Великий Гэтсби
Chapter 5
"Don’ttalksoloud."
"You’reactinglikealittleboy,"Ibrokeoutimpatiently."Notonlythat,butyou’rerude.Daisy’ssittinginthereallalone."
Heraisedhishandtostopmywords,lookedatmewithunforgettablereproach,and,openingthedoorcautiously,wentbackintotheotherroom.
Iwalkedoutthebackway—justasGatsbyhadwhenhehadmadehisnervouscircuitofthehousehalfanhourbefore—andranforahugeblackknottedtree,whosemassedleavesmadeafabricagainsttherain.Oncemoreitwaspouring,andmyirregularlawn,well-shavedbyGatsby’sgardener,aboundedinsmall,muddyswampsandprehistoricmarshes.TherewasnothingtolookatfromunderthetreeexceptGatsby’senormoushouse,soIstaredatit,likeKantathischurchsteeple,forhalfanhour.Abrewerhadbuiltitearlyinthe"period"craze,adecadebefore,andtherewasastorythathe’dagreedtopayfiveyears’taxesonalltheneighboringcottagesiftheownerswouldhavetheirroofsthatchedwithstraw.PerhapstheirrefusaltooktheheartoutofhisplantoFoundaFamily—hewentintoanimmediatedecline.Hischildrensoldhishousewiththeblackwreathstillonthedoor.Americans,whileoccasionallywillingtobeserfs,havealwaysbeenobstinateaboutbeingpeasantry.
Afterhalfanhour,thesunshoneagain,andthegrocer’sautomobileroundedGatsby’sdrivewiththerawmaterialforhisservants’dinner—Ifeltsurehewouldn’teataspoonful.Amaidbeganopeningtheupperwindowsofhishouse,appearedmomentarilyineach,and,leaningfromalargecentralbay,spatmeditativelyintothegarden.ItwastimeIwentback.Whiletheraincontinuedithadseemedlikethemurmuroftheirvoices,risingandswellingalittlenowandthenwithgustsofemotion.ButinthenewsilenceIfeltthatsilencehadfallenwithinthehousetoo.
