Page 16 - The Great Gatsby

6 The Great Gatsby Dinner with the Buchanans 7

face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much We ralked of chis and that through dinner. Daisy and Miss
wanted to sce. That was a way she had. She mentioned thac che l�aker made polite, pleasant conversation that was as cool as
other girl's namc was Baker, and Miss Baker and I greeted each 1 heir white dresses. Tom seemed restless. Inside che house the
other policely. 1L!iephone rang, and the butler ca;1e to whisper in Tom's ear.
Daisy asked me questions in her low, exciting voice. Her lom frowned and without a word went inside. Daisy bent
face was sad and lovely, with bright eyes and a bright beautiful íorward and spoke to me.
mouth, but it was her voice that men who loved her found 'I !ove to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of - of a
difficult to forget. It had a singing kind of power, a whispered mse, an absolute rose. Doesn't he?' She turned to Miss Baker.
'Listen', a promise that she had done amusing, exciting things This was untrue. I am nothing like a rose. I felt that her heart
just a while ago and that there were amusing, exciting things was trying to come out to me, hidden i n those breathless, warm
to do in the next hour. words. Then suddenly she got up and went into the house.
T h e butler brought in four drinks, but Miss Baker said, 'No, I was about to speak when Miss Baker said 'Shh!' in a
thanks, I'm absolutely in training.' warning voice. She bent forward to listen unashamedly to the
l looked at her, wondering what she was in training for. I low voice we could hear inside the house.
cnjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl 'This Mr Gatsby you spoke of is my neighbor-' I began.
who held herself very straight, and she had gray cyes in a pale, 'Don't talk. I want to hear what happens.'
pretty, frowning face. 'Is something happening?' I asked innocently.
'You live in West Egg,' she rcmarked scornfully. 'I know 'You mean to say you don't know?' said Miss Baker,
somebody there.' honestly surprised. 'I thought everybody knew.' She hesitated
'I don't know a single-' for a moment. 'Tom's got some woman in New York.'
'You must know Gatsby.' Almost before I had understood what she meant, Tom and
'Gatsby?' demanded Daisy. 'What Gatsby?' Daisy were back at the table.
'Dinner is served, madam,' che butler said, before I could 'It couldn't be helped!' cried Daisy brightl y. Her voice shook
reply, and we all went to sit clown at a r1ble on a porch outside. a little as she continued, 'There's a beautiful bird singing in the
'Look!' said Daisy suddenly. Her eyes were on her little garden. It's romantic, isn't ir, T o m?'
finger. We all looked. lt was blaek and blue. 'Very romantic,' he said, and then miserably to me, 'If it's
'You did it, Tom,' she said accusingly. 'I know you didn't light enough after dinner, 1 want to show you my horses.'
mean to, but you did do it. That's what I get for marrying a The telephone rang insicle again, and as Daisy shook her
great big powerful animal of a man.' hcad decisively at Tom, there was no further conversation of
'I hate that word animal,' said Tom crossly, 'even as a joke.' :iny kind and the dinner carne to an end. Tom and Miss Baker
'Animal,' insisced Daisy. wenr into the library, while I followed Daisy round the outside