《了不起的盖茨比》

VII

The summer’s curiosity about Jay Gatsby was still burning when his Saturday-night lights failed to come on, and as suddenly as the rumors had begun, the legend of Trimalchio ended. Only gradually did Nick Carraway notice that the automobiles pulling expectantly into Gatsby’s drive lingered a moment before sulking away. Concerned, Nick walked over to the mansion, where a stranger with a villainous face answered the door. Gatsby was not sick, the butler said grudgingly, and slammed the door before Nick could finish speaking.

The Finnish servant next door explained everything: Gatsby had dismissed his entire household a week earlier, replacing them with six or so mysterious people who never went into West Egg village, ordered supplies by phone, and were rumored not to be servants at all. They were, Gatsby later confirmed on the telephone, people Meyer Wolfshiem had wanted him to help—relations who had once run a small hotel. The reason was simple. Daisy Buchanan came to his house in the afternoons, and he would not have the staff gossiping about it.

He was calling at Daisy’s request. Would Nick come to lunch at the Buchanans’ tomorrow? Jordan Baker would be there. Half an hour later Daisy telephoned herself, relieved and faintly nervous, and Nick understood that something was about to break.

The day was one of the hottest of the summer, the train cars almost combusting on their straw seats, the conductor shouting his cheerful refrain of “Hot! Hot! Hot!” At the Buchanans’, Tom was on the hall telephone, his voice gruff and husky. Daisy and Jordan lay on the enormous couch like silver idols, declaring they could not move. Tom’s voice rose in annoyance: he was not selling the man his car. “Holding down the receiver,” Daisy said cynically. Tom flung open the door, blocked its space with his thick body, and greeted Gatsby with well-concealed dislike.

“Come here,” Daisy said to Gatsby after Tom left the room, pulling his face down and kissing him on the mouth. “You know I love you.” She began to clog on the brick fireplace until the heat overcame her. The nurse entered with little Pammy, the bles-sed pre-cious, and Gatsby stared at the child with surprise, as though he had never quite believed in her existence. The girl, after reciting that she had dressed before luncheon, was led away, and Tom returned bearing four gin rickeys.

Tom suggested they go to town. Daisy, on the verge of tears, insisted—everything was so confused, and it was so hot. Gatsby’s eyes floated toward her, and Tom saw. His mouth opened a little, as though he had just recognized his wife from years before. The suggestion that Gatsby drive and Tom follow in the coupé was distasteful to Gatsby, but Tom insisted, and so Daisy and Gatsby took the coupé while Tom, Jordan, and Nick followed in the yellow car.