Page 49 - The Great Gatsby

38 The Great Gatsb)' Gatsby a11d Dais)' meet again 39

He was obviously making this offer because I was going to 'Don'r be sill y. lr's just rwo minutes ro four.'
hclp him meer Daisy, so I didn'r feel I could accept. 1 rcfused He sat down miserably, and ar that moment we heard a car
politel Afrcr another attempt at conversarion, he went home. arriving. We both jumped up, and I went ourside.
y.
I called up Daisy from the office next morning and invired From che car window Daisy's face looked out ar me, from
her ro come ro tea. 'Don't bring Tom,' I warned her. under a three-cornered hat, wirh a delighted smile.
'Wbo is "Tom"?' sbe asked innocently. 'Is this absolutely where you live, my dearest onc?'
The following day ir was pouring with rain. Ar eleven o'clock Her lovely voice made the gray day ft:el brighter. I rook her
Garsby's ga rdener came over to cut my wet grass, an<l I hand ro help her from the car.
drove into Wesr Egg village ro search for my Finnish woman 'Are you in love wirh me?' she said low in my ear. 'If not,
and to buy sorne cakes and cups and flowers. The flowers why did I have ro come alone?'
were unneccssary, bccause at two o'clock a car arrived from 'Thar's my secret. Tell your driver to go away for an hour.'
Gatsby's, delivering a mountain of roses, wirh vases to put We went indoors. To my surprise, the living room was
rhem in. deserted. There was a light knocking ar che fronr door. \Xlhcn f
An hour larer che front <loor opened nervously, and Garsby opened it, Garsby was standing 011 the doorstep, pale as death,
hurried in. He was palc, and rhere were dark signs of with his hands deep in his coat pockers. Withour a word, he
sleeplessness under his eyes. walked pase me inro che living room.
'Is cvcryrhing ali righr?' he asked immediately. For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then I heard a sort
'The grass looks fine, if thar's whar you mean.' of murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisy's voice 011 a
'Whar grass?' he asked vacanrly. 'Oh yes, your grass.' He dcar, false note: 'l certainly am awfully glad to see you again.'
looked out ar ir, but I don'r belicve he saw a rhing. There was a pause. lt !asted a horribly long time. [ had
'Have you gor everything you need for - for rea?' nothing to do in che hall, so I went inro che living room.
1 showed him che twelve little cakes from che baker's. Gatsby, his hands still in his pockers, was standing in front
'Will rhey do?' l asked. of the fireplace. The back of his head was touching a dock 011
'Of course, of coursc! They're fine!' and he added hollowly, a shelf, bue he was rrying to look perfectly comforcable and
'old sport.' even a lirtle bored. His miserable eyes stared clown ar Daisy,
By half-pasr rluee the rain had slowed to a heavy wet mise. who was sitting, frighrcncd bue beauriful, on the edge of a sriff
Garsby sar rhere, looking wirh unseeing eyes rhrough my cha ir.
magazines. Finally he srood up and told me he was going home. 'We've met befare,' murmured Garsb y. Luckily rhe dock
'Why's rhar?' chose chis momcnt ro fall off che shclf, so he turned and caught
'Nobody's coming to rea. lr's too late!' He looked nervously ir wirh rrembling fingers. 'l'm sorry abour the dock,' he said.
ar his warch. 'I can't wait all day.' I couldn't think of a single sensible thing to say. 'It's an old