ent and well-to-do in our Midwestern city for three generations. Our line begins with my great-uncle who came to America in 1851, started a successful business made a fortune. As for me – after graduating from university in 1915, I joined the military during World War I. The experience left me restless and disillusioned with Midwest, so I decided to move east and learn the bond business. My family agreed to finance my endeavor for a year, and after several delays, I finally moved to the East Coast in the spring of 1922.
I rented a modest bungalow in a town on Long Island. I shared it with my dog that ran away days later and a Finnish woman who took care of the house. Although the first few days were lonely, chanceencounters made me feel like a part of the community, and the summer felt like a new beginning filled with the promise of fresh air and new books.
My house was located in West Egg, a less fashionable part of Long Island. Despite their similar shapes, West Egg and East Egg are vastly different in character. My humble home was overshadowed by the extravagant mansions that surrounded it, including a colossal mansion next door, owned by the mysterious Mr. Gatsby.
One day, I was invited to dinner at the home of Tom and Daisy Buchanan in East Egg. Daisy was my cousin, and I had met Tom in college. The Buchanans had recently moved East after spending some time traveling through Europe. Tom used to be a skilled football player, but later became a restless and aggressive man, who lived off his enormous wealth and always searched for excitement. Their home in East Egg was a grand mansion with a lawn that stretched to the beach. When I arrived, I was greeted by Tom, whose appearance and commanding voice were as intimidating as ever.
Inside the house, I was introduced to a young woman named Jordan Baker, who was a friend of Daisy's. Miss Baker was lying on a couch, motionless, while Daisy greeted me warmly. Her voice was filled with excitement and charm. She was the kind of person who could captivate others with just a few words.
As we were talking, Tom asked about my career in the bond business. He sounded skeptical, but I assured him that he would hear of my company soon enough. At this point, Miss Baker, who had been silent, suddenly exclaimed, “Absolutely!” It surprised both Tom and me. I looked at her again, and I realized that I had seen her before, or, perhaps, a picture of her.
“You live in West Egg,” she remarked arrogantly. “I know someone there. You must know him too. It's Gatsby.”
“Gatsby? What Gatsby?” Daisy demanded.
Before I could respond, dinner was announced, and Tom led me into the dining room. When the phone rang inside, and the butler went to answer it, Daisy leaned toward me, eager to share a family secret. “It's about the butler's nose. Want to hear?”
“That's why I came over tonight,” I joked.
She explained that the butler had once worked for a wealthy New York family until the work ruined his nose, forcing him to quit. As she spoke, the butler whispered something to Tom, who frowned and left the table without saying a word. Daisy excused herself.
I was about to speak to Miss Baker when she suddenly whispered, “Shh! Don't talk. I want to hear what happens.”
“Is something happening?” I asked innocently.
“Don't you know?” she said, surprised. “I thought everyone knew. Tom's got some woman in New York. And she doesn't have enough decency not to call him during dinner.”
Before I could fully understand the meaning, Tom and Daisy returned. Daisy sat down, tense but trying to appear cheerful. She mentioned something romantic about a bird singing on the lawn, but Tom seemed uninterested. The telephone rang again, disrupting the conversation. Daisy shook her head at Tom. I wanted to look at everyone but also avoid all eyes. I couldn't tell what Daisy and Tom were thinking, but even Miss Baker seemed unable to ignore the fifth guest.
Tom and Miss Baker wandered back to the library, while I followed Daisy to the front porch.
“We don't know each other very well, Nick,” Daisy said suddenly. “Even if we are cousins. You didn't come to my wedding.”
“I wasn't back from the war.”
“That's true.” She hesitated, then added, “Well, I've had a very bad time, Nick, and I'm pretty cynical about everything.”
She told me that after she had a baby, the nurse said it was a girl, and Daisy cried.
“I'm glad it's a girl,” she said. “And I hope she'll a beautiful little fool.”
Inside, Tom and Miss Baker were sitting on the couch, and she was reading aloud from a magazine. When we entered, she paused for a moment and then stood up.
“It's ten o'clock,” she noted. “Time for me to go to bed.”
“Jordan's playing in a tournament tomorrow,” Daisy explained.
I realized who she was, remembering her face from many pictures of the sporting life.
“Good night,” she said softly before leaving the room.
As I was starting my car, Daisy called out, “Wait! I forgot to ask you something important. We heard you were getting married.”
“It's not true,” I denied. “I'm too poor.”
I didn't explain any further. They didn't need to know the full story, just as I had no intention of clearing up the rumor. I had expected Daisy to call me to meet her child. Surprisingly, that did not happen.
arrogantly ['ærəɡəntli] – adv высокомерно
assure [ə'ʃɔ:] – v заверять
bond [bɒnd] – n облигация
butler ['bʌtlə] – n дворецкий
captivate ['kæptɪveɪt] – v пленять, очаровывать
chance [tʃɑ:ns] – adj случайный
decency ['di:sənsi] – n порядочность
delay [dɪ'leɪ] – n задержка
deny [dɪ'naɪ] – v отрицать
disillusioned [,dɪsɪ'lu:ʒənd] – adj разочарованный
disrupt [dɪs'rʌpt] – v прерывать
eager ['i:ɡə] – adj стремящийся, нетерпеливый
encounter [ɪn'kaʊntə] – n неожиданная встреча
endeavor [ɪn'devə] – n попытка
exclaim [ɪks'kleɪm] – v восклицать
fortune ['fɔ:tʃu:n] – n состояние
humble ['hʌmbl] – adj скромный
indulgence [ɪn'dʌldʒəns] – n излишества
intimidating [ɪn'tɪmɪdeɪtɪŋ] – adj пугающий
lawn [lɔ:n] – n газон
mansion ['mænʃən] – n особняк
mistake [mɪ'steɪk] – v ошибочно принять за кого-то другого
modest