The Notebooks
of F. Scott Fitzgerald
(M) Moments (What people do)
1077
DOGS
We went through a routine, with a lot of false starts, charges, leg and throat holds, rolling overs, and escapes.
I only barked a little in the base to stretch my throat— I’m not one of the kind always shooting off their muzzle
We followed a tall lady for awhile—no particular reason except she had a parcel with meat in it—we knew we wouldn’t get any but you never can tell. Sometimes I just feel like shutting my nose and just following somebody pretending they’re yours or that they’re taking you somewhere.
The Brain wasn’t there yet but the Beard was. He got out that damn pole and tried to kid me again, holding it out and jabbering—a long time ago I figured out that his object is to see if I’m fool enough to jump over it. But I don’t bite, just walk around it. Then he tried the trick they all do—held my paws and tried to balance me on the end of my spine. I never could figure out the point of that one.
I wanted to lick him, but when I came really close he snarled, “Scram!” and got half up on his haunches. He thought I was going to eat him just because he was down.
The little boy said, “Get away you!” and it made me feel bad because I’ve never eaten a dog in my life and would not unless I was very hungry.
I must have a hundred bones around here and I don’t know why I save them. I never find them again unless accidentally, but I just can’t stand leaving them around.
1078
Thinking the world was going to start over with the things they could make of cellophane. Because for a moment everyone was making things of cellophane.
1079
Moving on to hot seat in theatre.
1080
In processions I always look at the coach man and see what he looks like.
1081
The idea of the grand dame slighly tight (a la Margaret Harriman) is one of the least impressive in the world. You know: “The foreign office will hear about this, hic!”
1082
I once financed the great grandson of the great Morgan.
1083
Who did I kiss who said, “Don’t tell Zelda”? Sandy?
1084
It was an old pistol for as he took it away from her a slice of pearl came off the handle and fell on the floor.
1085
Some kind of small animal that looked all wrong “as if it were turned inside out,” had emerged from the forest, regarded them curiously for a moment and hurried mysteriously away.
1086
They were all hungry now, and sitting jaded beside the stream they developed individual tendencies to look around for a sign “Restaurant” or strain their ears for the tinkle of a dinner bell.
1087
In Manilla Mr. Barnaby had struck her with a whist broom because she had ruined his life.
1088
Nurses clucking. As if that confirmed some idea of life that they had held for long
1089
Dorothy Parker going Victorian, making up fortune in the past by weeping—a sort of deliberate retrogression
1090
He put out a mosquito on the paper and erased its body with the rubber
1091
Her mouth fell open comically, she balanced a moment
1092
Almost release but scene broken by local music
1093
She was asleep—he stood for a moment beside her bed sorry for her, because she was asleep, and because she had set her slippers beside her bed.
1094
Waiting for the lady to take out the bag on bus
1095
Everyone suddenly stiffened—after a terrible moment Mrs. Littleton, by making herself figuratively into oil managed to ooze a few words through.
1096
Only a fat Victorian pincushion filled with an assorted variety of many-colored-headed pins seemed to assure her that a well-brought-up girl would do the right thing.
1097
They ran for it through a blinding white hot crash.
1098
He cocked one miserable eye at the bright tropical stars.
1099
Belina the young Corsican yelled with glory as he bounced his aeroplane across the sky.
1100
The inebriated American who had invited him to lunch thought at first that Val was a son of the czar.
1101
“Dramatic club! Oh, gosh!” cried the girl. “Did you hear that? She thinks it’s a dramatic club, like Miss Pinkerton’s school.” In a moment her uninfectious laughter died away.
1102
Back in the sitting room he resumed his walking; unconsciously he was walking like his father, the judge, dead thirty years ago; he was parading his dead father up and down the room.
1103
The cuff button dropped to the floor; he stooped to pick it up and then said “Helen!” urgently into the mouth-piece to cover the fact that he had momentarily been away.
1104
The water went into his nose and started a raw stinging; it blinded him; it lingered afterward in his ears, rattling back and forth like pebbles for hours.
1105
The silence was coming from some deep place in Mrs. Ives’ heart.
1106
The almost regular pat-smack, smack- pat- pat of the balls, the thud of a jump and the overtone of the umpire’s “Fault;” “Out;” “Game and st,6 —2, Mr. Oberwalter.”
1107
Our fathers died. Suddenly in the night they died and in the morning we knew.
1108
They laughed, ending with yawning gurgles that were not laughed out but sucked in.
1109
She yet spoke somewhat sharply, as people will with a better refusal to convey.
1110
To ride off into the sunset in such a chariot, into the very hush and mystery of night, beside him the mystery of that baby-faced girl.
1111
Couple treading water dancing.
1112
Wiping his chin with a long rag which he took from some obscure section of his upholstery.
1113
When he left the house their engagement was over, but her love for him was not over and her hope was not gone, and her actions had only begun.
1114
If Teddy had played the current sentimental song from Ermine, and had played it with feeling, she would have understood and been moved, but he was plunging her suddenly into a world of mature emotions, whither her nature neither could nor wished to follow.
1115
A chorus of pleasant envy followed in the wake of their effortless glamour.
1116
He threw his hands up so high it seemed as if they left his wrists and were caught again on their descent.
1117
Hesitation before name doesn’t displease.
1118
Behind them a long haired Nebraska pederast (not Van Vechten) told the plot in mournful numbers.
1119
He went back into the bathroom and swallowed a draught of rubbing alcohol guaranteed to produce violent gastric disturbances.
1120
He put his mind in order with a short resume of the history of music, beginning with some chords from The Messiah and ending with Debussy’s La Plus Que Lent, which had an evocative quality for him, because he had first heard it the day his cat died.
1121
Clubbing him with his taller fist his head side-swiped a fence with blood tasting on his mouth and going cold on his ear lobes.
1122
Trying to dismiss him as a sort of inspired fairy.
1123
Opens magazine several times at the fact that poetry is at crossroads.
1124
A beam, soft and pleasant fell across his spirit. Those two beings, tender and cloud-like, unreal, with the little sins of little people. They were no more than sick room flowers where he lay.
1125
But at the look of childish craftiness in her eyes he took it back quickly.
1126
She leaned back confortably against the water pipe, as one enjoying the moment at leisure. He lit her a cigarette impatiently and waited.
1127
She walked toward the dressing table as though her own reflection was the only decent company with which to foregather.
1128
De Sano tearing the chair
1129
The funeral carriages—a man smoking in the last
1130
Two brown port bottles appeared ahead, developed white labels, turned into starched nuns who seared us with holy eyes as we went by.
1131
We left him there dancing with a fluttering waiter.
1132
Dog arrives. I call him. Doesn’t like me. Expressionless he passes on.
1133
In the big halt of night, an arrow fell in camp—it was neither poisoned nor pigeon-burdened—only pointed, and during big halt the enemy was a friendly thing.
1134
Her voice trying to blow life into the dead number 2-0-1-1
1135
Mother majestically dripping her sleeves in the coffee.
1136
His ecstacy made him use the cane. He pointed it at little patches of snow that still remained on the ground and then raised it overhead dragging it through the lower limbs of the trees.
1137
There was a flick of the lip somewhere, a bending of the smile toward some indirection, a momentary lifting and dropping of the curtain over a hidden passage.
1138
he sat back robbed and glowering.
1139
Hats coming off, thought it was his head
1140
Went into the bathroom and sat on the seat crying because it was more private man anywhere she knew.
1141
When he urinated it sounded like night prayer.
1142
The feeling that she was (his) began between his shoulders and spread over him like a coat going on.
1143
A thing called the Grand Canyon Symphony which seemed to me to lean heavily on Horses Horses Horses.
1144
breaking into an “Off to Buffalo” against a sudden breath of wet wind.
1145
Shocked at five razor blades instead of twelve.
1146
Shuddering with pleasure at the difficult idiom.
1147
The young people got back into the boat—they all felt fine and quietly passionate.
1148
When she heard his footsteps again she turned frankly and held his eyes for a moment until his turned away, as a woman can when she has the protection of other men’s company.
1149
An idea ran back and forth in his head like a blind man, knocking over the solid furniture.
1150
He had written a complimentary letter to Mr. X, the humorist, for an autograph and had received Mr. X’s form letter which was a joke. About bunions ’Dear Sir,’ the letter said, ’My advice to you is to
1151
Her mother had handed the passenger list across the table—her fingers so meticulously indicating the name that Rosemary had to pry it up to read.
1152
Person driving away after seeing friend off (Sheilah) “I’m glad you’ve gone John”, and does a takem glancing back.
1153
Going home at night—lights out—newsboy remind me.
1154
“Bring me a box of Elizabeth Arden” you’d wired me and how our love shone through any old trite phrase in a telegram.
1155
After a while a skittish lady with an air of being pursued slipped in and not without a few wary glances around achieved sanctuary in the front row.
1156
The moment of closeness between savagry and civilization never closer than in the self-consciousness of truces and surrenders of men in love with the same girl, or in common life when we handle money. Scene to show this—paying Flora setting down money on bureau—no you keep it, etc.
1157
Moss Hart’s compliment and me calling him author of Babes in Arms.
1158
The pins and the napkin ring I swallowed.
1159
———for a moment the sparkler went in four directions, exploded. The end of four stars. They exploded in four directions, detonated. The corner of the room—stars—just for a moment. He did not what he had done.
1160
“And Nanny’s Trunk.”
1161
I have known and analyzed too much charm to be impressed by ladies who recompose their features after an interdict.
1745
“Shall I save him for another five minutes?” says Nora.
1776
My story of self conscious woman who said son-of-a-bitch instead bitch at hunt dinner.
Next: N: Nonsense and Stray Phrases.
Переводы: M: Мгновения (как люди поступают) (разные переводчики).