Читать книгу Великий Гэтсби / The Great Gatsby онлайн

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“About that. They're real.”

“The books?”

He nodded.

“Absolutely real – have pages and everything. I thought they were unreal. But they're absolutely real. Pages and – Here! Let me show you.”

He rushed to the bookcases and returned with a big volume.

“See!” he cried triumphantly. “It's a masterpiece. But he didn't cut the pages. What do you want? What do you expect?”

He took the book from me and replaced it hastily on its shelf.

“Who brought you?” he demanded. “Or did you just come? I was brought. Most people were brought.”

Jordan looked at him cheerfully without answering.

“I was brought by a woman named Roosevelt,” he continued. “Mrs. Roosevelt. Do you know her? I met her somewhere last night. I've been drunk for about a week now, and I decide to sit in a library.”

“And?”

“I can't tell yet. I've only been here an hour. Did I tell you about the books? They're real. They're…”

“You told us.”

We shook hands with him gravely and went back outdoors.

I tried to find the host. I was still with Jordan Baker. We were sitting at a table with a man of about my age and a girl who was laughing all the time. I was enjoying myself now. I had taken two glasses of champagne.