«Великий Гэтсби» и другие лучшие произведения Ф.С. Фицджеральда

�I’m much obliged but I couldn’t take on any more work.’

�You wouldn’t have to do any business with Wolfshiem.’ Evidently he thought that I was shying away from the �gonnegtion’ mentioned at lunch, but I assured him he was wrong. He waited a moment longer, hoping I’d begin a conversation, but I was too absorbed to be responsive, so he went unwillingly home.

The evening had made me light-headed and happy; I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door. So I don’t know whether or not Gatsby went to Coney Island, or for how many hours he �glanced into rooms’ while his house blazed gaudily on.

I called up Daisy from the office next morning, and invited her to come to tea.

�Don’t bring Tom,’ I warned her.

�What?’

�Don’t bring Tom.’

�Who is “Tom”?’ she asked innocently.

The day agreed upon was pouring rain. At eleven o’clock a man in a raincoat, dragging a lawn-mower, tapped at my front door and said that Mr. Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass.

This reminded me that I had forgotten to tell my Finn to come back, so I drove into West Egg Village to search for her among soggy whitewashed alleys and to buy some cups and lemons and flowers.

The flowers were unnecessary, for at two o’clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby’s, with innumerable receptacles to contain it. An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-coloured tie, hurried in.

He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes.

�Is everything all right?’ he asked immediately.

�The grass looks fine, if that’s what you mean.’

�What grass?’ he inquired blankly. �Oh, the grass in the yard.’ He looked out the window at it, but, judging from his expression, I don’t believe he saw a thing.

�Looks very good,’ he remarked vaguely. �One of the papers said they thought the rain would stop about four. I think it was The Journal.

Have you got everything you need in the shape of – of tea?’

I took him into the pantry, where he looked a little reproachfully at the Finn. Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop.

�Will they do?’ I asked.

�Of course, of course! They’re fine!’ and he added hollowly, �… old sport.’

The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew.