Pitty's hand trembled so that the lamp was a menace to the safety of the house but she
held it and trotted ahead toward the dark bedroom. Archie, with a grunt, got an arm under Ashley and raised him.
"But--I've got to arrest these men!"
Rhett turned in the dim hallway.
"Arrest them in the morning then. They can't run away in this condition--and I never knew before that it was illegal to get drunk in a sporting house. Good God, Tom, there are fifty witnesses to prove they were at Belle's."
"There are always fifty witnesses to prove a Southerner was somewhere he wasn't," said the captain morosely. "You come with me, Mr. Elsing. I'll parole Mr. Wilkes on the word of--"
"I am Mr. Wilkes' sister. I will answer for his appearance," said India coldly. "Now, will you please go? You've caused enough trouble for one night."
"I regret it exceedingly." The captain bowed awkwardly. "I only hope they can prove their presence at the--er--Miss--Mrs.Watling's house. Will you tell your brother that he must appear before the provost marshal tomorrow morning for questioning?"
India bowed coldly and, putting her hand upon the door knob, intimated silently that his
speedy retirement would be welcome. The captain and the sergeant backed out, Hugh Elsing with them, and she slammed the door behind them. Without even looking at Scarlett, she went swiftly to each window and drew down the shade. Scarlett, her knees shaking, caught hold of the chair in which Ashley had been sitting to steady herself. Looking down at it, she saw that there was a dark moist spot, larger than her hand, on the cushion in the back of the chair. Puzzled, her hand went over it and, to her horror, a sticky red wetness appeared on her palm.
"India," she whispered, "India, Ashley's--he's hurt."
"You fool! Did you think he was really drunk?" India snapped down the last shade and started on flying feet for the bedroom, with Scarlett close behind her, her heart in her throat.
Rhett's big body barred the doorway but, past his shoulder, Scarlett saw Ashley lying white and still on the bed. Melanie, strangely quick for one so recently in a faint, was rapidly cutting off his blood-soaked shirt with embroidery scissors. Archie held the lamp low over the bed to give light and one of his gnarled fingers was on Ashley's wrist.
"Is he dead?" cried both girls together.
"No, just fainted from loss of blood. It's through his shoulder," said Rhett.
"Why did you bring him here, you fool?" cried India, "Let me get to him! Let me pass!
Why did you bring him here to be arrested?"
"He was too weak to travel. There was nowhere else to bring him, Miss Wilkes. Besides--
do you want him to be an exile like Tony Fontaine? Do you want a dozen of your neighbors to live in Texas under assumed names for the rest of their lives? There's a chance that we may get them all off if Belle--"
"Let me pass!"
"No, Miss Wilkes. There's work for you. You must go for a doctor--Not Dr. Meade. He's implicated in this and is probably explaining to the Yankees at this very minute. Get some other doctor. Are you afraid to go out alone at night?"
"No," said India, her pale eyes glittering. "I'm not afraid." She caught up Melanie's hooded cape which was hanging on a book in the hall. "I'll go for old Dr. Dean." The excitement went out of her voice as, with an effort, she forced calmness. "I'm sorry I called you a spy and a fool. I did not understand. I'm deeply grateful for what you've done for Ashley--but I despise you just the same."
"I appreciate frankness--and I thank you for it." Rhett bowed and his lip curled down in an amused smile. "Now, go quickly and by back ways and when you return do not come in this house if you see signs of soldiers about."
India shot one more quick anguished look at Ashley, and, wrapping her cape about her,
ran lightly down the hall to the back door and let herself out quietly into the night.
Scarlett, straining her eyes past Rhett, felt her heart beat again as she saw Ashley's eyes open. Melanie snatched a folded towel from the washstand rack and pressed it against his
streaming shoulder and he smiled up weakly, reassuringly into her face. Scarlett felt Rhett's hard penetrating eyes upon her, knew that her heart was plain upon her face, but she did not care.
Ashley was bleeding, perhaps dying and she who loved him had torn that hole through his
shoulder. She wanted to run to the bed, sink down beside it and clasp him to her but her knees trembled so that she could not enter the room. Hand at her mouth, she stared while Melanie packed a fresh towel against his shoulder, pressing it hard as though she could force back the blood into his body. But the towel reddened as though by magic.