‘They’re some people Wolfshiem wanted to do something for. They’re all brothers and sisters. They used to run a small hotel.’
‘I see.’
He was calling up at Daisy’s request—would I come to lunch at her house tomorrow? Miss Baker would be there.
Half an hour later Daisy herself telephoned and seemed relieved to find that I was coming. Something was up. And yet I couldn’t believe that they would choose this occasion for a scene—especially for the rather harrowing scene that Gatsby had outlined in the garden.
The next day was broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer. As my train emerged from the tunnel into sunlight, only the hot whistles of the National Biscuit Company broke the simmering hush at noon. The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion; the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist, and then, as her newspaper dampened under her fingers, lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry. Her pocket-book slapped to the floor.
Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com
11
‘Oh, my!’ she gasped.
I picked it up with a weary bend and handed it back to her, holding it at arm’s length and by the extreme tip of the corners to indicate that I had no designs upon it—but every one near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same.
‘Hot!’ said the conductor to familiar faces. ‘Some weather! Hot! Hot! Hot! Is it hot enough for you? Is it hot? Is it
… ?’My commutation ticket came back to me with a dark stain from his hand. That any one should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pajama pocket over his heart!
… Through the hall of the Buchanans’ house blew a faint wind, carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door.
‘The master’s body!’ roared the butler into the mouth-piece. ‘I’m sorry, madame, but we can’t furnish it—it’s far too hot to touch this noon!’
What he really said was: ‘Yes … yes … I’ll see.’
He set down the receiver and came toward us, glistening slightly, to take our stiff straw hats.
‘Madame expects you in the salon!’ he cried, needless-ly indicating the direction. In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the common store of life.
The room, shadowed well with awnings, was dark and cool. Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols, weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans.
1
The Great Gatsby
‘We can’t move,’ they said together.
Jordan’s fingers, powdered white over their tan, rested for a moment in mine.
‘And Mr. Thomas Buchanan, the athlete?’ I inquired.
Simultaneously I heard his voice, gruff, muffled, husky, at the hall telephone.
Gatsby stood in the center of the crimson carpet and gazed around with fascinated eyes. Daisy watched him and laughed, her sweet, exciting laugh; a tiny gust of powder rose from her bosom into the air.
‘The rumor is,’ whispered Jordan, ‘that that’s Tom’s girl on the telephone.’
We were silent. The voice in the hall rose high with annoyance. ‘Very well, then, I won’t sell you the car at all….
I’m under no obligations to you at all…. And as for your bothering me about it at lunch time I won’t stand that at all!’‘Holding down the receiver,’ said Daisy cynically.
‘No, he’s not,’ I assured her. ‘It’s a bona fide deal. I happen to know about it.’
Tom flung open the door, blocked out its space for a moment with his thick body, and hurried into the room.
‘Mr. Gatsby!’ He put out his broad, flat hand with well-concealed dislike. ‘I’m glad to see you, sir…. Nick….’
‘Make us a cold drink,’ cried Daisy.
As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down kissing him on the mouth.
‘You know I love you,’ she murmured.
Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com
1
‘You forget there’s a lady present,’ said Jordan.
Daisy looked around doubtfully.
‘You kiss Nick too.’
‘What a low, vulgar girl!’
‘I don’t care!’ cried Daisy and began to clog on the brick fireplace. Then she remembered the heat and sat down guilt-ily on the couch just as a freshly laundered nurse leading a little girl came into the room.
