Читать книгу The Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald онлайн

1233 страница из 1457

Corcoran was astounded and not a little disturbed by her loveliness—he had never seen her in full evening dress before. Her perfect features were dancing up and down in delighted anticipation, and he felt that Mr. Bushmill might have afforded the orchids after all.

“Thanks for the pretty flowers,” she cried eagerly. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a nice orchestra here in the hotel.”

Her face fell a little.

“Well, we can start here—”

They went down to the almost-deserted grill, where a few scattered groups of diners swooned in midsummer languor, and only half a dozen Americans arose with the music and stalked defiantly around the floor. Hallie and Corcoran danced. She was surprised to find how well he danced, as all tall, slender men should, with such a delicacy of suggestion that she felt as though she were being turned here and there as a bright bouquet or a piece of precious cloth before five hundred eyes.

But when they had finished dancing she realized that there were only a score of eyes—after dinner even these began to melt apathetically away.