Page 19 - The Great Gatsby

8 The Great Gatsby Dinner with the Buchanans 9

of the house to rhe front porch. In the darkness we sat down was reading aloud to Tom from the Saturday Evening Post. As we
on a long sea t. cntercd, shc stood up.
Daisy rook her lovely face in her hands. I saw that powerful 'Ten o'clock,' she said. 'Time for this good girl to go to bcd.'
feelings had taken hold of her, so I asked what I hoped would 'Jordan's playing in an irnportant match tomorrow,' Daisy
be sorne calming quesrions about her little girl. cxplained.
'We don't know each other very well, Nick,' she said Suddenly l knew who she was - Jordan Baker, the well­
suddenl y. 'You didn't come to my wedding.' known golfer. Photos of her wcrc in all the sports magazines.
'I wasn't back from the war.' I had heard sorne story about her too, an unpleasant one, but
'That's true.' She hesitated. 'Well, l've had a very bad time, 1 couldn't guite remember it.
Nick, and I don't believe in anyone or anything any more.' We ali said goodnight, and she went upstairs.
I waited but she didn't say any more, and after a moment I 'She's a nice girl,' said Tom aftcr a rnoment. 'Her family
returned rather weakly to asking about her daughter. oughtn't to let her run around the counrry chis way.'
'! suppose she talks, and - eats, and everything.' 'Her family is one aunt about a thousand years old,' said
'Oh, yes.' She looked at me absently. 'Listen, Nick, !et me tell Daisy coldly. 'Anyway, Nick's going to look after her, aren't
you what I said when she was born. Would you like to hear?' you, Nick? She's going to spcnd loes of weekends out here chis
'Very much.' summer. I think thc home influence will be very good for her.'
'Well, she was less than an hour old, and Tom was God Daisy and Tom looked ar each other for a moment in
knows where. I woke up, feeling completely alone, and asked silence.
the nurse if it was a boy or a girl. She told me ir was a girl, 'Did you give Nick a little heart-to-heart talk on the porch?'
and so I rurned my head away and cried. "I'm glad it's a girl," dernanded Tom suddenly.
I said. "And I hope shc'll be a fool - that's che best thing a girl 'Did I?' She looked at me. 'l can't sccrn to remember.'
can be in chis world, a beautiful little fool." 'Don't believe everything you hear, Nick,' he advised me.
'You see, I think everything's terrible anyway . Everybody 'Oh, I heard nothing at ali,' 1 said lighcly.
chinks so. And I know. I've been' every wherc and seen A lirtle later 1 got up to go home. They carne to the <loor
everything and done everything. Nothing's new to me!' She with me and stood side by side in a cheerful square of light.
laughed scornfully. 'Wait!' called Dais y. 'I forgot to ask - we heard you were
The moment her voice stopped, her power over me died engaged to a girl out West.'
away. I felt che basic insincerity of what she had said, and it 'That's right,' agrced Tom. 'Wc heard that.'
made me uneasy. I waited, and sure enough, a second later she 'It's not true. I'm too poor to get engagcd.' Of course I knew
looked ar me with a silly smile on her lovely face. what thcy were ralking about. Ir was one of the reasons I had
lnside, che red-colored room was ful] of light. Miss Baker come East. The girl was an old friend, but people had startcd