Великий Гэтсби
Chapter 1
"I’vegotaniceplacehere,"hesaid,hiseyesflashingaboutrestlessly.
Turningmearoundbyonearm,hemovedabroadflathandalongthefrontvista,includinginitssweepasunkenItaliangarden,ahalfacreofdeep,pungentroses,andasnub-nosedmotor-boatthatbumpedthetideoffshore.
"ItbelongedtoDemaine,theoilman. "Heturnedmearoundagain,politelyandabruptly. "We’llgoinside."
Wewalkedthroughahighhallwayintoabrightrosy-coloredspace,fragilelyboundintothehousebyFrenchwindowsateitherend. Thewindowswereajarandgleamingwhiteagainstthefreshgrassoutsidethatseemedtogrowalittlewayintothehouse. Abreezeblewthroughtheroom,blewcurtainsinatoneendandouttheotherlikepaleflags,twistingthemuptowardthefrostedwedding-cakeoftheceiling,andthenrippledoverthewine-coloredrug,makingashadowonitaswinddoesonthesea.
Theonlycompletelystationaryobjectintheroomwasanenormouscouchonwhichtwoyoungwomenwerebuoyedupasthoughuponananchoredballoon. Theywerebothinwhite,andtheirdresseswereripplingandflutteringasiftheyhadjustbeenblownbackinafterashortflightaroundthehouse. Imusthavestoodforafewmomentslisteningtothewhipandsnapofthecurtainsandthegroanofapictureonthewall. ThentherewasaboomasTomBuchananshuttherearwindowsandthecaughtwinddiedoutabouttheroom,andthecurtainsandtherugsandthetwoyoungwomenballoonedslowlytothefloor.
Theyoungerofthetwowasastrangertome. Shewasextendedfulllengthatherendofthedivan,completelymotionless,andwithherchinraisedalittle,asifshewerebalancingsomethingonitwhichwasquitelikelytofall. Ifshesawmeoutofthecornerofhereyesshegavenohintofit —indeed,Iwasalmostsurprisedintomurmuringanapologyforhavingdisturbedherbycomingin.
