IV

OnSundaymorningwhilechurchbellsranginthevillagesalongshore,theworldanditsmistressreturnedtoGatsby’shouseandtwinkledhilariouslyonhislawn. “He’sabootlegger,”saidtheyoungladies,movingsomewherebetweenhiscocktailsandhisflowers.“OnetimehekilledamanwhohadfoundoutthathewasnephewtoVonHindenburgandsecondcousintothedevil.Reachmearose,honey,andpourmealastdropintothattherecrystalglass.” OnceIwrotedownontheemptyspacesofatimetablethenamesofthosewhocametoGatsby’shousethatsummer.Itisanoldtimetablenow,disintegratingatitsfolds,andheaded“ThisscheduleineffectJuly5th,1922.”ButIcanstillreadthegreynames,andtheywillgiveyouabetterimpressionthanmygeneralitiesofthosewhoacceptedGatsby’shospitalityandpaidhimthesubtletributeofknowingnothingwhateverabouthim. FromEastEgg,then,cametheChesterBeckersandtheLeeches,andamannamedBunsen,whomIknewatYale,andDoctorWebsterCivet,whowasdrownedlastsummerupinMaine.AndtheHornbeamsandtheWillieVoltaires,andawholeclannamedBlackbuck,whoalwaysgatheredinacornerandflippeduptheirnoseslikegoatsatwhosoevercamenear.AndtheIsmaysandtheChrysties(orratherHubertAuerbachandMr.Chrystie’swife),andEdgarBeaver,whosehair,theysay,turnedcotton-whiteonewinterafternoonfornogoodreasonatall. ClarenceEndivewasfromEastEgg,asIremember.Hecameonlyonce,inwhiteknickerbockers,andhadafightwithabumnamedEttyinthegarden.FromfartheroutontheIslandcametheCheadlesandtheO.R.P.Schraeders,andtheStonewallJacksonAbramsofGeorgia,andtheFishguardsandtheRipleySnells.Snellwastherethreedaysbeforehewenttothepenitentiary,sodrunkoutonthegraveldrivethatMrs.UlyssesSwett’sautomobileranoverhisrighthand.TheDanciescame,too,andS.B.Whitebait,whowaswelloversixty,andMauriceA.Flink,andtheHammerheads,andBelugathetobaccoimporter,andBeluga’sgirls. FromWestEggcamethePolesandtheMulreadysandCecilRoebuckandCecilSchoenandGulicktheStatesenatorandNewtonOrchid,whocontrolledFilmsParExcellence,andEckhaustandClydeCohenandDonS.Schwartz(theson)andArthurMcCarty,allconnectedwiththemoviesinonewayoranother.AndtheCatlipsandtheBembergsandG.EarlMuldoon,brothertothatMuldoonwhoafterwardstrangledhiswife.DaFontanothepromotercamethere,andEdLegrosandJamesB.(“Rot-Gut”)FerretandtheDeJongsandErnestLilly—theycametogamble,andwhenFerretwanderedintothegardenitmeanthewascleanedoutandAssociatedTractionwouldhavetofluctuateprofitablynextday. AmannamedKlipspringerwastheresooftenthathebecameknownas“theboarder”—Idoubtifhehadanyotherhome.OftheatricalpeopletherewereGusWaizeandHoraceO’DonavanandLesterMyerandGeorgeDuckweedandFrancisBull.AlsofromNewYorkweretheChromesandtheBackhyssonsandtheDennickersandRusselBettyandtheCorrigansandtheKellehersandtheDewarsandtheScullysandS.W.BelcherandtheSmirkesandtheyoungQuinns,divorcednow,andHenryL.Palmetto,whokilledhimselfbyjumpinginfrontofasubwaytraininTimesSquare. BennyMcClenahanarrivedalwayswithfourgirls.Theywereneverquitethesameonesinphysicalperson,buttheyweresoidenticalonewithanotherthatitinevitablyseemedtheyhadbeentherebefore.Ihaveforgottentheirnames—Jaqueline,Ithink,orelseConsuela,orGloriaorJudyorJune,andtheirlastnameswereeitherthemelodiousnamesofflowersandmonthsorthesterneronesofthegreatAmericancapitalistswhosecousins,ifpressed,theywouldconfessthemselvestobe. InadditiontoalltheseIcanrememberthatFaustinaO’BriencamethereatleastonceandtheBaedekergirlsandyoungBrewer,whohadhisnoseshotoffinthewar,andMr.AlbrucksburgerandMissHaag,hisfiancée,andArditaFitz-PetersandMr.P.Jewett,onceheadoftheAmericanLegion,andMissClaudiaHip,withamanreputedtobeherchauffeur,andaprinceofsomething,whomwecalledDuke,andwhosename,ifIeverknewit,Ihaveforgotten. AllthesepeoplecametoGatsby’shouseinthesummer. Atnineo’clock,onemorninglateinJuly,Gatsby’sgorgeouscarlurcheduptherockydrivetomydoorandgaveoutaburstofmelodyfromitsthree-notedhorn. Itwasthefirsttimehehadcalledonme,thoughIhadgonetotwoofhisparties,mountedinhishydroplane,and,athisurgentinvitation,madefrequentuseofhisbeach. “Goodmorning,oldsport.You’rehavinglunchwithmetodayandIthoughtwe’drideuptogether.” HewasbalancinghimselfonthedashboardofhiscarwiththatresourcefulnessofmovementthatissopeculiarlyAmerican—thatcomes,Isuppose,withtheabsenceofliftingworkinyouthand,evenmore,withtheformlessgraceofournervous,sporadicgames.Thisqualitywascontinuallybreakingthroughhispunctiliousmannerintheshapeofrestlessness.Hewasneverquitestilltherewasalwaysatappingfootsomewhereortheimpatientopeningandclosingofahand. Hesawmelookingwithadmirationathiscar. “It’spretty,isn’tit,oldsport?”Hejumpedofftogivemeabetterview.“Haven’tyoueverseenitbefore?” I’dseenit.Everybodyhadseenit.Itwasarichcreamcolour,brightwithnickel,swollenhereandthereinitsmonstrouslengthwithtriumphanthatboxesandsupper-boxesandtoolboxes,andterracedwithalabyrinthofwindshieldsthatmirroredadozensuns.Sittingdownbehindmanylayersofglassinasortofgreenleatherconservatory,westartedtotown. Ihadtalkedwithhimperhapshalfadozentimesinthepastmonthandfound,tomydisappointment,thathehadlittletosay.Somyfirstimpression,thathewasapersonofsomeundefinedconsequence,hadgraduallyfadedandhehadbecomesimplytheproprietorofanelaborateroadhousenextdoor. Andthencamethatdisconcertingride.Wehadn