That spring, the sun shone every day. I was lonely at first in
the East. But I felt that this was the real beginning of my
life. I walked in the fresh air. I bought books. I worked hard. I
was trying to make myself a successful businessman.
One evening, the phone rang. It was my cousin, Daisy.
‘Hallo, Nick,’ she said in her soft voice. ‘Do you know we
are neighbours? Tom and I are living across the bay6, in East
Egg. I think we’ve settled down at last. Do come to dinner,
Nick. I’d love to see you.’
Of course, I agreed. I wanted to see my cousin Daisy again.
She had married Tom Buchanan, a man I had known at Yale
University. Tom had been a famous football player at college.
His family was very rich and Tom had spent money carelessly.
Now he and Daisy had left Chicago, where I had last seen them.
After the War, they had travelled around America and Europe.
I did not believe they had really settled down. They were too
rich and too restless7.
So, a few days later, I drove over to East Egg. The
Buchanan’s house was a big one, overlooking the bay. The
lawns and gardens started at the house and went down to the
sea. It was late afternoon and the weather was warm and windy.
All the windows at the front of the house were wide open.
Tom Buchanan stood on the porch8, his legs wide apart.
He was a fair-haired man of about thirty. He wore smart riding
clothes9 and his body looked strong and cruel.
We talked for a few minutes on the sunny porch.