She was dressed to play golf,and I remember thinking she looked like a good illustration,her chin raised a little jauntily,her hair the colour of an autumn leaf,her face the same brown tint as the fingerless glove on her knee.When I had finished she told me without comment that she was engaged to another man.I doubted that,though there were several she could have married at a nod of her head,but I pretended to be surprised.For just a minute I wondered if I wasn't making a mistake,then I thought it all over again quickly and got up to say goodbye.
‘Nevertheless you did throw me over,’said Jordan suddenly.‘You threw me over on the telephone.I don't give a damn about you now,but it was a new experience for me,and I felt a little dizzy for a while.’
We shook hands.
‘Oh,and do you remember’-she added -‘a conversation we had once about driving a car?’
‘Why-not exactly.’
‘You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver?Well,I met another bad driver,didn't I?I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess.I thought you were rather an honest,straightforward person.I thought it was your secret pride.’
‘I'm thirty,’I said.‘I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honour.’
She didn't answer.Angry,and half in love with her,and tremendously sorry,I turned away.
One afternoon late in October I saw Tom Buchanan.He was walking ahead of me along Fifth Avenue in his alert,aggressive way,his hands out a little from his body as if to fight off interference,his head moving sharply here and there,adapting itself to his restless eyes.Just as I slowed up to avoid overtaking him he stopped and began frowning into the windows of a jewellery store.Suddenly he saw me and walked back,holding out his hand.
‘What's the matter,Nick?Do you object to shaking hands with me?’
‘Yes.You know what I think of you.’
‘You're crazy,Nick,’he said quickly.‘Crazy as hell.I don't know what's the matter with you.’
‘Tom,’I enquired,‘what did you say to Wilson that afternoon?’
He stared at me without a word,and I knew I had guessed right about those missing hours.I started to turn away,but he took a step after me and grabbed my arm.