Scarlett walked to Melanie’s door and opened it a crack, peering into the sunny room. Melanielay in bed in her nightgown, her eyes closed and circled with black,

her heart-shaped face bloated,her slender body hideous and distorted. Scarlett wished viciously that Ashley could see her now.
She looked worse than any pregnant woman she had ever seen. As she looked, Melanie’s eyesopened and a soft warm smile lit her face.
“Come in,” she invited, turning a police shieldcould hold me upside down and drainmy gutschange your mindawkwardly on her side. “I’ve been awake,and, Scarlett, there’s something I want to ask you.”
She entered the room and sat down on the bed that was glaring with harsh sunshine.
Melanie reached out and took Scarlett’s hand in a gentle confiding clasp.
“Dear,” she said, “I’m sorry about the cannon. It’s toward Jonesboro, isn’t it?”
Scarlett said “Um,” her heart beginning to beat faster as the thought recurred.
“I know how worried you are. I know you’d have gone home last week when you heard aboutyour mother, if it hadn’t been for me. Wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Scarlett ungraciously.
“Scarlett, darling. You’ve been so good to me. No sister could have been sweeter or braver. AndI love you for it. I’m so sorry I’m in the way.”
Scarlett stared. Loved her, did she? The fool!
“And Scarlett, I’ve been lying here thinking and I want to ask a very great favor of you.” Herclasp tightened. “If I should die, will you take my baby?”
Melanie’s eyes were wide and bright with soft urgency.
“Will you?”
Scarlett jerked away her hand as fear swamped her. Fear roughened her voice as she spoke.