The Great Gatsby. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Уровень B1

Then, without turning around, she spoke to her husband in a soft, coarse voice:

«Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down».

«Oh, sure», agreed Wilson hurriedly, and went toward the little office. A white ashen dust covered his dark suit and his pale hair as it covered everything in the area – except his wife, who moved close to Tom.

В«I want to see youВ», said Tom. В«Get on the next trainВ».

В«All rightВ».

«I’ll meet you by the newsstand». She nodded and moved away from him just as George Wilson appeared with two chairs from his office door.

We waited for her down the road and out of sight.

«Terrible place, isn’t it», said Tom.

В«AwfulВ».

«It’s good for her to get away».

«Doesn’t her husband object?»

«Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He’s so dumb».

So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York – or not quite together, for Mrs. Wilson sat in another car.

She had changed her dress to a brown figured muslin[19 - Узорчатое платье из муслина.

], which stretched tight over her rather wide hips as Tom helped her to the platform in New York. Upstairs, in the echoing drive she let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one, lavender-colored with gray upholstery, and in this we got away from the station into the glowing sunshine. But immediately she turned sharply from the window and, leaning forward, tapped on the front glass.

«I want to get one of those dogs», she demanded. «I want to get one for the apartment. It’s so nice to have a dog there».

We backed up to a gray old man who, ironically, looked much like John D. Rockefeller. In a basket swung from his neck there was a dozen puppies of an indeterminate breed.

В«What kind are they?В» asked Mrs. Wilson eagerly, as he came to the taxi-window.

В«All kinds. What kind do you want, lady?В»

«I’d like to get one of those police dogs; I don’t suppose you have that kind?»

The man looked doubtfully into the basket and took out a puppy by the back of the neck.

«That’s not a police dog», said Tom.

«No, it’s not exactly a police dog», said the man with disappointment in his voice. «It’s more of an Airedale[20 - Эрдельтерьер.]. But that’s a dog that’ll never bother you with catching cold».

«I think it’s cute», said Mrs. Wilson enthusiastically.