Читать книгу The Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald онлайн

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She stood up suddenly.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” she assured him vehemently. “I’m just going to telephone everybody and call the whole thing off.”

“Why, Marion—”

But in spite of his half-hearted protests she picked up the phone book and began looking for the first number.

They bought theatre tickets next day hoping to fill the hollowness which would invest the evening. Marion had wept when the unintercepted florist arrived at five with boxes of flowers and she felt that she must get out of the house to avoid the ghosts who would presently people it. In silence they ate an elaborate dinner composed of all the things that she had bought for the party.

“It’s only eight,” said Michael afterwards. “I think it’d be sort of nice if we dropped in on Charley for a minute, don’t you?”

“Why, no,” Marion answered, startled. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

“Why not? If he’s seriously sick I’d like to see how well he’s being taken care of.”

She saw that he had made up his mind, so she fought down her instinct against the idea and they taxied to a tall pile of studio apartments on Madison Avenue.