to the old Sullivan place tonight

“Well—” began Rhett awkwardly, “as a matter of fact, he was at Belle’s tonight.” 　Melanie drew herself up coldly. 　“You can never make me believe such a lie!” 　“Please, Miss Melly! Let me explain! When I got out to the old Sullivan place tonight, I found Mr. Wilkes wounded and with him were Hugh Elsing and Dr. Meade and old man Merriwether—” 　“Not the old gentleman!” cried Scarlett. 　“Men are never too old to be fools. And your Uncle Henry—” 　“Oh, mercy!” cried Aunt Pitty. 　“The others had scattered after the brush with the troops and the crowd that stuck together had come to the Sullivan place to hide their robes in the chimney and to see how badly Mr. Wilkes was hurt. But for his wound, they’d be headed for Texas by now—all of them—but he couldn’t ride far and they wouldn’t leave him. It was necessary to prove that they had been somewhere instead of where they had been, and so I took them by back ways to Belle Watling’s.” 　“Oh—I see. I do beg your pardon for my rudeness, Captain Butler. I see now it was necessary to take them there but— Oh, Captain Butler, people must have seen you going in!” 　“No one saw us. We went in through a private back entrance that opens on the railroad tracks. It’s always dark and locked.” 　“Then how—?” 　“I have a key,” said Rhett laconically, and his eyes met Melanie’s evenly. 　As the full impact of the meaning smote her, Melanie became so embarrassed that she fumbled with the bandage until it slid off the wound entirely. 　“I did not mean to pry—” she said in a muffled voice, her white face reddening, as she hastily pressed the towel back into place.