责,令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
105 abreast Zf3yi     
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地
参考例句:
  • She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
  • We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习,就会跟不上形势。
106 prospect P01zn     
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
参考例句:
  • This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
  • The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
107 ratify uATzc     
v.批准,认可,追认
参考例句:
  • The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
  • The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。
108 amendment Mx8zY     
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案
参考例句:
  • The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
  • The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。
109 ratified 307141b60a4e10c8e00fe98bc499667a     
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准,因此被宣布无效。
  • The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。
110 ratification fTUx0     
n.批准,认可
参考例句:
  • The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
  • The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。
111 gumption a5yyx     
n.才干
参考例句:
  • With his gumption he will make a success of himself.凭他的才干,他将大有作为。
  • Surely anyone with marketing gumption should be able to sell good books at any time of year.无疑,有经营头脑的人在一年的任何时节都应该能够卖掉好书。
112 cram 6oizE     
v.填塞,塞满,临时抱佛脚,为考试而学习
参考例句:
  • There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
  • The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的,再也挤不进去人了。
113 gracefully KfYxd     
ad.大大方方地;优美地
参考例句:
  • She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
114 radical hA8zu     
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的
参考例句:
  • The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
  • She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。
115 jeered c6b854b3d0a6d00c4c5a3e1372813b7d     
v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The police were jeered at by the waiting crowd. 警察受到在等待的人群的嘲弄。
  • The crowd jeered when the boxer was knocked down. 当那个拳击手被打倒时,人们开始嘲笑他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
116 Flared Flared     
adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
  • The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭,但它突然又燃烧起来。
117 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
118 enrage UoQxz     
v.触怒,激怒
参考例句:
  • She chose a quotation that she knew would enrage him.她选用了一句明知会激怒他的引语。
  • He started another matter to enrage me,but I didn't care.他又提出另一问题,想以此激怒我,可我并没在意。
119 rumbled e155775f10a34eef1cb1235a085c6253     
发出隆隆声,发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 轰鸣着缓慢行进; 发现…的真相; 看穿(阴谋)
参考例句:
  • The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
  • Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了,然而,在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声,持续不断。
120 knuckle r9Qzw     
n.指节;vi.开始努力工作;屈服,认输
参考例句:
  • They refused to knuckle under to any pressure.他们拒不屈从任何压力。
  • You'll really have to knuckle down if you want to pass the examination.如果想通过考试,你确实应专心学习。
121 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
122 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
123 disapproval VuTx4     
n.反对,不赞成
参考例句:
  • The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
  • They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。
124 miseries c95fd996533633d2e276d3dd66941888     
n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 );痛苦的事;穷困;常发牢骚的人
参考例句:
  • They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
125 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
126 gnomish d205e92c3fd82587ba37abf242f6ec61     
adj.似侏儒的,好戏弄的
参考例句:
  • The Gnomish Mines go down about 8-10 levels. 矮人矿坑大概有8-10层。 来自互联网
  • The other stairs lead to the Gnomish Mines, which is a branch of the main dungeon. 通常另一个是通往矮人矿坑的,这是游戏的一个分支。 来自互联网
127 qualms qualms     
n.不安;内疚
参考例句:
  • He felt no qualms about borrowing money from friends.他没有对于从朋友那里借钱感到不安。
  • He has no qualms about lying.他撒谎毫不内疚。
128 agates 06db73de1665a768a003d8db2d4fe12f     
n.玛瑙( agate的名词复数 );玛瑙制(或装有玛瑙的)工具; (小孩玩的)玛瑙纹玩具弹子;5。5磅铅字
参考例句:
  • The colorful agates are engraved for pursuing lofty spirit. 绚丽的玛尼石,镌刻着崇高的精神追求。 来自互联网
  • Today, Earth teems with thousands of kinds of minerals, from agates to zircons. 现在,地球上到处是各种各样的矿物,从玛瑙到锆石应有尽有。 来自互联网
129 justified 7pSzrk     
a.正当的,有理的
参考例句:
  • She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
  • The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
130 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
131 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
参考例句:
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
132 pestered 18771cb6d4829ac7c0a2a1528fe31cad     
使烦恼,纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Journalists pestered neighbours for information. 记者缠着邻居打听消息。
  • The little girl pestered the travellers for money. 那个小女孩缠着游客要钱。
133 pestering cbb7a3da2b778ce39088930a91d2c85b     
使烦恼,纠缠( pester的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He's always pestering me to help him with his homework. 他总是泡蘑菇要我帮他做作业。
  • I'm telling you once and for all, if you don't stop pestering me you'll be sorry. 我这是最后一次警告你。如果你不停止纠缠我,你将来会后悔的。
134 slump 4E8zU     
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌
参考例句:
  • She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
  • Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。
135 debonair xyLxZ     
adj.殷勤的,快乐的
参考例句:
  • He strolled about,look very debonair in his elegant new suit.他穿了一身讲究的新衣服逛来逛去,显得颇为惬意。
  • He was a handsome,debonair,death-defying racing-driver.他是一位英俊潇洒、风流倜傥、敢于挑战死神的赛车手。
136 gnawed 85643b5b73cc74a08138f4534f41cef1     
咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 ); (长时间) 折磨某人; (使)苦恼; (长时间)危害某事物
参考例句:
  • His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
  • The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。


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