The phrase describes how Judy walks away from the conversation and prepares to begin her golf game; it never occurs to her that Dexter will not caddy for her. “Haughty” means arrogant and contemptuous of others; to “mince” means to walk in short, quick steps in a deliberately dainty manner.
A “retinue” is a group of escorts, assistants, or advisers who accompany an important person. The word is used humorously here since Judy Jones’s “retinue” is her nurse, carrying her golf clubs.
The adjective “ominous” means foreshadowing evil or harm. Judy Jones’s “ominous” glance is directed at her nurse for revealing to Dexter that she does not know how to play golf.
“Blatantly” means in a way that is completely obvious and unashamed. Judy’s smile is not sincere, but she doesn’t care that it’s artificial. Her smile’s being nevertheless “convincing” suggests that Judy is practiced at displaying emotions that aren’t genuine.
“Melancholy” is a feeling of sadness, especially while in a pensive or reflective mood. The passage indicates that Dexter is emotionally responsive to the seasons and his surroundings.
Caddies assist golfers as they play the course, usually by carrying the bag that holds their clubs and handing over the particular clubs they call for during a game.
In context, a crawl refers to a swimming stroke that consists of alternate overarm movements and rapid kicking of the feet. In describing how Judy swims, “sinuous” means lithe, agile, and graceful.
To smirk means to smile in a way that is smug or conceited; “grotesque” means distorted in a way that’s comic or ugly. Even when Judy tries to smirk, Dexter finds it attractive.
"the waters in the little wind, silver molasses under the harvest-moon..."See in text(Part II)
A “harvest moon” is a full moon that rises on or about September 22 each year. It is an autumn moon, which associates it with farmers harvesting their crops.
A “mashie” is a type of golf club made of iron. It has a wider clubhead designed for making short or medium-length approach shots, such as hitting a golf ball out of the rough.
"Shetland hose and sweaters..."See in text(Part II)
“Shetland hose and sweaters” refers to apparel made from the wool of sheep raised in the Shetland Islands off the coast of northern Scotland. The wool is noted for its softness and fine texture.
“Knickerbockers” refers to a style of men’s trousers that are baggy at the knee and don’t cover the leg below the knee. Popular in the early 1900s, especially with golfers, they were worn with long stockings up to the knee.
"investing patrimonies precariously..."See in text(Part II)
A patrimony is wealth that has been inherited rather than earned. Inheriting wealth from previous generations is common in the upper class, an advantage Dexter does not have.
"glittering things and glittering people..."See in text(Part II)
“Glittering” means shining with a shimmering or sparkling light. The word has connotations of beauty and glamour, suggesting Dexter’s romantic view of an upper-class life.
"for the precarious advantage of attending an older and more famous university in the East..."See in text(Part II)
“Precarious” means insecure and uncertain; “scanty” means meager or scarce. In pursuit of his romantic winter dreams, Dexter was willing to endure financial distress as a student in order to attend an elite Eastern university, even though the sacrifice did not ensure his future success.
“Surfeit” means an excess, overabundance, or the state of being more than full. In context, it emphasizes the passion of Judy’s kisses and Dexter’s emotional response to them.
“Petulance” refers to being childishly sulky or irritated, suggesting that Judy still displays the behavior Dexter first observed in her when he was a fourteen-year-old caddy at the Sherry Island Golf Club.
"This feeling was accentuated..."See in text(Part III)
In context, “accentuated” means increased in intensity. Dexter’s disappointment about Judy’s simple attire is intensified when she, rather than a butler, announces that dinner could now be served. Dexter’s illusions about having dinner at Mortimer Jones’s fine home prove to be unrealistic.
"He had acquired that particular reserve peculiar to his university..."See in text(Part III)
In context, “reserve” refers to dress or behavior that is understated and subdued. The adjective “peculiar” refers to distinctive qualities or characteristics associated with a particular group, person, or place. In an effort to impress others, Dexter is practicing a mannerism that associates him with the elite Eastern university he attended.
“Profane” means to treat something with irreverence or disrespect, especially something sacred. In the context of the passage, it suggests the depth of Dexter’s feelings about being with Judy again.
The verb “to enumerate” means to list, itemize, or mention a number of things one by one. In trying to accept that he has no future with Judy, Dexter makes a mental list of each reason she would not be a good wife for him.
"an integral part of the stag-lines..."See in text(Part IV)
“Integral” is an adjective defined as basic or fundamental. A stag line refers to men at a dance who attend unaccompanied by a date; they would dance with unaccompanied women or cut in on couples to dance with someone else’s date.
"in shadowy alcoves or behind the protecting trellises of the garden arbors..."See in text(Part IV)
An alcove is a recess or nook in a garden; an arbor is a shady garden alcove with sides and a roof formed by climbing plants trained over a trellis, a wooden framework. Dexter initially pursues Judy in the romantic setting of the garden at her home.
As the word is used here, “kinetic” pertains to motion or movement, suggesting that nothing a suitor might do or say would win Judy’s love or commitment.
A roadster is an open-top car, usually with a sporty design, that seats two. Judy’s owning a car and driving herself to social engagements indicates her independence and lack of concern with social conventions of her era, as does abandoning her date and leaving with another man.
The noun “denouement,” or “dénouement,” is a literary term referring to the outcome of a dramatic sequence of events in a story. Fitzgerald’s word choice indicates that the courtship between Dexter and Judy Jones is like a complicated plot, “with varying shades of intensity,” that reached a climactic peak and then concluded.
The adjective “ludicrous” means to be laughably ridiculous, absurd, or idiotic. Dexter cannot imagine that the glittering young woman he desired so intensely could ever be described as merely “pretty.” Devlin’s description of Judy conflicts with Dexter’s memories of her.
"He rose to his feet spasmodically.
..."See in text(Part VI)
“Spasmodically” means reacting with abrupt emotional intensity or behaving in a fitful manner. Dexter is struck with the sudden urge to rush to Detroit, presumably to find Judy, because she is married to a man who does not appreciate her or treat her well.
