| Scarlett sopped the wheat cake in the gravy and put it in her mouth. Perhaps there was something to what Mammy said a police shieldcould hold me upside down and drainmy gutschange your mind. There must be something in it, for Ellen said the same things, indifferent and more delicate words. In fact, the mothers of all her girl friends impressed on theirdaughters the necessity of being helpless, clinging, doe-eyed creatures. Really, it took a lot of senseto cultivate and hold such a pose. Perhaps she had been too brash. Occasionally she-had arguedwith Ashley and frankly aired her opinions. Perhaps this and her healthy enjoyment of from her to the frail Melanie. Perhaps if she changed her tactics— But shefelt that if Ashley succumbed to premeditated feminine tricks, she could never respect him as shenow did. Any man who was fool enough to fall for a simper, a faint and an “Oh, how wonderfulyou are!” wasn’t worth having. But they all seemed to like it. If she had used the wrong tactics with Ashley in the past—well, that was the past and done with. Today she would use different ones, the right ones. She wanted him and she had only a few hoursin which to get him. If fainting, or pretending to faint, would do the trick, then she would faint. Ifsimpering, coquetry or empty-headedness would attract him, she would gladly play the flirt and bemore empty-headed than even Cathleen Calvert. And if bolder measures were necessary, she wouldtake them. Today was the day! There was no one to tell Scarlett that her own personality, frighteningly vital though it was, wasmore attractive than any masquerade she might adopt. Had she been, told, she would have beenpleased but unbelieving. And the civilization of which she was a part would have been unbelievingtoo, for at no time, before or since, had so low a premium been placed on feminine naturalness. As the carriage bore her down the red road toward the Wilkes plantation, Scarlett had a feeling ofguilty pleasure that neither her mother nor Mammy was with the party. There would be no one atthe barbecue who, by delicately lifted brows or out-thrust underlip, could interfere with her plan ofaction. Of course, Suellen would be certain to tell tales tomorrow, but if an went as Scarlett hoped,the excitement of the family over her engagement to Ashley or her elopement would more thanoverbalance their displeasure. Yes, she was very glad Ellen had been forced to stay at home. Gerald, primed with brandy, had given Jonas Wilkerson his dismissal that morning and Ellenhad remained at Tara to go over the accounts of the plantation before he took his departure. Scarletthad kissed her mother good-by in the little office where she sat before the tall secretary with itspaper-stuffed pigeonholes.
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