Continuation of "Gone with the Wind"

Chapter 5 Rumors

The city of Atlanta has exploded these days, and everyone, from the respectable Mrs. Elsing, Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Whiting, Mrs. Meade, down to the women of the Yankee officers who have just flooded into the city, Free black person wives, all talk of a miracle.

Everyone was very excited, like a bonfire party, but the way of expressing the excitement was different.The wives of high-class people often gather together to whisper, and they are very careful not to let the children know; northern women and blacks are not so taboo, and their speech is naturally much harsher, and even children have learned to have noses and eyes.

The gossip-loving character of Atlanta people directly led to the spread of the whole thing, and the rumors became more and more out of order. In the end, almost the whole state of Georgia knew about it.

Although the status of the two parties involved in the whole incident is very different, their reputations are equally bad, which makes the spreaders of rumors even more confident, and no one would think of asking any of them to verify the authenticity of the incident .

After all, one was Belle Watling, the madam that decent people in Atlanta were ashamed to mention, and the other was Scarlett, who was already notorious.

Scarlett sat distraught in the house on Peachtree Street, listening to Aunt Pete tearfully—begging rather than reprimanding—her: “I said, Scarlett, how could you do that, how could you go to that bad A woman's house? Isn't this discrediting your family members? How can you let me see Mrs. Meade in the future? You must never go there again, so as to preserve your reputation. You..."

"Okay, auntie, stop rambling, what I do is my business, what does it have to do with others? Besides, after Rhett left, you don't know what those old women in the city think of me. What is reputation, What do I want it for?"

"My God, how dare you say that? Prissy, hurry up, get the smelling salts, my head is going to go dizzy again." Aunt Pete was shocked, as if she was about to faint.

Scarlett didn't bother to say anything more, she knew it was useless to say it, and Aunt Pitt would not listen to it, nor would she understand it.

In fact, even she herself couldn't understand, what was the reason why she suddenly became close to Bell, who was gnashing her teeth when the women avoided mentioning it.

She hadn't been good at analysis before, and she still isn't good at it.But she didn't want to worry about it right now, since she was going back to Tara soon, and besides, Bell had saved her life, and from her she would know about Rhett.For Rhett, she would rather deal with the prostitute she hated before.

Scarlett always felt ashamed of herself when she recalled what happened that day in front of Melly's grave.Actually fainted like the useless Aunt Pete, you know, she had always been proud of herself that she never fainted like those posturing ladies.However, since she fell ill, her body has not really recovered, and because she didn't listen to the doctor's advice, she insisted on going to Meili's tomb in such a cold day, and she stood there for such a long time, "The cold air enters the body, and the emotion is too strong." I was overexcited, recovered from a serious illness, and my body couldn’t take it anymore, and I’m lucky that I didn’t have a high fever again.” That’s what the young doctor invited must have said, but he was so courageous that he dared to come to Bell’s brothel.

But more than that, she was more amazed that Bell was willing to get a doctor for her and have him come to her home.She once tried to ask Bell about this, but Bell said: "It's not important, I have my own way. You just don't faint anymore, and it costs money to ask a doctor." She was blocked at that time Nothing to say.Looking at Bell's calm and composed look, Scarlett felt ashamed when she thought of her performance after waking up.