Chapter 31 Summary

It is January 1866. Scarlett is cold and wearing slippers repaired with carpet so that her bare feet will not touch the cold floor. Will asks Scarlett how much money she has and then tells her that it is not enough to pay the taxes on Tara. The Carpetbaggers and Scalawags in town have raised the taxes on Tara sky high, as there is some Yankee interested in buying it cheap. The two think it may be Mr. Hilton. Scarlett and Will seek out Ashley to see if he has some advice.

Scarlett finds Ashley out back splitting wood. It hurts Scarlett to see her debonair Ashley reduced to wearing tatters and working his fingers to the bone. Ashley tells her that he cannot help her and speaks of gods and a beauty of living that has disappeared. Ashley's words only confuse Scarlett, for...