Великий Гэтсби

           "Don’tyoucallme‘oldsport’!"criedTom.Gatsbysaidnothing."Waltercouldhaveyouuponthebettinglawstoo,butWolfsheimscaredhimintoshuttinghismouth."

           ThatunfamiliaryetrecognizablelookwasbackagaininGatsby’sface.

           "Thatdrug-storebusinesswasjustsmallchange,"continuedTomslowly,"butyou’vegotsomethingonnowthatWalter’safraidtotellmeabout."

           IglancedatDaisy,whowasstaringterrifiedbetweenGatsbyandherhusband,andatJordan,whohadbeguntobalanceaninvisiblebutabsorbingobjectonthetipofherchin.ThenIturnedbacktoGatsby—andwasstartledathisexpression.Helooked—andthisissaidinallcontemptforthebabbledslanderofhisgarden—asifhehad"killedaman."Foramomentthesetofhisfacecouldbedescribedinjustthatfantasticway.

           Itpassed,andhebegantotalkexcitedlytoDaisy,denyingeverything,defendinghisnameagainstaccusationsthathadnotbeenmade.Butwitheverywordshewasdrawingfurtherandfurtherintoherself,sohegavethatup,andonlythedeaddreamfoughtonastheafternoonslippedaway,tryingtotouchwhatwasnolongertangible,strugglingunhappily,undespairingly,towardthatlostvoiceacrosstheroom.

           Thevoicebeggedagaintogo.

           "please,Tom!Ican’tstandthisanymore."

           Herfrightenedeyestoldthatwhateverintentions,whatevercourage,shehadhad,weredefinitelygone.