Gone with the Wind / Унесённые ветром. Уровень 3. Маргарет Митчелл
Читать онлайн.| Название | Gone with the Wind / Унесённые ветром. Уровень 3 |
|---|---|
| Автор произведения | Маргарет Митчелл |
| Жанр | Зарубежная классика |
| Серия | Легко читаем по-английски |
| Издательство | Зарубежная классика |
| Год выпуска | 2021 |
| isbn | 978-5-17-137500-3 |
«Bring what’s left of the candle», she ordered. «Bring it into Mother’s… into the office».
Scarlett groped her way into the inky small room and sank down on the sofa. Her father’s arm still lay in hers, helpless, appealing, trusting.
«He’s an old man, an old tired man», she thought again.
«Pork, how many darkies are here?»
«Miss Scarlett, they ran away and some of them went off with the Yankees».
«How many are left?»
«Me, Miss Scarlett, and Mammy. And Dilcey. Three of us, Miss Scarlett».
«Three of us» where there had been a hundred.
«Pork, I’m starving. Is there anything to eat?»
«No, ma’am. They took everything».
«But the garden?»
«Nothing».
«Even the sweet potato hills?»
«Miss Scarlett, I forgot about yams. The Yankee never seed yams».
«You go out and dig us some and roast them».
«Pork… I… I feel so faint. Is there any wine in the cellar?»
«No, Miss Scarlett».
«Pork, what of the corn whisky Pa buried in the oak barrel under the summer-house?»
A smile lit the black face, a smile of pleasure and respect.
«Miss Scarlett, you remember! I forgot about it. But, Miss Scarlett, that whisky is not good. Not good for ladies».
How stupid negroes were! And the Yankees wanted to free them.
«It’ll be good enough for this lady and for Pa. Hurry, Pork, dig it up and bring us two glasses and some mint and sugar».
«Miss Scarlett, you know we have no sugar. And the horses ate up all the mint. And they broke all the glasses».
If he says «they» once more, I’ll scream, she thought, and then, aloud: «Well, hurry and get the whisky, quickly».
And, as he turned: «Wait, Pork. I brought home a horse and a cow and the cow needs milking, badly, and unharness the horse and water him. Go tell Mammy to look after the cow. Miss Melanie’s baby will die if he doesn’t get something to eat and…»
«Miss Melly has no…?» Pork paused delicately.
«Miss Melanie has no milk».
«Well, Miss Scarlett, my Dilcey has got lot of milk».
«You’ve got a new baby, Pork?»
Babies, babies, babies. Why did God make so many babies? But no, God didn’t make them. Stupid people made them.
«Yes ma’am, big fat black boy».
«Go tell Dilcey to nurse Miss Melanie’s baby and do what she can for Miss Melanie. Tell Mammy to look after the cow and put that poor horse in the stable».
«No stable, Miss Scarlett. They used it for firewood».
«Don’t tell me any more what ‘they’ did. Pork, go dig up that whisky and then some potatoes».
«But, Miss Scarlett, how can I dig? No light».
«You can use a stick of firewood, can’t you?»
«No firewood. They…»
«Do something! I don’t care what. But dig those things and dig them fast. Now, hurry».
Scarlett was left alone with Gerald. She patted his leg gently.
«Why didn’t they burn Tara?» Scarlett asked.
Gerald stared at her for a moment she repeated her question.
«Why… «he fumbled, «they used the house as a headquarters».
«Yankees… in this house?»
This house, sacred because Ellen had lived in it, and those… those… in it.
«So they were, Daughter. We saw the smoke from Twelve Oaks, across the river, before they came. But Miss Honey and Miss India and some of their darkies had refugeed to Macon, so we did not worry about them. But we couldn’t go to Macon. The girls were so sick… your mother… we couldn’t go. Our darkies ran… I do not know where. They stole the wagons and the mules. Mammy and Dilcey and Pork… they didn’t run. The girls… your mother… we couldn’t move them».
«Yes, yes». He mustn’t talk about Mother.
«The Yankees were moving on Jonesboro, to cut the railroad. And they came up the road from the river… thousands and thousands… and cannon and horses… thousands. I met them on the front porch».
«Oh, brave little Gerald!» thought Scarlett.
«They said for me to leave. But we could not leave… the girls… your mother were…»
«And then?»
«I told them there was sickness in the house, the typhoid. I did not want to leave anyway… leave Tara… The young officer was… was a gentleman».
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