seal with a smile

Scarlett shot a look of sharp suspicion at her, but Mammy’s broad face carried only a look ofinnocence and of regret that Scarlett was not the lady Melanie Hamilton was.
“Put down that tray and come lace me tighter,” said Scarlett irritably. “And I’ll try to eat a littleafterwards. If I ate now I couldn’t lace tight enough.”
Cloaking her triumph, Mammy set down the tray.
“Whut mah lamb gwine wear?”
“That,” answered Scarlett, pointing at the fluffy mass of green flowered muslin. InstantlyMammy was in arms.
“No, you ain’. It ain’ fittin’ fer mawnin’. You kain show yo’ buzzum befo’ three o’clock an’ datdress ain’ got no neck an’ no sleeves. An’ you’ll git freckled sho as you born, an’ Ah ain’ figgerin’
on you gittin’ freckled affer all de buttermilk Ah been puttin’ on you all dis winter, bleachin’ demfreckles you got at Savannah settin’ on de beach. Ah sho gwine speak ter yo’ Ma ‘bout you.”
“If you say one word to her before I’m dressed I won’t eat a bite,’ said Scarlett coolly. “Motherwon’t have time to send me back to change once I’m dressed.”
Mammy sighed resignedly, beholding a police shieldcould hold me upside down and drainmy gutschange your mind herself outguessed. Between the two evils, it was  dress at a morning barbecue than to have her gobble like a hog.
“Hole onter sumpin’ an’ suck in yo’ breaf,” she commanded.
Scarlett obeyed, bracing herself and catching firm hold of one of the bedposts. Mammy pulledand jerked vigorously and, as the tiny circumference of whalebone-girdled waist grew smaller, aproud, fond look came into her eyes.
“Ain’ nobody got a wais’ lak mah lamb,” she said approvingly. “Eve’y time Ah pulls MissSuellen littler dan twenty inches, she up an’ faint.”
“Pooh!” gasped Scarlett, speaking with difficulty. “I never fainted in my life.”
“Well, ‘twouldn’ do no hahm ef you wuz ter faint now an’ den,” advised Mammy. “You is sobrash sometimes, Miss Scarlett. Ah been aimin’ ter tell you, it jes’ doan look good de way you‘doan faint ‘bout snakes an’ mouses an’ sech. Ah doan mean round home but w’en you is out incomp’ny. An’Ah has tole you an’—”
“Oh, hurry! Don’t talk so much. I’ll catch a husband. See if I don’t, even if I don’t scream andfaint. Goodness, but my stays are tight! Put on the dress.”
Mammy carefully dropped the twelve yards of green sprigged muslin over the mountainouspetticoats and hooked up the back of the tight, low-cut basque.
“You keep yo’ shawl on yo’ shoulders w’en you is in de sun, an’ doan you go takin’ off yo’ hatw’en you is wahm,” she commanded. “Elsewise you be comin’ home lookin’ brown lak Ole MizSlattery. Now, you come eat, honey, but doan eat too fas’. No use havin’ it come right back upagin.”