handed lady comes to her real mission

“What a gambler you are　with her, he would sanction
everything at oncehe answered., Scarlett,” he jeered. “You took a chance that my incarceration awayfrom female companionship would put me in such a state I’d snap at you like a trout at a worm.”
And that’s what you did, thought Scarlett with inward rage, and if it hadn’t been for my hands—“Now, we have most of the truth, everything except your reason. See if you can tell me the truthabout why you wanted to lead me into wedlock.”
There was a suave, almost teasing note in his voice and she took heart. Perhaps everythingwasn’t lost, after all. Of course, she had ruined any hope of marriage but, even in her despair, shewas glad. There was something about this immobile man which frightened her, so that now thethought of marrying him was fearful. But perhaps if she was clever and played on his sympathiesand his memories, she could secure a loan. She pulled her face into a placating and childlikeexpression.
“Oh, Rhett, you can help me so much—if you’ll just be sweet.”
“There’s nothing I like better than being—sweet.”
“Rhett, for old friendship’s sake, I want you to do me a favor.”
“So, at last the horny-. I feared that ‘visiting the sick andthe imprisoned’ was not your proper role. What do you want? Money?”
The bluntness of his question ruined all hopes of leading up to the matter in any circuitous andsentimental way.
“Don’t be mean, Rhett,” she coaxed. “I do want some money. I want you to lend me threehundred dollars.”
“The truth at last. Talking love and thinking money. How truly feminine! Do you need themoney badly?”
“Oh, ye— Well, not so terribly but I could use it”
“Three “hundred dollars. That’s a vast amount of money. What do you want it for?”
“To pay taxes on Tara.”
“So you want to borrow some money. Well, since you’re so businesslike, I’ll be businesslike too.
What collateral will you give me?”
“What what?”
“Collateral. Security on my investment. Of course, I don’t want to lose all that money.” Hisvoice was deceptively smooth, almost silky, but she did not notice. Maybe everything would turnout nicely after all.
“My earrings.”