Page 52 - The Great Gatsby

42 The Great Gatsby Gatsby and Daisy meet again 43

'That huge place there?' she cricd, pointing. 'They're such beautiful shirts,' she sobbed. 'lt makes me sad
'Do you like ir?' hccause I've nevcr sccn such - such beautiful shirts before.'
'T love it, but I don't see how you live there ali alonc.' Outside Gatsby's window it began to rain again, and we
'I keep it always full of interesting pcople, night and day. ,1c>0d in a row looking out at che sea beyond che lawn.
People who do interesting things. Famous people.' 'If it wasn't so misty, we could see your home across the bay,'
lnstead of taking che short cut across che lawn, we walkcd ,.1id Garsby. 'You always have a green light that burns ali night
clown to che road and entered through che main gates. With ,ll che end of your dock.'
murmurs of delight Daisy admired che flowers, che gardcns, Daisy put her arm through his, but Gatsby seemed lose
and the way che mansion stood out against the sky. 111 chought. Possibly he had realized that the enormous
Inside, as wc wandcred through music rooms and sitting 1111portance of that light had now gone for ever. To him it had
rooms, 1 fclt there were guests hidden behind every sofa and ,cerned very near to her, almosr rouching her, as close as a star
cable, under orders to be brearhlessly silent until wc had passed 10 the moon. Now it was just a green light on a dock again.
b y. As Gatsby closed che door of che library, I was almosc sure I 'Look!' cried Daisy. The darkness had parted in che west,
heard che owl-eyed man break into ghostly laughter. ,1nd there were pink and golden clouds above rhe sea.
Upstairs, we saw luxuriously furnished bedrooms with fresh She whispered, 'I'd likc to just gct one of those pink clouds
flowers on che tables, dressing rooms, and bathrooms. Finally .1nd put you in it and push you around.'
we came ro Gatsby's own apartment, where we sat clown and I tried to go then, but they wouldn't hear of it. Perhaps my
drank a glass of wine from a bocele he kept in a cupboard. presence made them feel more satisfactorily alone.
He hadn't once stopped looking at Daisy. Sometimes too, he 'I know what we'll do,' said Gatsby, 'we'll have Klipspringer
stared around in a dazed way at the valuable things he owned, play che piano for us.' Klipspringer was a young man who lived
thinking perhaps that in her actual presence they weren't real .1t Gatsby's most of che time - he did not seem to have any
any longer. After his embarrassment and then bis unreasoning other home.
joy, he now felt only wonder that she was there. Gatsby went to find Klipspringer, and we ali went downstairs
Pulling himsclf together, he opened two huge cupboards to LO che music room.
show us his well-cut suits, expensive shirts, and silk tics. Gatsby lit Daisy's cigarette with a trembling hand and sat
'l've got a man in England who buys me cloches. He sends Jown with her on a sofa far across the room, in the shadows,
over some chings for me to choose from, twice a year.' while Klipspringer started playing.
He took out a pile of shirts and chrew them clown in fronc of When he had finished che first piece, Klipspringer turned
us. They covered che table in many-colored confusion. While around and scarched unhappil ) ' for Gatsby in the darkness.
we admired, the soft rich heap grew higher. Suddenly Daisy 'I'm ali out of praccice, you see. I cold you I couldn't play.'
bent her head into che shirts and began to cry stormily. 'Don't talk so much, old sport,' commanded Gatsb y. 'Play!'