〈接续〉
“听我说，斯佳丽。明天的事，”布伦特说，“我们一直在外头，对烧烤会和舞会的事不大清楚，不过明天晚上我们没有理由不跳个痛快。你谁都没答应，对不？”
“哦，答应了！我哪儿知道你们俩都回家来了？我可不想就为了等你俩，结果在舞会上坐了冷板凳。”
“你坐冷板凳！”两个小伙子一阵狂笑。
“听我说，宝贝，你一定跟我跳第一个华尔兹，跟斯图尔特跳最后一个，完了跟我们一块儿吃晚饭。吃完了就像上次舞会一样，坐在楼梯平台，再听听金茜阿姨算命。”
“我才不喜欢听金茜阿姨算命呢。你知道她说我会嫁给一个什么样的男人，长着一头黑亮黑亮的头发，留着长长一道胡子，可我偏偏不喜欢黑头发男人。”
“红头发的你也不喜欢，对不，宝贝？”布伦特咧开嘴笑着说，“好啦，答应我们明天的华尔兹都跟我们跳，晚上一块儿吃饭。”
“要是你答应，我们可以告诉你一个秘密。”斯图尔特说。
“是不是我们昨天在亚特兰大听到的那事，斯图尔特？要是的话，你可要知道，我们答应了要保密的。”
“什么？”斯佳丽一听见这个词便大声问，好奇得像个孩子。
“哦，是佩蒂小姐告诉我们的。”
“什么小姐？”
“你知道，是阿希礼·韦尔克斯那个亲戚，住在亚特兰大，佩蒂帕特·汉密尔顿小姐——就是查尔斯·汉密尔顿和玫兰妮·汉密尔顿的姑妈。”
At these last sounds， the twins realized it was time they were startin they were loath to face their mother and they lingered on the porch of Tara， momentarily expecting Scarlett to give them an invitation to supper.
“Look，tomo
ow，” said
ent.“Just because we've been away and didn't know about the ba
ecue and the ball， that's no reason why we shouldn't get plenty of dances tomo
o haven't promised them all， have you?”
“Well， I have! How did I know you all would be home? I uldn't risk being a wallflower just waiting on you two.”
“You a wallflower!” The boys laughed uproariously.
“Look， 've got to give me the first waltz and Stu the last one and you've got to eat supper with us. We'll sit on the stair landing like we did at the last ball and get Mammy Jincy to e tell our fortunes again.”
“I don't like Mammy Jincy' know she said I was going to ma
y a gentleman with jet-black hair and a long black mustache， and I don't like black-haired gentlemen.”
“You like 'em red-headed， don't you， honey?” grinned
ent.“Now， e on， promise us all the waltzes and the supper.”
“If you'll promise， we'll tell you a secret，” said Stuart.
“What?” cried Scarlett， alert as a
child at the word.
“Is it what we heard yesterday in Atlanta， Stu? If it is， you know we promised not to tell.”
“Well， Miss Pitty told us.”
“Miss Who?”
“You know， Ashley Wilkes' usin who lives in Atlanta， Miss Pittypat Hamilton—Charles and Melanie Hamilton's aunt.”
以上摘自美国《飘》
以上描述的是美国南北战争爆发前夕的美国南方有钱庄园主家的公子、小姐们的日常，这日子过得，太惬意了。玩耍、舞会、谈情说爱……
庄园主们因某事某节大宴宾客之际，更是这些年轻姑娘、小伙开怀大玩乐的天堂时刻。
这里的交际，只受金钱约束，富人家的孩子，并无性别方面的社交禁忌，男孩子们、女孩子们可以随意互相追求玩耍。
16岁的富家子女SCARLETT心中是有明确心仪人选的。少女怀春，是有特定指向的。
无法预测未来会发生什么，SCARLETT根本也无遐、无意愿、更无心展望未来，她关注的只在于现在这一刻的快乐。