With all the rest of the County, Gerald was on
terms of amity andsome intimacy. But Gerald had known poverty,and he could never
learn to lose money with good humor or goodgrace.
And to anyone with adrop of Irish blood in them the
land they live on is like theirmother.
He liked the South, and he soon became, in his own
opinion, aSoutherner. There was noneed for him to acquire a good head for whisky, he
had been bornwith one.
And if anything was gone from her,he never missed
it. Hes been gone to Louisiana this month now, said Gerald.
Simons Island, whose courage ina bluff equaled
Geralds but whose head for New Orleans rum didnot.
He wanted a wife and he wanted children and, if he
didnot acquire them soon, it would be too late.
Some of them, like Gerald, were new people
seekingtheir fortunes. I will do it or go into theconvent at Charleston. But Gerald
had known poverty,and he could never learn to lose money with good humor or
goodgrace.
James and Andrew were old menand they stood well in
Savannah.
Scarlett had never seen her mothers back touch the
back ofany chair on which she sat. Nothing could ever make Gerald feel that he
wasinferior in any way to anyone.
His mother had taught him to read and to write a
clearhand.
Gerald took her arm and passed it through
his.
The fortunes of the OHaras would rise again. Gerald
liked his gifts to be received with clapping of handsand kisses. Gerald looked at
her bowed head and shuffled his feet uneasily.
Slatterys constant childbearing, seldom furnished
enough to feedher flock.
Driving off, withMammy beside him, each was a
perfect picture of pouting Africandisapproval.