Page 94 - The Great Gatsby

84 The Great Gatsby The funeral 85

'Oh!' He sounded calmer. 'This is Klipspringer.' waiting in che hall, he looked anxious and spoke of che rain in
I was plcascd, because that seemed to promise another a worried, uncertain way. I asked che minister to wait for half
friend at Gatsby's grave. I'd bcen calling up a few people, but an hour. But it wasn't any use. Nobody came.
they were hard ro find. About five o'clock, our three cars reached che cemetery and
'The funeral's tomorrow. Three o'clock, here at the housc. stopped in heavy rain beside the gate. As we started off 011 foot
Will you tell anybody who'd be interested ?' toward che grave, I heard another car stop, and looked around.
'Oh, I will,' he said quickly. 'I'm not likely to see anybody, lt was che man wich owl-eyed glasses whom Jordan and I had
but if I do, I' 11 tell them .' found admiring Gatsby's books in che library, three months
Something in his voice made me suspect him. 'Of course befare. I'd never seen him since then. The rain poured clown
you'II be there yourself.' his thick glasses, and he took them off and dried them, to see
'Well, the truth of the matter is, I'm staying wich some the protecting cloch unrolled from Gatsby's grave.
people up here in Greenwich, and they rather expect me to I tried to think about Gatsby then for a moment, but he
be with them tomorrow. In fact, there's a sort of party or was already too far away, and I could only remember, without
something. Of course I'II do my best to get away.' anger, that Daisy hadn't senr a message or a flower.
'Huh!' I said scornfully, and he went on nervously, 'What I When it was over, we walked quickly through che rain to the
called up about was a pair of tennis shoes I left there. l'm sort cars. Owl-eyes spoke to me by the gate.
of helpless without them, and I wonder if the butler could send 'I couldn't get ro che house,' he remarked.
them on. My address is care of B.F.-' 'Neither could anybody else.'
I didn't hear the rest of che name, because I put che phone 'What!' He lookcd shocked. 'My God, they used to go there
down. in their hundreds!' He took off his glasses again and cleaned
On che morning of che funeral, it was raining heavily. I them , outside and in.
went next door, and found Mr Gatz walking up and clown 'Poor man,' he said.
excitedly in che hall; he was clearly feeling even prouder of
his son's wealth than before. He showed me a photograph of I see now that chis has been a story of che West, after ali. Tom
che mansion, torn at che corners and dirty with many hands. and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were ali Westerners, and
Gatsby had sene it to him, and Mr Gatz had shown it so often perhaps there was something missing in every one of us, so
that I think it was more real to him now than che house itself. that we were never able to get used to Eastern life.
After Gatsby's death, I no longer wanted to livc in che East -
A little before three o'clock, the minister arrived, and I found it was fu]] of too many ghosts. So when che blue smoke of dry
myself looking out of che windows for other cars. So did leaves was in che air and che wind blcw che wet clothes stiff 011
Gatsby's father. And as the time passed and the servanrs stood the line, I decided to come back home.