Читать книгу The Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald онлайн

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“Marion—!”

She had run toward the elevator, stood with one finger pressed hard against the bell which rang through the hall like a last high note from the music inside. The door of the apartment opened suddenly and Charley Hart came out into the hall.

“Michael!” he cried, “Michael and Marion, I want to explain! Come inside. I want to explain, I tell you.”

He talked excitedly—his face was flushed and his mouth formed a word or two that did not materialize into sound.

“Hurry up, Michael,” came Marion’s voice tensely from the elevator.

“Let me explain,” cried Charley frantically. “I want—”

Michael moved away from him—the elevator came and the gate clanged open.

“You act as if I’d committed some crime.” Charley was following Michael along the hall. “Can’t you understand that this is all an accidental situation?”

“It’s all right,” Michael muttered, “I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” Charley’s voice rose with exasperation. He was working up anger against them so as to justify his own intolerable position. “You’re going away mad and I asked you to come in and join the party. Why did you come up here if you won’t come in? Did you—?”