@@@@@ Rhett looked at her strangely,
@@@@@ Rhett
looked at her strangely, cautiously"What do you 'understand,'
Scarlett?"
"Why you're here, instead of in townWhy you must bring the
plantation back to life
Tell me what you've done, what you're going to doIt's so
exciting!"
Rhett's face lit up, and he gestured toward the long rows of plants
behind him"They burned," he said, "but they didn't die
It looks as if perhaps they were even strengthened by the burning
The ashes may have given them something they neededI've got to
find
outI've got so much to learn Scarlett looked at the low stubby
remainsShe didn't know those dark green shiny leaves
"What kind of tree is it? Do you grow peaches here?"
"They're not treesScarlett, they're shrubsThe first
ones ever brought to America were planted here at Dunmore Landing
These are offshoots, over three hundred all told
"Do you mean they're flowers?"
"Of courseThe most nearly perfect flower in the world
The Chinese worship them
"But you can't eat flowersWhat crops are you planting?"
"I can't think about cropsI've got a hundred acres of garden to
save
"That's crazy, RhettWhat's a flower garden good for? You could
grow
something to sellI know cotton doesn't grow 'round here, but there
must be some good cash cr