第1章

INTWOPARTS

PARTI

AtthelittletownofVevey,inSwitzerland,thereisaparticularlycomfortablehotel。Thereare,indeed,manyhotels,fortheentertainmentoftouristsisthebusinessoftheplace,which,asmanytravelerswillremember,isseatedupontheedgeofaremarkablybluelake——alakethatitbehooveseverytouristtovisit。Theshoreofthelakepresentsanunbrokenarrayofestablishmentsofthisorder,ofeverycategory,fromthe\"grandhotel\"ofthenewestfashion,withachalk-whitefront,ahundredbalconies,andadozenflagsflyingfromitsroof,tothelittleSwisspensionofanelderday,withitsnameinscribedinGerman-lookingletteringuponapinkoryellowwallandanawkwardsummerhouseintheangleofthegarden。

OneofthehotelsatVevey,however,isfamous,evenclassical,beingdistinguishedfrommanyofitsupstartneighborsbyanairbothofluxuryandofmaturity。Inthisregion,inthemonthofJune,Americantravelersareextremelynumerous;

itmaybesaid,indeed,thatVeveyassumesatthisperiodsomeofthecharacteristicsofanAmericanwateringplace。

Therearesightsandsoundswhichevokeavision,anecho,ofNewportandSaratoga。Thereisaflittinghitherandthitherof\"stylish\"younggirls,arustlingofmuslinflounces,arattleofdancemusicinthemorninghours,asoundofhigh-pitchedvoicesatalltimes。Youreceiveanimpressionofthesethingsattheexcellentinnofthe\"TroisCouronnes\"

andaretransportedinfancytotheOceanHouseortoCongressHall。

Butatthe\"TroisCouronnes,\"itmustbeadded,thereareotherfeaturesthataremuchatvariancewiththesesuggestions:

neatGermanwaiters,wholooklikesecretariesoflegation;

Russianprincessessittinginthegarden;littlePolishboyswalkingaboutheldbythehand,withtheirgovernors;

aviewofthesunnycrestoftheDentduMidiandthepicturesquetowersoftheCastleofChillon。

IhardlyknowwhetheritwastheanalogiesorthedifferencesthatwereuppermostinthemindofayoungAmerican,who,twoorthreeyearsago,satinthegardenofthe\"TroisCouronnes,\"lookingabouthim,ratheridly,atsomeofthegracefulobjectsIhavementioned。

Itwasabeautifulsummermorning,andinwhateverfashiontheyoungAmericanlookedatthings,theymusthaveseemedtohimcharming。

HehadcomefromGenevathedaybeforebythelittlesteamer,toseehisaunt,whowasstayingatthehotel——Genevahavingbeenforalongtimehisplaceofresidence。Buthisaunthadaheadache——

hisaunthadalmostalwaysaheadache——andnowshewasshutupinherroom,smellingcamphor,sothathewasatlibertytowanderabout。

Hewassomeseven-and-twentyyearsofage;whenhisfriendsspokeofhim,theyusuallysaidthathewasatGeneva\"studying。\"

Whenhisenemiesspokeofhim,theysaid——but,afterall,hehadnoenemies;hewasanextremelyamiablefellow,anduniversallyliked。

WhatIshouldsayis,simply,thatwhencertainpersonsspokeofhimtheyaffirmedthatthereasonofhisspendingsomuchtimeatGenevawasthathewasextremelydevotedtoaladywholivedthere——aforeignlady——apersonolderthanhimself。

VeryfewAmericans——indeed,Ithinknone——hadeverseenthislady,aboutwhomthereweresomesingularstories。ButWinterbournehadanoldattachmentforthelittlemetropolisofCalvinism;

hehadbeenputtoschoolthereasaboy,andhehadafterwardgonetocollegethere——circumstanceswhichhadledtohisformingagreatmanyyouthfulfriendships。Manyofthesehehadkept,andtheywereasourceofgreatsatisfactiontohim。

Afterknockingathisaunt’sdoorandlearningthatshewasindisposed,hehadtakenawalkaboutthetown,andthenhehadcomeintohisbreakfast。Hehadnowfinishedhisbreakfast;buthewasdrinkingasmallcupofcoffee,whichhadbeenservedtohimonalittletableinthegardenbyoneofthewaiterswholookedlikeanattache。

Atlasthefinishedhiscoffeeandlitacigarette。Presentlyasmallboycamewalkingalongthepath——anurchinofnineorten。

Thechild,whowasdiminutiveforhisyears,hadanagedexpressionofcountenance,apalecomplexion,andsharplittlefeatures。

Hewasdressedinknickerbockers,withredstockings,whichdisplayedhispoorlittlespindle-shanks;healsoworeabrilliantredcravat。

Hecarriedinhishandalongalpenstock,thesharppointofwhichhethrustintoeverythingthatheapproached——theflowerbeds,thegardenbenches,thetrainsoftheladies’dresses。InfrontofWinterbournehepaused,lookingathimwithapairofbright,penetratinglittleeyes。

\"Willyougivemealumpofsugar?\"heaskedinasharp,hardlittlevoice——

avoiceimmatureandyet,somehow,notyoung。

Winterbourneglancedatthesmalltablenearhim,onwhichhiscoffeeservicerested,andsawthatseveralmorselsofsugarremained。

\"Yes,youmaytakeone,\"heanswered;\"butIdon’tthinksugarisgoodforlittleboys。\"

Thislittleboysteppedforwardandcarefullyselectedthreeofthecovetedfragments,twoofwhichheburiedinthepocketofhisknickerbockers,depositingtheotheraspromptlyinanotherplace。

Hepokedhisalpenstock,lance-fashion,intoWinterbourne’sbenchandtriedtocrackthelumpofsugarwithhisteeth。

\"Oh,blazes;it’shar-r-d!\"heexclaimed,pronouncingtheadjectiveinapeculiarmanner。

Winterbournehadimmediatelyperceivedthathemighthavethehonorofclaiminghimasafellowcountryman。

\"Takecareyoudon’thurtyourteeth,\"hesaid,paternally。

\"Ihaven’tgotanyteethtohurt。Theyhaveallcomeout。

Ihaveonlygotseventeeth。Mymothercountedthemlastnight,andonecameoutrightafterward。Shesaidshe’dslapmeifanymorecameout。Ican’thelpit。It’sthisoldEurope。

It’stheclimatethatmakesthemcomeout。InAmericatheydidn’tcomeout。It’sthesehotels。\"

Winterbournewasmuchamused。\"Ifyoueatthreelumpsofsugar,yourmotherwillcertainlyslapyou,\"hesaid。

\"She’sgottogivemesomecandy,then,\"rejoinedhisyounginterlocutor。

\"Ican’tgetanycandyhere——anyAmericancandy。Americancandy’sthebestcandy。\"

\"AndareAmericanlittleboysthebestlittleboys?\"askedWinterbourne。

\"Idon’tknow。I’manAmericanboy,\"saidthechild。

\"Iseeyouareoneofthebest!\"laughedWinterbourne。

\"AreyouanAmericanman?\"pursuedthisvivaciousinfant。

Andthen,onWinterbourne’saffirmativereply——\"Americanmenarethebest,\"hedeclared。

Hiscompanionthankedhimforthecompliment,andthechild,whohadnowgotastrideofhisalpenstock,stoodlookingabouthim,whileheattackedasecondlumpofsugar。

Winterbournewonderedifhehimselfhadbeenlikethisinhisinfancy,forhehadbeenbroughttoEuropeataboutthisage。

\"Herecomesmysister!\"criedthechildinamoment。

\"She’sanAmericangirl。\"

Winterbournelookedalongthepathandsawabeautifulyoungladyadvancing。\"Americangirlsarethebestgirls,\"

hesaidcheerfullytohisyoungcompanion。

\"Mysisterain’tthebest!\"thechilddeclared。

\"She’salwaysblowingatme。\"

\"Iimaginethatisyourfault,nothers,\"saidWinterbourne。

Theyoungladymeanwhilehaddrawnnear。Shewasdressedinwhitemuslin,withahundredfrillsandflounces,andknotsofpale-coloredribbon。

Shewasbareheaded,butshebalancedinherhandalargeparasol,withadeepborderofembroidery;andshewasstrikingly,admirablypretty。

\"Howprettytheyare!\"thoughtWinterbourne,straighteninghimselfinhisseat,asifhewerepreparedtorise。

Theyoungladypausedinfrontofhisbench,neartheparapetofthegarden,whichoverlookedthelake。Thelittleboyhadnowconvertedhisalpenstockintoavaultingpole,bytheaidofwhichhewasspringingaboutinthegravelandkickingitupnotalittle。

\"Randolph,\"saidtheyounglady,\"whatAREyoudoing?\"

\"I’mgoinguptheAlps,\"repliedRandolph。\"Thisistheway!\"

Andhegaveanotherlittlejump,scatteringthepebblesaboutWinterbourne’sears。

\"That’sthewaytheycomedown,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"He’sanAmericanman!\"criedRandolph,inhislittlehardvoice。

Theyoungladygavenoheedtothisannouncement,butlookedstraightatherbrother。\"Well,Iguessyouhadbetterbequiet,\"

shesimplyobserved。

ItseemedtoWinterbournethathehadbeeninamannerpresented。Hegotupandsteppedslowlytowardtheyounggirl,throwingawayhiscigarette。

\"ThislittleboyandIhavemadeacquaintance,\"hesaid,withgreatcivility。

InGeneva,ashehadbeenperfectlyaware,ayoungmanwasnotatlibertytospeaktoayoungunmarriedladyexceptundercertainrarelyoccurringconditions;buthereatVevey,whatconditionscouldbebetterthanthese?——

aprettyAmericangirlcomingandstandinginfrontofyouinagarden。

ThisprettyAmericangirl,however,onhearingWinterbourne’sobservation,simplyglancedathim;shethenturnedherheadandlookedovertheparapet,atthelakeandtheoppositemountains。Hewonderedwhetherhehadgonetoofar,buthedecidedthathemustadvancefarther,ratherthanretreat。

Whilehewasthinkingofsomethingelsetosay,theyoungladyturnedtothelittleboyagain。

\"Ishouldliketoknowwhereyougotthatpole,\"shesaid。

\"Iboughtit,\"respondedRandolph。

\"Youdon’tmeantosayyou’regoingtotakeittoItaly?\"

\"Yes,IamgoingtotakeittoItaly,\"thechilddeclared。

Theyounggirlglancedoverthefrontofherdressandsmoothedoutaknotortwoofribbon。Thensherestedhereyesupontheprospectagain。

\"Well,Iguessyouhadbetterleaveitsomewhere,\"shesaidafteramoment。

\"AreyougoingtoItaly?\"Winterbourneinquiredinatoneofgreatrespect。

Theyoungladyglancedathimagain。\"Yes,sir,\"shereplied。

Andshesaidnothingmore。

\"Areyou——a——goingovertheSimplon?\"Winterbournepursued,alittleembarrassed。

\"Idon’tknow,\"shesaid。\"Isupposeit’ssomemountain。

Randolph,whatmountainarewegoingover?\"

\"Goingwhere?\"thechilddemanded。

\"ToItaly,\"Winterbourneexplained。

\"Idon’tknow,\"saidRandolph。\"Idon’twanttogotoItaly。

IwanttogotoAmerica。\"

\"Oh,Italyisabeautifulplace!\"rejoinedtheyoungman。

\"Canyougetcandythere?\"Randolphloudlyinquired。

\"Ihopenot,\"saidhissister。\"Iguessyouhavehadenoughcandy,andmotherthinkssotoo。\"

\"Ihaven’thadanyforeversolong——forahundredweeks!\"

criedtheboy,stilljumpingabout。

Theyoungladyinspectedherflouncesandsmoothedherribbonsagain;

andWinterbournepresentlyriskedanobservationuponthebeautyoftheview。Hewasceasingtobeembarrassed,forhehadbeguntoperceivethatshewasnotintheleastembarrassedherself。

Therehadnotbeentheslightestalterationinhercharmingcomplexion;

shewasevidentlyneitheroffendednorflattered。

Ifshelookedanotherwaywhenhespoketoher,andseemednotparticularlytohearhim,thiswassimplyherhabit,hermanner。

Yet,ashetalkedalittlemoreandpointedoutsomeoftheobjectsofinterestintheview,withwhichsheappearedquiteunacquainted,shegraduallygavehimmoreofthebenefitofherglance;andthenhesawthatthisglancewasperfectlydirectandunshrinking。

Itwasnot,however,whatwouldhavebeencalledanimmodestglance,fortheyounggirl’seyesweresingularlyhonestandfresh。

Theywerewonderfullyprettyeyes;and,indeed,Winterbournehadnotseenforalongtimeanythingprettierthanhisfaircountrywoman’svariousfeatures——hercomplexion,hernose,herears,herteeth。

Hehadagreatrelishforfemininebeauty;hewasaddictedtoobservingandanalyzingit;andasregardsthisyounglady’sfacehemadeseveralobservations。Itwasnotatallinsipid,butitwasnotexactlyexpressive;andthoughitwaseminentlydelicate,Winterbournementallyaccusedit——veryforgivingly——ofawantoffinish。

HethoughtitverypossiblethatMasterRandolph’ssisterwasacoquette;

hewassureshehadaspiritofherown;butinherbright,sweet,superficiallittlevisagetherewasnomockery,noirony。

Beforelongitbecameobviousthatshewasmuchdisposedtowardconversation。ShetoldhimthattheyweregoingtoRomeforthewinter——sheandhermotherandRandolph。Sheaskedhimifhewasa\"realAmerican\";sheshouldn’thavetakenhimforone;

heseemedmorelikeaGerman——thiswassaidafteralittlehesitation——

especiallywhenhespoke。Winterbourne,laughing,answeredthathehadmetGermanswhospokelikeAmericans,butthathehadnot,sofarasheremembered,metanAmericanwhospokelikeaGerman。

Thenheaskedherifsheshouldnotbemorecomfortableinsittinguponthebenchwhichhehadjustquitted。Sheansweredthatshelikedstandingupandwalkingabout;butshepresentlysatdown。

ShetoldhimshewasfromNewYorkState——\"ifyouknowwherethatis。\"

Winterbournelearnedmoreaboutherbycatchingholdofhersmall,slipperybrotherandmakinghimstandafewminutesbyhisside。

\"Tellmeyourname,myboy,\"hesaid。

\"RandolphC。Miller,\"saidtheboysharply。\"AndI’lltellyouhername\";

andheleveledhisalpenstockathissister。

\"Youhadbetterwaittillyouareasked!\"saidthisyoungladycalmly。

\"Ishouldlikeverymuchtoknowyourname,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"HernameisDaisyMiller!\"criedthechild。\"Butthatisn’therrealname;

thatisn’thernameonhercards。\"

\"It’sapityyouhaven’tgotoneofmycards!\"saidMissMiller。

\"HerrealnameisAnnieP。Miller,\"theboywenton。

\"AskhimHISname,\"saidhissister,indicatingWinterbourne。

ButonthispointRandolphseemedperfectlyindifferent;

hecontinuedtosupplyinformationwithregardtohisownfamily。

\"Myfather’snameisEzraB。Miller,\"heannounced。

\"Myfatherain’tinEurope;myfather’sinabetterplacethanEurope;。\"

WinterbourneimaginedforamomentthatthiswasthemannerinwhichthechildhadbeentaughttointimatethatMr。Millerhadbeenremovedtothesphereofcelestialreward。

ButRandolphimmediatelyadded,\"Myfather’sinSchenectady。

He’sgotabigbusiness。Myfather’srich,youbet!\"

\"Well!\"ejaculatedMissMiller,loweringherparasolandlookingattheembroideredborder。Winterbournepresentlyreleasedthechild,whodeparted,dragginghisalpenstockalongthepath。

\"Hedoesn’tlikeEurope,\"saidtheyounggirl。\"Hewantstogoback。\"

\"ToSchenectady,youmean?\"

\"Yes;hewantstogorighthome。Hehasn’tgotanyboyshere。

Thereisoneboyhere,buthealwaysgoesroundwithateacher;

theywon’tlethimplay。\"

\"Andyourbrotherhasn’tanyteacher?\"Winterbourneinquired。

\"Motherthoughtofgettinghimone,totravelroundwithus。

Therewasaladytoldherofaverygoodteacher;

anAmericanlady——perhapsyouknowher——Mrs。Sanders。

IthinkshecamefromBoston。Shetoldherofthisteacher,andwethoughtofgettinghimtotravelroundwithus。

ButRandolphsaidhedidn’twantateachertravelingroundwithus。

Hesaidhewouldn’thavelessonswhenhewasinthecars。

AndweAREinthecarsabouthalfthetime。TherewasanEnglishladywemetinthecars——IthinkhernamewasMissFeatherstone;

perhapsyouknowher。ShewantedtoknowwhyIdidn’tgiveRandolphlessons——givehim’instruction,’shecalledit。

IguesshecouldgivememoreinstructionthanIcouldgivehim。

He’sverysmart。\"

\"Yes,\"saidWinterbourne;\"heseemsverysmart。\"

\"Mother’sgoingtogetateacherforhimassoonaswegettoItaly。

CanyougetgoodteachersinItaly?\"

\"Verygood,Ishouldthink,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Orelseshe’sgoingtofindsomeschool。Heoughttolearnsomemore。He’sonlynine。He’sgoingtocollege。\"

AndinthiswayMissMillercontinuedtoconverseupontheaffairsofherfamilyanduponothertopics。Shesattherewithherextremelyprettyhands,ornamentedwithverybrilliantrings,foldedinherlap,andwithherprettyeyesnowrestinguponthoseofWinterbourne,nowwanderingoverthegarden,thepeoplewhopassedby,andthebeautifulview。ShetalkedtoWinterbourneasifshehadknownhimalongtime。Hefounditverypleasant。

Itwasmanyyearssincehehadheardayounggirltalksomuch。

Itmighthavebeensaidofthisunknownyounglady,whohadcomeandsatdownbesidehimuponabench,thatshechattered。

Shewasveryquiet;shesatinacharming,tranquilattitude;

butherlipsandhereyeswereconstantlymoving。Shehadasoft,slender,agreeablevoice,andhertonewasdecidedlysociable。

ShegaveWinterbourneahistoryofhermovementsandintentionsandthoseofhermotherandbrother,inEurope,andenumerated,inparticular,thevarioushotelsatwhichtheyhadstopped。

\"ThatEnglishladyinthecars,\"shesaid——\"MissFeatherstone——

askedmeifwedidn’tallliveinhotelsinAmerica。

ItoldherIhadneverbeeninsomanyhotelsinmylifeassinceI

cametoEurope。Ihaveneverseensomany——it’snothingbuthotels。\"

ButMissMillerdidnotmakethisremarkwithaquerulousaccent;

sheappearedtobeinthebesthumorwitheverything。

Shedeclaredthatthehotelswereverygood,whenonceyougotusedtotheirways,andthatEuropewasperfectlysweet。

Shewasnotdisappointed——notabit。Perhapsitwasbecauseshehadheardsomuchaboutitbefore。Shehadeversomanyintimatefriendsthathadbeenthereeversomanytimes。

AndthenshehadhadeversomanydressesandthingsfromParis。

WheneversheputonaParisdressshefeltasifshewereinEurope。

\"Itwasakindofawishingcap,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Yes,\"saidMissMillerwithoutexaminingthisanalogy;

\"italwaysmademewishIwashere。ButIneedn’thavedonethatfordresses。IamsuretheysendalltheprettyonestoAmerica;youseethemostfrightfulthingshere。

TheonlythingIdon’tlike,\"sheproceeded,\"isthesociety。

Thereisn’tanysociety;or,ifthereis,Idon’tknowwhereitkeepsitself。Doyou?Isupposethereissomesocietysomewhere,butIhaven’tseenanythingofit。

I’mveryfondofsociety,andIhavealwayshadagreatdealofit。

Idon’tmeanonlyinSchenectady,butinNewYork。

IusedtogotoNewYorkeverywinter。InNewYorkIhadlotsofsociety。LastwinterIhadseventeendinnersgivenme;

andthreeofthemwerebygentlemen,\"addedDaisyMiller。

\"IhavemorefriendsinNewYorkthaninSchenectady——

moregentlemanfriends;andmoreyoungladyfriendstoo,\"

sheresumedinamoment。Shepausedagainforaninstant;

shewaslookingatWinterbournewithallherprettinessinherlivelyeyesandinherlight,slightlymonotonoussmile。

\"Ihavealwayshad,\"shesaid,\"agreatdealofgentlemen’ssociety。\"

PoorWinterbournewasamused,perplexed,anddecidedlycharmed。

Hehadneveryetheardayounggirlexpressherselfinjustthisfashion;never,atleast,saveincaseswheretosaysuchthingsseemedakindofdemonstrativeevidenceofacertainlaxityofdeportment。AndyetwashetoaccuseMissDaisyMillerofactualorpotentialinconduite,astheysaidatGeneva?

HefeltthathehadlivedatGenevasolongthathehadlostagooddeal;hehadbecomedishabituatedtotheAmericantone。

Never,indeed,sincehehadgrownoldenoughtoappreciatethings,hadheencounteredayoungAmericangirlofsopronouncedatypeasthis。

Certainlyshewasverycharming,buthowdeucedlysociable!

WasshesimplyaprettygirlfromNewYorkState?Weretheyalllikethat,theprettygirlswhohadagooddealofgentlemen’ssociety?

Orwasshealsoadesigning,anaudacious,anunscrupulousyoungperson?

Winterbournehadlosthisinstinctinthismatter,andhisreasoncouldnothelphim。MissDaisyMillerlookedextremelyinnocent。

Somepeoplehadtoldhimthat,afterall,Americangirlswereexceedinglyinnocent;andothershadtoldhimthat,afterall,theywerenot。HewasinclinedtothinkMissDaisyMillerwasaflirt——aprettyAmericanflirt。Hehadnever,asyet,hadanyrelationswithyoungladiesofthiscategory。

Hehadknown,hereinEurope,twoorthreewomen——personsolderthanMissDaisyMiller,andprovided,forrespectability’ssake,withhusbands——whoweregreatcoquettes——dangerous,terriblewomen,withwhomone’srelationswereliabletotakeaseriousturn。

Butthisyounggirlwasnotacoquetteinthatsense;shewasveryunsophisticated;shewasonlyaprettyAmericanflirt。

WinterbournewasalmostgratefulforhavingfoundtheformulathatappliedtoMissDaisyMiller。Heleanedbackinhisseat;

heremarkedtohimselfthatshehadthemostcharmingnosehehadeverseen;hewonderedwhatweretheregularconditionsandlimitationsofone’sintercoursewithaprettyAmericanflirt。

Itpresentlybecameapparentthathewasonthewaytolearn。

\"Haveyoubeentothatoldcastle?\"askedtheyounggirl,pointingwithherparasoltothefar-gleamingwallsoftheChateaudeChillon。

\"Yes,formerly,morethanonce,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Youtoo,Isuppose,haveseenit?\"

\"No;wehaven’tbeenthere。Iwanttogotheredreadfully。

OfcourseImeantogothere。Iwouldn’tgoawayfromherewithouthavingseenthatoldcastle。\"

\"It’saveryprettyexcursion,\"saidWinterbourne,\"andveryeasytomake。

Youcandrive,youknow,oryoucangobythelittlesteamer。\"

\"Youcangointhecars,\"saidMissMiller。

\"Yes;youcangointhecars,\"Winterbourneassented。

\"Ourcouriersaystheytakeyourightuptothecastle,\"theyounggirlcontinued。\"Weweregoinglastweek,butmymothergaveout。

Shesuffersdreadfullyfromdyspepsia。Shesaidshecouldn’tgo。

Randolphwouldn’tgoeither;hesayshedoesn’tthinkmuchofoldcastles。

ButIguesswe’llgothisweek,ifwecangetRandolph。\"

\"Yourbrotherisnotinterestedinancientmonuments?\"

Winterbourneinquired,smiling。

\"Hesayshedon’tcaremuchaboutoldcastles。He’sonlynine。

Hewantstostayatthehotel。Mother’safraidtoleavehimalone,andthecourierwon’tstaywithhim;sowehaven’tbeentomanyplaces。

Butitwillbetoobadifwedon’tgoupthere。\"AndMissMillerpointedagainattheChateaudeChillon。

\"Ishouldthinkitmightbearranged,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Couldn’tyougetsomeonetostayfortheafternoonwithRandolph?\"

MissMillerlookedathimamoment,andthen,veryplacidly,\"IwishYOUwouldstaywithhim!\"shesaid。

Winterbournehesitatedamoment。\"IshouldmuchrathergotoChillonwithyou。\"

\"Withme?\"askedtheyounggirlwiththesameplacidity。

Shedidn’trise,blushing,asayounggirlatGenevawouldhavedone;

andyetWinterbourne,consciousthathehadbeenverybold,thoughtitpossibleshewasoffended。\"Withyourmother,\"

heansweredveryrespectfully。

ButitseemedthatbothhisaudacityandhisrespectwerelostuponMissDaisyMiller。\"Iguessmymotherwon’tgo,afterall,\"

shesaid。\"Shedon’tliketorideroundintheafternoon。

Butdidyoureallymeanwhatyousaidjustnow——thatyouwouldliketogoupthere?\"

\"Mostearnestly,\"Winterbournedeclared。

\"Thenwemayarrangeit。IfmotherwillstaywithRandolph,IguessEugeniowill。\"

\"Eugenio?\"theyoungmaninquired。

\"Eugenio’sourcourier。Hedoesn’tliketostaywithRandolph;

he’sthemostfastidiousmanIeversaw。Buthe’sasplendidcourier。

Iguesshe’llstayathomewithRandolphifmotherdoes,andthenwecangotothecastle。\"

Winterbournereflectedforaninstantaslucidlyaspossible——

\"we\"couldonlymeanMissDaisyMillerandhimself。

Thisprogramseemedalmosttooagreeableforcredence;

hefeltasifheoughttokisstheyounglady’shand。

Possiblyhewouldhavedonesoandquitespoiledtheproject,butatthismomentanotherperson,presumablyEugenio,appeared。

Atall,handsomeman,withsuperbwhiskers,wearingavelvetmorningcoatandabrilliantwatchchain,approachedMissMiller,lookingsharplyathercompanion。\"Oh,Eugenio!\"saidMissMillerwiththefriendliestaccent。

EugeniohadlookedatWinterbournefromheadtofoot;

henowbowedgravelytotheyounglady。\"Ihavethehonortoinformmademoisellethatluncheonisuponthetable。\"

MissMillerslowlyrose。\"Seehere,Eugenio!\"shesaid;

\"I’mgoingtothatoldcastle,anyway。\"

\"TotheChateaudeChillon,mademoiselle?\"thecourierinquired。

\"Mademoisellehasmadearrangements?\"headdedinatonewhichstruckWinterbourneasveryimpertinent。

Eugenio’stoneapparentlythrew,eventoMissMiller’sownapprehension,aslightlyironicallightupontheyounggirl’ssituation。

SheturnedtoWinterbourne,blushingalittle——averylittle。

\"Youwon’tbackout?\"shesaid。

\"Ishallnotbehappytillwego!\"heprotested。

\"Andyouarestayinginthishotel?\"shewenton。

\"AndyouarereallyanAmerican?\"

ThecourierstoodlookingatWinterbourneoffensively。Theyoungman,atleast,thoughthismanneroflookinganoffensetoMissMiller;

itconveyedanimputationthatshe\"pickedup\"acquaintances。\"Ishallhavethehonorofpresentingtoyouapersonwhowilltellyouallaboutme,\"

hesaid,smilingandreferringtohisaunt。

\"Oh,well,we’llgosomeday,\"saidMissMiller。

Andshegavehimasmileandturnedaway。SheputupherparasolandwalkedbacktotheinnbesideEugenio。

Winterbournestoodlookingafterher;andasshemovedaway,drawinghermuslinfurbelowsoverthegravel,saidtohimselfthatshehadthetournureofaprincess。

Hehad,however,engagedtodomorethanprovedfeasible,inpromisingtopresenthisaunt,Mrs。Costello,toMissDaisyMiller。

Assoonastheformerladyhadgotbetterofherheadache,hewaiteduponherinherapartment;and,aftertheproperinquiriesinregardtoherhealth,heaskedherifshehadobservedinthehotelanAmericanfamily——amamma,adaughter,andalittleboy。

\"Andacourier?\"saidMrs。Costello。\"Ohyes,Ihaveobservedthem。

Seenthem——heardthem——andkeptoutoftheirway。\"Mrs。Costellowasawidowwithafortune;apersonofmuchdistinction,whofrequentlyintimatedthat,ifshewerenotsodreadfullyliabletosickheadaches,shewouldprobablyhaveleftadeeperimpressuponhertime。Shehadalong,paleface,ahighnose,andagreatdealofverystrikingwhitehair,whichsheworeinlargepuffsandrouleauxoverthetopofherhead。

ShehadtwosonsmarriedinNewYorkandanotherwhowasnowinEurope。

ThisyoungmanwasamusinghimselfatHamburg,and,thoughhewasonhistravels,wasrarelyperceivedtovisitanyparticularcityatthemomentselectedbyhismotherforherownappearancethere。

Hernephew,whohadcomeuptoVeveyexpresslytoseeher,wasthereforemoreattentivethanthosewho,asshesaid,werenearertoher。

HehadimbibedatGenevatheideathatonemustalwaysbeattentivetoone’saunt。Mrs。Costellohadnotseenhimformanyyears,andshewasgreatlypleasedwithhim,manifestingherapprobationbyinitiatinghimintomanyofthesecretsofthatsocialswaywhich,asshegavehimtounderstand,sheexertedintheAmericancapital。

Sheadmittedthatshewasveryexclusive;but,ifhewereacquaintedwithNewYork,hewouldseethatonehadtobe。Andherpictureoftheminutelyhierarchicalconstitutionofthesocietyofthatcity,whichshepresentedtohiminmanydifferentlights,was,toWinterbourne’simagination,almostoppressivelystriking。

Heimmediatelyperceived,fromhertone,thatMissDaisyMiller’splaceinthesocialscalewaslow。\"Iamafraidyoudon’tapproveofthem,\"hesaid。

\"Theyareverycommon,\"Mrs。Costellodeclared。\"TheyarethesortofAmericansthatonedoesone’sdutybynot——notaccepting。\"

\"Ah,youdon’tacceptthem?\"saidtheyoungman。

\"Ican’t,mydearFrederick。IwouldifIcould,butIcan’t。\"

\"Theyounggirlisverypretty,\"saidWinterbourneinamoment。

\"Ofcourseshe’spretty。Butsheisverycommon。\"

\"Iseewhatyoumean,ofcourse,\"saidWinterbourneafteranotherpause。

\"Shehasthatcharminglookthattheyallhave,\"hisauntresumed。

\"Ican’tthinkwheretheypickitup;andshedressesinperfection——no,youdon’tknowhowwellshedresses。

Ican’tthinkwheretheygettheirtaste。\"

\"But,mydearaunt,sheisnot,afterall,aComanchesavage。\"

\"Sheisayounglady,\"saidMrs。Costello,\"whohasanintimacywithhermamma’scourier。\"

\"Anintimacywiththecourier?\"theyoungmandemanded。

\"Oh,themotherisjustasbad!Theytreatthecourierlikeafamiliarfriend——likeagentleman。Ishouldn’twonderifhedineswiththem。Verylikelytheyhaveneverseenamanwithsuchgoodmanners,suchfineclothes,solikeagentleman。

Heprobablycorrespondstotheyounglady’sideaofacount。

Hesitswiththeminthegardenintheevening。

Ithinkhesmokes。\"

Winterbournelistenedwithinteresttothesedisclosures;

theyhelpedhimtomakeuphismindaboutMissDaisy。

Evidentlyshewasratherwild。\"Well,\"hesaid,\"Iamnotacourier,andyetshewasverycharmingtome。\"

\"Youhadbetterhavesaidatfirst,\"saidMrs。Costellowithdignity,\"thatyouhadmadeheracquaintance。\"

\"Wesimplymetinthegarden,andwetalkedabit。\"

\"Toutbonnement!Andpraywhatdidyousay?\"

\"IsaidIshouldtakethelibertyofintroducinghertomyadmirableaunt。\"

\"Iammuchobligedtoyou。\"

\"Itwastoguaranteemyrespectability,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Andpraywhoistoguaranteehers?\"

\"Ah,youarecruel!\"saidtheyoungman。\"She’saveryniceyounggirl。\"

\"Youdon’tsaythatasifyoubelievedit,\"Mrs。Costelloobserved。

\"Sheiscompletelyuncultivated,\"Winterbournewenton。

\"Butsheiswonderfullypretty,and,inshort,sheisverynice。

ToprovethatIbelieveit,IamgoingtotakehertotheChateaudeChillon。\"

\"Youtwoaregoingofftheretogether?Ishouldsayitprovedjustthecontrary。Howlonghadyouknownher,mayIask,whenthisinterestingprojectwasformed?

Youhaven’tbeentwenty-fourhoursinthehouse。\"

\"Ihaveknownherhalfanhour!\"saidWinterbourne,smiling。

\"Dearme!\"criedMrs。Costello。\"Whatadreadfulgirl!\"

Hernephewwassilentforsomemoments。\"Youreallythink,then,\"

hebeganearnestly,andwithadesirefortrustworthyinformation——\"youreallythinkthat——\"Buthepausedagain。

\"Thinkwhat,sir?\"saidhisaunt。

\"Thatsheisthesortofyoungladywhoexpectsaman,soonerorlater,tocarryheroff?\"

\"Ihaven’ttheleastideawhatsuchyoungladiesexpectamantodo。

ButIreallythinkthatyouhadbetternotmeddlewithlittleAmericangirlsthatareuncultivated,asyoucallthem。Youhavelivedtoolongoutofthecountry。Youwillbesuretomakesomegreatmistake。

Youaretooinnocent。\"

\"Mydearaunt,Iamnotsoinnocent,\"saidWinterbourne,smilingandcurlinghismustache。

\"Youareguiltytoo,then!\"

Winterbournecontinuedtocurlhismustachemeditatively。

\"Youwon’tletthepoorgirlknowyouthen?\"heaskedatlast。

\"IsitliterallytruethatsheisgoingtotheChateaudeChillonwithyou?\"

\"Ithinkthatshefullyintendsit。\"

\"Then,mydearFrederick,\"saidMrs。Costello,\"Imustdeclinethehonorofheracquaintance。Iamanoldwoman,butIamnottooold,thankHeaven,tobeshocked!\"

\"Butdon’ttheyalldothesethings——theyounggirlsinAmerica?\"

Winterbourneinquired。

Mrs。Costellostaredamoment。\"Ishouldliketoseemygranddaughtersdothem!\"shedeclaredgrimly。

Thisseemedtothrowsomelightuponthematter,forWinterbournerememberedtohaveheardthathisprettycousinsinNewYorkwere\"tremendousflirts。\"

If,therefore,MissDaisyMillerexceededtheliberalmarginallowedtotheseyoungladies,itwasprobablethatanythingmightbeexpectedofher。

Winterbournewasimpatienttoseeheragain,andhewasvexedwithhimselfthat,byinstinct,heshouldnotappreciateherjustly。

Thoughhewasimpatienttoseeher,hehardlyknewwhatheshouldsaytoherabouthisaunt’srefusaltobecomeacquaintedwithher;

buthediscovered,promptlyenough,thatwithMissDaisyMillertherewasnogreatneedofwalkingontiptoe。Hefoundherthateveninginthegarden,wanderingaboutinthewarmstarlightlikeanindolentsylph,andswingingtoandfrothelargestfanhehadeverbeheld。

Itwasteno’clock。Hehaddinedwithhisaunt,hadbeensittingwithhersincedinner,andhadjusttakenleaveofhertillthemorrow。

MissDaisyMillerseemedverygladtoseehim;shedeclareditwasthelongesteveningshehadeverpassed。

\"Haveyoubeenallalone?\"heasked。

\"Ihavebeenwalkingroundwithmother。Butmothergetstiredwalkinground,\"sheanswered。

\"Hasshegonetobed?\"

\"No;shedoesn’tliketogotobed,\"saidtheyounggirl。

\"Shedoesn’tsleep——notthreehours。Shesaysshedoesn’tknowhowshelives。She’sdreadfullynervous。

Iguessshesleepsmorethanshethinks。She’sgonesomewhereafterRandolph;shewantstotrytogethimtogotobed。

Hedoesn’tliketogotobed。\"

\"Letushopeshewillpersuadehim,\"observedWinterbourne。

\"Shewilltalktohimallshecan;buthedoesn’tlikehertotalktohim,\"saidMissDaisy,openingherfan。\"She’sgoingtotrytogetEugeniototalktohim。Butheisn’tafraidofEugenio。

Eugenio’sasplendidcourier,buthecan’tmakemuchimpressiononRandolph!Idon’tbelievehe’llgotobedbeforeeleven。\"

ItappearedthatRandolph’svigilwasinfacttriumphantlyprolonged,forWinterbournestrolledaboutwiththeyounggirlforsometimewithoutmeetinghermother。\"Ihavebeenlookingroundforthatladyyouwanttointroducemeto,\"hiscompanionresumed。

\"She’syouraunt。\"Then,onWinterbourne’sadmittingthefactandexpressingsomecuriosityastohowshehadlearnedit,shesaidshehadheardallaboutMrs。Costellofromthechambermaid。

Shewasveryquietandverycommeilfaut;sheworewhitepuffs;

shespoketonoone,andsheneverdinedatthetabled’hote。

Everytwodaysshehadaheadache。\"Ithinkthat’salovelydescription,headacheandall!\"saidMissDaisy,chatteringalonginherthin,gayvoice。\"Iwanttoknowhereversomuch。

IknowjustwhatYOURauntwouldbe;IknowIshouldlikeher。

Shewouldbeveryexclusive。Ilikealadytobeexclusive;

I’mdyingtobeexclusivemyself。Well,weAREexclusive,motherandI。Wedon’tspeaktoeveryone——ortheydon’tspeaktous。

Isupposeit’saboutthesamething。Anyway,Ishallbeeversogladtoknowyouraunt。\"

Winterbournewasembarrassed。\"Shewouldbemosthappy,\"hesaid;

\"butIamafraidthoseheadacheswillinterfere。\"

Theyounggirllookedathimthroughthedusk。

\"ButIsupposeshedoesn’thaveaheadacheeveryday,\"

shesaidsympathetically。

Winterbournewassilentamoment。\"Shetellsmeshedoes,\"

heansweredatlast,notknowingwhattosay。

MissDaisyMillerstoppedandstoodlookingathim。Herprettinesswasstillvisibleinthedarkness;shewasopeningandclosingherenormousfan。\"Shedoesn’twanttoknowme!\"shesaidsuddenly。

\"Whydon’tyousayso?Youneedn’tbeafraid。I’mnotafraid!\"

Andshegavealittlelaugh。

Winterbournefanciedtherewasatremorinhervoice;hewastouched,shocked,mortifiedbyit。\"Mydearyounglady,\"heprotested,\"sheknowsnoone。

It’sherwretchedhealth。\"

Theyounggirlwalkedonafewsteps,laughingstill。

\"Youneedn’tbeafraid,\"sherepeated。\"Whyshouldshewanttoknowme?\"Thenshepausedagain;shewasclosetotheparapetofthegarden,andinfrontofherwasthestarlitlake。

Therewasavaguesheenuponitssurface,andinthedistanceweredimlyseenmountainforms。DaisyMillerlookedoutuponthemysteriousprospectandthenshegaveanotherlittlelaugh。

\"Gracious!sheISexclusive!\"shesaid。Winterbournewonderedwhethershewasseriouslywounded,andforamomentalmostwishedthathersenseofinjurymightbesuchastomakeitbecominginhimtoattempttoreassureandcomforther。

Hehadapleasantsensethatshewouldbeveryapproachableforconsolatorypurposes。Hefeltthen,fortheinstant,quitereadytosacrificehisaunt,conversationally;toadmitthatshewasaproud,rudewoman,andtodeclarethattheyneedn’tmindher。Butbeforehehadtimetocommithimselftothisperilousmixtureofgallantryandimpiety,theyounglady,resumingherwalk,gaveanexclamationinquiteanothertone。

\"Well,here’sMother!Iguessshehasn’tgotRandolphtogotobed。\"

Thefigureofaladyappearedatadistance,veryindistinctinthedarkness,andadvancingwithaslowandwaveringmovement。

Suddenlyitseemedtopause。

\"Areyousureitisyourmother?Canyoudistinguishherinthisthickdusk?\"Winterbourneasked。

\"Well!\"criedMissDaisyMillerwithalaugh;\"IguessIknowmyownmother。

Andwhenshehasgotonmyshawl,too!Sheisalwayswearingmythings。\"

Theladyinquestion,ceasingtoadvance,hoveredvaguelyaboutthespotatwhichshehadcheckedhersteps。

\"Iamafraidyourmotherdoesn’tseeyou,\"saidWinterbourne。

\"Orperhaps,\"headded,thinking,withMissMiller,thejokepermissible——\"perhapsshefeelsguiltyaboutyourshawl。\"

\"Oh,it’safearfuloldthing!\"theyounggirlrepliedserenely。

\"Itoldhershecouldwearit。Shewon’tcomeherebecausesheseesyou。\"

\"Ah,then,\"saidWinterbourne,\"Ihadbetterleaveyou。\"

\"Oh,no;comeon!\"urgedMissDaisyMiller。