" We two can handle 'em. Look, Scarlett.

Sit with us at the barbecue in the morning" .

" What" ? Stuart repeated his request. " Of course" .

The twins looked at each other jubilantly but with some surprise.

得胜高兴的

Although they considered themselves Scarlett's favored suitors, they had never before gained tokens of this favor so easily.

Usually she made them beg and plead, while she put them off, refusing to give a Yes or No answer, laughing if they sulked, growing cool if they became angry.

敷衍 愠怒

And here she had practically promised them the whole of tomorrow — seats by her at the barbecue, all the waltzes (and they'd see to it that the dances were all waltzes! ) and the supper intermission.

This was worth getting expelled from the university. Filled with new enthusiasm by their success, they lingered on, talking about the barbecue and the ball and Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton, interrupting each other, making jokes and laughing at them, hinting broadly for invitations to supper.

Some time had passed before they realized that Scarlett was having very little to say. The atmosphere had somehow changed.

Just how, the twins did not know, but the fine glow had gone out of the afternoon.

Scarlett seemed to be paying little attention to what they said, although she made the correct answers.

Sensing something they could not understand, baffled and annoyed by it, the twins struggled along for a while, and then rose reluctantly, looking at their watches.

困惑的

The sun was low across the new-plowed fields and the tall woods across the river were looming blackly in silhouette.

轮廓

Chimney swallows were darting swiftly across the yard, and chickens, ducks and turkeys were waddling and strutting and straggling in from the fields.

蹒跚地走 趾高气昂地走 拖拖拉拉到达

Stuart bellowed: " Jeems" ! And after an interval a tall black boy of their own age ran breathlessly around the house and out toward the tethered horses. Jeems was their body servant and, like the dogs, accompanied them everywhere.

大喊一声 拴绳的

He had been their childhood playmate and had been given to the twins for their own on their tenth birthday.

At the sight of him, the Tarleton hounds rose up out of the red dust and stood waiting expectantly for their masters.

The boys bowed, shook hands and told Scarlett they'd be over at the Wilkeses' early in the morning, waiting for her.

Then they were off down the walk at a rush, mounted their horses and, followed by Jeems, went down the avenue of cedars at a gallop, waving their hats and yelling back to her.

雪松 飞奔

When they had rounded the curve of the dusty road that hid them from Tara, Brent drew his horse to a stop under a clump of dogwood.

丛

Stuart halted, too, and the darky boy pulled up a few paces behind them.

The horses, feeling slack reins, stretched down their necks to crop the tender spring grass, and the patient hounds lay down again in the soft red dust and looked up longingly at the chimney swallows circling in the gathering dusk.

缰绳松了 便伸长脖子去啃柔嫩的春草，猎犬们重新在灰土中躺下，贪馋地仰望着在愈来愈浓的暮色中回旋飞舞的燕子。

Brent's wide ingenuous face was puzzled and mildly indignant.

坦诚地 义愤的

" Look, " he said." Don't it look to you like she would of asked us to stay for supper" ? " I thought she would, " said Stuart." I kept waiting for her to do it, but she didn't.

What do you make of it" ?

" I don't make anything of it. But it just looks to me like she might of.

After all, it's our first day home and she hasn't seen us in quite a spell.

And we had lots more things to tell her" ." It looked to me like she was mighty glad to see us when we came" .

" I thought so, too" ." And then, about a half-hour ago, she got kind of quiet, like she had a headache" ." I noticed that but I didn't pay it any mind then. What do you suppose ailed her" ?

使苦恼

" I dunno. Do you suppose we said something that made her mad" ?

They both thought for a minute." I can't think of anything.

Besides, when Scarlett gets mad, everybody knows it.

She don't hold herself in like some girls do" .

" Yes, that's what I like about her.

She don't go around being cold and hateful when she's mad — she tells you about it.

But it was something we did or said that made her shut up talking and look sort of sick.

I could swear she was glad to see us when we came and was aiming to ask us to supper" .

" You don't suppose it's because we got expelled" ? " Hell, no! Don't be a fool. She laughed like everything when we told her about it.

And besides Scarlett don't set any more store by book learning than we do" . Brent turned in the saddle and called to the negro groom." Jeems" ! " Suh" ? " You heard what we were talking to Miss Scarlett about" ?

" Nawsuh, Mist' Brent! Huccome you think Ah be spyin' on w'ite folks" ? " Spying, my God! You darkies know everything that goes on. Why, you liar, I saw you with my own eyes sidle round the corner of the porch and squat in the cape jessamine bush by the wall.

偷偷走 蹲

Now, did you hear us say anything that might have made Miss Scarlett mad — or hurt her feelings" ? Thus appealed to, Jeems gave up further pretense of not having overheard the conversation and furrowed his black brow.

" Nawsuh, Ah din' notice y'all say anything ter mek her mad.

Look ter me lak she sho glad ter see you an' sho had missed you, an' she cheep along happy as a bird, tell 'bout de time y'all got ter talkin' 'bout Mist' Ashley an' Miss Melly Hamilton gittin' mah'ied. Den she quiet down lak a bird w'en de hawk fly ober" .

The twins looked at each other and nodded, but without comprehension.

" Jeems is right. But I don't see why, " said Stuart." My Lord!

Ashley don't mean anything to her, 'cept a friend. She's not crazy about him. It's us she's crazy about" .

Brent nodded an agreement.

" But do you suppose, " he said, " that maybe Ashley hadn't told her he was going to announce it tomorrow night and she was mad at him for not telling her, an old friend, before he told everybody else? Girls set a big store on knowing such things first."

非常看重

" Well, maybe. But what if he hadn't told her it was tomorrow? It was supposed to be a secret and a surprise, and a man's got a right to keep his own engagement quiet, hasn't he? We wouldn't have known it if Miss Melly's aunt hadn't let it out. But Scarlett must have known he was going to marry Miss Melly sometime.

Why, we've known it for years.

The Wilkes and Hamiltons always marry their own cousins.

Everybody knew he'd probably marry her some day, just like Honey Wilkes is going to marry Miss Melly's brother, Charles" .

" Well, I give it up. But I'm sorry she didn't ask us to supper.

I swear I don't want to go home and listen to Ma take on about us being expelled.

It isn't as if this was the first time" ." Maybe Boyd will have smoothed her down by now. You know what a slick talker that little varmint is.

精明的 淘气鬼

You know he always can smooth her down" ." Yes, he can do it, but it takes Boyd time.

He has to talk around in circles till Ma gets so confused that she gives up and tells him to save his voice for his law practice.

But he ain't had time to get good started yet.

Why, I'll bet you Ma is still so excited about the new horse that she'll never even realize we're home again till she sits down to supper tonight and sees Boyd.

And before supper is over she'll be going strong and breathing fire. And it'll be ten o'clock before Boyd gets a chance to tell her that it wouldn't have been honorable for any of us to stay in college after the way the Chancellor talked to you and me.

And it'll be midnight before he gets her turned around to where she's so mad at the Chancellor she'll be asking Boyd why he didn't shoot him.

No, we can't go home till after midnight" .

The twins looked at each other glumly. They were completely fearless of wild horses, shooting affrays and the indignation of their neighbors, but they had a wholesome fear of their red-haired mother's outspoken remarks and the riding crop that she did not scruple to lay across their breeches.

忧郁的 斗殴 愤慨 顾虑

" Well, look, " said Brent.

" Let's go over to the Wilkes.

Ashley and the girls'll be glad to have us for supper" .

Stuart looked a little discomforted.

" No, don't let's go there.

They'll be in a stew getting ready for the barbecue tomorrow and besides —" " Oh, I forgot about that, " said Brent hastily." No, don't let's go there" .

忙着

They clucked to their horses and rode along in silence for a while, a flush of embarrassment on Stuart's brown cheeks. Until the previous summer, Stuart had courted India Wilkes with the approbation of both families and the entire County.

吆喝 赞许

The County felt that perhaps the cool and contained India Wilkes would have a quieting effect on him.

They fervently hoped so, at any rate.

热切地

And Stuart might have made the match, but Brent had not been satisfied.