\"I’mafraidyourmotherdoesn’tapproveofmywalkingwithyou。\"
MissMillergavehimaseriousglance。\"Itisn’tforme;
it’sforyou——thatis,it’sforHER。Well,Idon’tknowwhoit’sfor!Butmotherdoesn’tlikeanyofmygentlemenfriends。
She’srightdowntimid。ShealwaysmakesafussifIintroduceagentleman。ButIDOintroducethem——almostalways。
IfIdidn’tintroducemygentlemenfriendstoMother,\"
theyounggirladdedinherlittlesoft,flatmonotone,\"Ishouldn’tthinkIwasnatural。\"
\"Tointroduceme,\"saidWinterbourne,\"youmustknowmyname。\"
Andheproceededtopronounceit。
\"Oh,dear,Ican’tsayallthat!\"saidhiscompanionwithalaugh。
ButbythistimetheyhadcomeuptoMrs。Miller,who,astheydrewnear,walkedtotheparapetofthegardenandleaneduponit,lookingintentlyatthelakeandturningherbacktothem。
\"Mother!\"saidtheyounggirlinatoneofdecision。
Uponthistheelderladyturnedround。\"Mr。Winterbourne,\"saidMissDaisyMiller,introducingtheyoungmanveryfranklyandprettily。
\"Common,\"shewas,asMrs。Costellohadpronouncedher;
yetitwasawondertoWinterbournethat,withhercommonness,shehadasingularlydelicategrace。
Hermotherwasasmall,spare,lightperson,withawanderingeye,averyexiguousnose,andalargeforehead,decoratedwithacertainamountofthin,muchfrizzledhair。
Likeherdaughter,Mrs。Millerwasdressedwithextremeelegance;
shehadenormousdiamondsinherears。SofarasWinterbournecouldobserve,shegavehimnogreeting——shecertainlywasnotlookingathim。Daisywasnearher,pullinghershawlstraight。
\"Whatareyoudoing,pokingroundhere?\"thisyoungladyinquired,butbynomeanswiththatharshnessofaccentwhichherchoiceofwordsmayimply。
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidhermother,turningtowardthelakeagain。
\"Ishouldn’tthinkyou’dwantthatshawl!\"Daisyexclaimed。
\"WellIdo!\"hermotheransweredwithalittlelaugh。
\"DidyougetRandolphtogotobed?\"askedtheyounggirl。
\"No;Icouldn’tinducehim,\"saidMrs。Millerverygently。
\"Hewantstotalktothewaiter。Helikestotalktothatwaiter。\"
IwastellingMr。Winterbourne,\"theyounggirlwenton;
andtotheyoungman’searhertonemighthaveindicatedthatshehadbeenutteringhisnameallherlife。
\"Oh,yes!\"saidWinterbourne;\"Ihavethepleasureofknowingyourson。\"
Randolph’smammawassilent;sheturnedherattentiontothelake。
Butatlastshespoke。\"Well,Idon’tseehowhelives!\"
\"Anyhow,itisn’tsobadasitwasatDover,\"saidDaisyMiller。
\"AndwhatoccurredatDover?\"Winterbourneasked。
\"Hewouldn’tgotobedatall。Iguesshesatupallnightinthepublicparlor。Hewasn’tinbedattwelveo’clock:
Iknowthat。\"
\"Itwashalf-pasttwelve,\"declaredMrs。Millerwithmildemphasis。
\"Doeshesleepmuchduringtheday?\"Winterbournedemanded。
\"Iguesshedoesn’tsleepmuch,\"Daisyrejoined。
\"Iwishhewould!\"saidhermother。\"Itseemsasifhecouldn’t。\"
\"Ithinkhe’srealtiresome,\"Daisypursued。
Then,forsomemoments,therewassilence。\"Well,DaisyMiller,\"
saidtheelderlady,presently,\"Ishouldn’tthinkyou’dwanttotalkagainstyourownbrother!\"
\"Well,heIStiresome,Mother,\"saidDaisy,quitewithouttheasperityofaretort。
\"He’sonlynine,\"urgedMrs。Miller。
\"Well,hewouldn’tgotothatcastle,\"saidtheyounggirl。
\"I’mgoingtherewithMr。Winterbourne。\"
Tothisannouncement,veryplacidlymade,Daisy’smammaofferednoresponse。Winterbournetookforgrantedthatshedeeplydisapprovedoftheprojectedexcursion;buthesaidtohimselfthatshewasasimple,easilymanagedperson,andthatafewdeferentialprotestationswouldtaketheedgefromherdispleasure。
\"Yes,\"hebegan;\"yourdaughterhaskindlyallowedmethehonorofbeingherguide。\"
Mrs。Miller’swanderingeyesattachedthemselves,withasortofappealingair,toDaisy,who,however,strolledafewstepsfarther,gentlyhummingtoherself。\"Ipresumeyouwillgointhecars,\"
saidhermother。
\"Yes,orintheboat,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Well,ofcourse,Idon’tknow,\"Mrs。Millerrejoined。
\"Ihaveneverbeentothatcastle。\"
\"Itisapityyoushouldn’tgo,\"saidWinterbourne,beginningtofeelreassuredastoheropposition。
Andyethewasquitepreparedtofindthat,asamatterofcourse,shemeanttoaccompanyherdaughter。
\"We’vebeenthinkingeversomuchaboutgoing,\"shepursued;
\"butitseemsasifwecouldn’t。OfcourseDaisy——shewantstogoround。Butthere’saladyhere——Idon’tknowhername——
shesayssheshouldn’tthinkwe’dwanttogotoseecastlesHERE;sheshouldthinkwe’dwanttowaittillwegottoItaly。Itseemsasiftherewouldbesomanythere,\"
continuedMrs。Millerwithanairofincreasingconfidence。
\"Ofcourseweonlywanttoseetheprincipalones。
WevisitedseveralinEngland,\"shepresentlyadded。
\"Ahyes!inEnglandtherearebeautifulcastles,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"ButChillonhere,isverywellworthseeing。\"
\"Well,ifDaisyfeelsuptoit——\"saidMrs。Miller,inatoneimpregnatedwithasenseofthemagnitudeoftheenterprise。
\"Itseemsasiftherewasnothingshewouldn’tundertake。\"
\"Oh,Ithinkshe’llenjoyit!\"Winterbournedeclared。
Andhedesiredmoreandmoretomakeitacertaintythathewastohavetheprivilegeofatete-a-tetewiththeyounglady,whowasstillstrollingalonginfrontofthem,softlyvocalizing。
\"Youarenotdisposed,madam,\"heinquired,\"toundertakeityourself?\"
Daisy’smotherlookedathimaninstantaskance,andthenwalkedforwardinsilence。Then——\"Iguessshehadbettergoalone,\"
shesaidsimply。Winterbourneobservedtohimselfthatthiswasaverydifferenttypeofmaternityfromthatofthevigilantmatronswhomassedthemselvesintheforefrontofsocialintercourseinthedarkoldcityattheotherendofthelake。
ButhismeditationswereinterruptedbyhearinghisnameverydistinctlypronouncedbyMrs。Miller’sunprotecteddaughter。
\"Mr。Winterbourne!\"murmuredDaisy。
\"Mademoiselle!\"saidtheyoungman。
\"Don’tyouwanttotakemeoutinaboat?\"
\"Atpresent?\"heasked。
\"Ofcourse!\"saidDaisy。
\"Well,AnnieMiller!\"exclaimedhermother。
\"Ibegyou,madam,tolethergo,\"saidWinterbourneardently;
forhehadneveryetenjoyedthesensationofguidingthroughthesummerstarlightaskifffreightedwithafreshandbeautifulyounggirl。
\"Ishouldn’tthinkshe’dwantto,\"saidhermother。
\"Ishouldthinkshe’drathergoindoors。\"
\"I’msureMr。Winterbournewantstotakeme,\"Daisydeclared。
\"He’ssoawfullydevoted!\"
\"IwillrowyouovertoChilloninthestarlight。\"
\"Idon’tbelieveit!\"saidDaisy。
\"Well!\"ejaculatedtheelderladyagain。
\"Youhaven’tspokentomeforhalfanhour,\"herdaughterwenton。
\"Ihavebeenhavingsomeverypleasantconversationwithyourmother,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Well,Iwantyoutotakemeoutinaboat!\"Daisyrepeated。Theyhadallstopped,andshehadturnedroundandwaslookingatWinterbourne。
Herfaceworeacharmingsmile,herprettyeyesweregleaming,shewasswinginghergreatfanabout。No;it’simpossibletobeprettierthanthat,thoughtWinterbourne。
\"Therearehalfadozenboatsmooredatthatlandingplace,\"hesaid,pointingtocertainstepswhichdescendedfromthegardentothelake。
\"Ifyouwilldomethehonortoacceptmyarm,wewillgoandselectoneofthem。\"
Daisystoodtheresmiling;shethrewbackherheadandgavealittle,lightlaugh。\"Ilikeagentlemantobeformal!\"shedeclared。
\"Iassureyouit’saformaloffer。\"
\"IwasboundIwouldmakeyousaysomething,\"Daisywenton。
\"Yousee,it’snotverydifficult,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"ButIamafraidyouarechaffingme。\"
\"Ithinknot,sir,\"remarkedMrs。Millerverygently。
\"Do,then,letmegiveyouarow,\"hesaidtotheyounggirl。
\"It’squitelovely,thewayyousaythat!\"criedDaisy。
\"Itwillbestillmorelovelytodoit。\"
\"Yes,itwouldbelovely!\"saidDaisy。Butshemadenomovementtoaccompanyhim;sheonlystoodtherelaughing。
\"Ishouldthinkyouhadbetterfindoutwhattimeitis,\"
interposedhermother。
\"Itiseleveno’clock,madam,\"saidavoice,withaforeignaccent,outoftheneighboringdarkness;andWinterbourne,turning,perceivedthefloridpersonagewhowasinattendanceuponthetwoladies。
Hehadapparentlyjustapproached。
\"Oh,Eugenio,\"saidDaisy,\"Iamgoingoutinaboat!\"
Eugeniobowed。\"Ateleveno’clock,mademoiselle?\"
\"IamgoingwithMr。Winterbourne——thisveryminute。\"
\"Dotellhershecan’t,\"saidMrs。Millertothecourier。
\"Ithinkyouhadbetternotgooutinaboat,mademoiselle,\"Eugeniodeclared。
WinterbournewishedtoHeaventhisprettygirlwerenotsofamiliarwithhercourier;buthesaidnothing。
\"Isupposeyoudon’tthinkit’sproper!\"Daisyexclaimed。
\"Eugeniodoesn’tthinkanything’sproper。\"
\"Iamatyourservice,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Doesmademoiselleproposetogoalone?\"askedEugenioofMrs。Miller。
\"Oh,no;withthisgentleman!\"answeredDaisy’smamma。
ThecourierlookedforamomentatWinterbourne——thelatterthoughthewassmiling——andthen,solemnly,withabow,\"Asmademoisellepleases!\"hesaid。
\"Oh,Ihopedyouwouldmakeafuss!\"saidDaisy。
\"Idon’tcaretogonow。\"
\"Imyselfshallmakeafussifyoudon’tgo,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"That’sallIwant——alittlefuss!\"Andtheyounggirlbegantolaughagain。
\"Mr。Randolphhasgonetobed!\"thecourierannouncedfrigidly。
\"Oh,Daisy;nowwecango!\"saidMrs。Miller。
DaisyturnedawayfromWinterbourne,lookingathim,smilingandfanningherself。\"Goodnight,\"shesaid;
\"Ihopeyouaredisappointed,ordisgusted,orsomething!\"
Helookedather,takingthehandsheofferedhim。
\"Iampuzzled,\"heanswered。
\"Well,Ihopeitwon’tkeepyouawake!\"shesaidverysmartly;
and,undertheescortoftheprivilegedEugenio,thetwoladiespassedtowardthehouse。
Winterbournestoodlookingafterthem;hewasindeedpuzzled。
Helingeredbesidethelakeforaquarterofanhour,turningoverthemysteryoftheyounggirl’ssuddenfamiliaritiesandcaprices。
Buttheonlyverydefiniteconclusionhecametowasthatheshouldenjoydeucedly\"goingoff\"withhersomewhere。
TwodaysafterwardhewentoffwithhertotheCastleofChillon。
Hewaitedforherinthelargehallofthehotel,wherethecouriers,theservants,theforeigntourists,wereloungingaboutandstaring。
Itwasnottheplaceheshouldhavechosen,butshehadappointedit。
Shecametrippingdownstairs,buttoningherlonggloves,squeezingherfoldedparasolagainstherprettyfigure,dressedintheperfectionofasoberlyeleganttravelingcostume。
Winterbournewasamanofimaginationand,asourancestorsusedtosay,sensibility;ashelookedatherdressand,onthegreatstaircase,herlittlerapid,confidingstep,hefeltasifthereweresomethingromanticgoingforward。
Hecouldhavebelievedhewasgoingtoelopewithher。
Hepassedoutwithheramongalltheidlepeoplethatwereassembledthere;theywerealllookingatherveryhard;
shehadbeguntochatterassoonasshejoinedhim。
Winterbourne’spreferencehadbeenthattheyshouldbeconveyedtoChilloninacarriage;butsheexpressedalivelywishtogointhelittlesteamer;shedeclaredthatshehadapassionforsteamboats。Therewasalwayssuchalovelybreezeuponthewater,andyousawsuchlotsofpeople。
Thesailwasnotlong,butWinterbourne’scompanionfoundtimetosayagreatmanythings。Totheyoungmanhimselftheirlittleexcursionwassomuchofanescapade——anadventure——
that,evenallowingforherhabitualsenseoffreedom,hehadsomeexpectationofseeingherregarditinthesameway。
Butitmustbeconfessedthat,inthisparticular,hewasdisappointed。DaisyMillerwasextremelyanimated,shewasincharmingspirits;butshewasapparentlynotatallexcited;shewasnotfluttered;sheavoidedneitherhiseyesnorthoseofanyoneelse;sheblushedneitherwhenshelookedathimnorwhenshefeltthatpeoplewerelookingather。
Peoplecontinuedtolookatheragreatdeal,andWinterbournetookmuchsatisfactioninhisprettycompanion’sdistinguishedair。
Hehadbeenalittleafraidthatshewouldtalkloud,laughovermuch,andeven,perhaps,desiretomoveabouttheboatagooddeal。
Buthequiteforgothisfears;hesatsmiling,withhiseyesuponherface,while,withoutmovingfromherplace,shedeliveredherselfofagreatnumberoforiginalreflections。
Itwasthemostcharminggarrulityhehadeverheard。
hehadassentedtotheideathatshewas\"common\";butwassheso,afterall,orwashesimplygettingusedtohercommonness?
Herconversationwaschieflyofwhatmetaphysicianstermtheobjectivecast,buteverynowandthenittookasubjectiveturn。
\"WhatonEARTHareyousograveabout?\"shesuddenlydemanded,fixingheragreeableeyesuponWinterbourne’s。
\"AmIgrave?\"heasked。\"IhadanideaIwasgrinningfromeartoear。\"
\"Youlookasifyouweretakingmetoafuneral。Ifthat’sagrin,yourearsareveryneartogether。\"
\"Shouldyoulikemetodanceahornpipeonthedeck?\"
\"Praydo,andI’llcarryroundyourhat。Itwillpaytheexpensesofourjourney。\"
\"Ineverwasbetterpleasedinmylife,\"murmuredWinterbourne。
Shelookedathimamomentandthenburstintoalittlelaugh。
\"Iliketomakeyousaythosethings!You’reaqueermixture!\"
Inthecastle,aftertheyhadlanded,thesubjectiveelementdecidedlyprevailed。Daisytrippedaboutthevaultedchambers,rustledherskirtsinthecorkscrewstaircases,flirtedbackwithaprettylittlecryandashudderfromtheedgeoftheoubliettes,andturnedasingularlywell-shapedeartoeverythingthatWinterbournetoldherabouttheplace。ButhesawthatshecaredverylittleforfeudalantiquitiesandthattheduskytraditionsofChillonmadebutaslightimpressionuponher。
Theyhadthegoodfortunetohavebeenabletowalkaboutwithoutothercompanionshipthanthatofthecustodian;andWinterbournearrangedwiththisfunctionarythattheyshouldnotbehurried——
thattheyshouldlingerandpausewherevertheychose。Thecustodianinterpretedthebargaingenerously——Winterbourne,onhisside,hadbeengenerous——andendedbyleavingthemquitetothemselves。
MissMiller’sobservationswerenotremarkableforlogicalconsistency;
foranythingshewantedtosayshewassuretofindapretext。
ShefoundagreatmanypretextsintheruggedembrasuresofChillonforaskingWinterbournesuddenquestionsabouthimself——hisfamily,hisprevioushistory,histastes,hishabits,hisintentions——andforsupplyinginformationuponcorrespondingpointsinherownpersonality。
Ofherowntastes,habits,andintentionsMissMillerwaspreparedtogivethemostdefinite,andindeedthemostfavorableaccount。
\"Well,Ihopeyouknowenough!\"shesaidtohercompanion,afterhehadtoldherthehistoryoftheunhappyBonivard。
\"Ineversawamanthatknewsomuch!\"ThehistoryofBonivardhadevidently,astheysay,goneintooneearandoutoftheother。
ButDaisywentontosaythatshewishedWinterbournewouldtravelwiththemand\"goround\"withthem;theymightknowsomething,inthatcase。\"Don’tyouwanttocomeandteachRandolph?\"sheasked。
Winterbournesaidthatnothingcouldpossiblypleasehimsomuch,butthatheunfortunatelyotheroccupations。\"Otheroccupations?
Idon’tbelieveit!\"saidMissDaisy。\"Whatdoyoumean?
Youarenotinbusiness。\"Theyoungmanadmittedthathewasnotinbusiness;buthehadengagementswhich,evenwithinadayortwo,wouldforcehimtogobacktoGeneva。\"Oh,bother!\"shesaid;
\"Idon’tbelieveit!\"andshebegantotalkaboutsomethingelse。
Butafewmomentslater,whenhewaspointingouttohertheprettydesignofanantiquefireplace,shebrokeoutirrelevantly,\"Youdon’tmeantosayyouaregoingbacktoGeneva?\"
\"ItisamelancholyfactthatIshallhavetoreturntoGenevatomorrow。\"
\"Well,Mr。Winterbourne,\"saidDaisy,\"Ithinkyou’rehorrid!\"
\"Oh,don’tsaysuchdreadfulthings!\"saidWinterbourne——\"justatthelast!\"
\"Thelast!\"criedtheyounggirl;\"Icallitthefirst。Ihavehalfamindtoleaveyouhereandgostraightbacktothehotelalone。\"
Andforthenexttenminutesshedidnothingbutcallhimhorrid。
PoorWinterbournewasfairlybewildered;noyoungladyhadasyetdonehimthehonortobesoagitatedbytheannouncementofhismovements。
Hiscompanion,afterthis,ceasedtopayanyattentiontothecuriositiesofChillonorthebeautiesofthelake;sheopenedfireuponthemysteriouscharmerinGenevawhomsheappearedtohaveinstantlytakenitforgrantedthathewashurryingbacktosee。
HowdidMissDaisyMillerknowthattherewasacharmerinGeneva?
Winterbourne,whodeniedtheexistenceofsuchaperson,wasquiteunabletodiscover,andhewasdividedbetweenamazementattherapidityofherinductionandamusementatthefranknessofherpersiflage。Sheseemedtohim,inallthis,anextraordinarymixtureofinnocenceandcrudity。\"Doessheneverallowyoumorethanthreedaysatatime?\"askedDaisyironically。
\"Doesn’tshegiveyouavacationinsummer?There’snoonesohardworkedbuttheycangetleavetogooffsomewhereatthisseason。
Isuppose,ifyoustayanotherday,she’llcomeafteryouintheboat。
DowaitovertillFriday,andIwillgodowntothelandingtoseeherarrive!\"Winterbournebegantothinkhehadbeenwrongtofeeldisappointedinthetemperinwhichtheyoungladyhadembarked。
Ifhehadmissedthepersonalaccent,thepersonalaccentwasnowmakingitsappearance。Itsoundedverydistinctly,atlast,inhertellinghimshewouldstop\"teasing\"himifhewouldpromisehersolemnlytocomedowntoRomeinthewinter。
\"That’snotadifficultpromisetomake,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"MyaunthastakenanapartmentinRomeforthewinterandhasalreadyaskedmetocomeandseeher。\"
\"Idon’twantyoutocomeforyouraunt,\"saidDaisy;\"Iwantyoutocomeforme。\"Andthiswastheonlyallusionthattheyoungmanwasevertohearhermaketohisinvidiouskinswoman。
Hedeclaredthat,atanyrate,hewouldcertainlycome。
AfterthisDaisystoppedteasing。Winterbournetookacarriage,andtheydrovebacktoVeveyinthedusk;theyounggirlwasveryquiet。
IntheeveningWinterbournementionedtoMrs。CostellothathehadspenttheafternoonatChillonwithMissDaisyMiller。
\"TheAmericans——ofthecourier?\"askedthislady。
\"Ah,happily,\"saidWinterbourne,\"thecourierstayedathome。\"
\"Shewentwithyouallalone?\"
\"Allalone。\"
Mrs。Costellosniffedalittleathersmellingbottle。
\"Andthat,\"sheexclaimed,\"istheyoungpersonwhomyouwantedmetoknow!\"
PARTII
Winterbourne,whohadreturnedtoGenevathedayafterhisexcursiontoChillon,wenttoRometowardtheendofJanuary。
Hisaunthadbeenestablishedthereforseveralweeks,andhehadreceivedacoupleoflettersfromher。
\"ThosepeopleyouweresodevotedtolastsummeratVeveyhaveturneduphere,courierandall,\"shewrote。
\"Theyseemtohavemadeseveralacquaintances,butthecouriercontinuestobethemostintime。Theyounglady,however,isalsoveryintimatewithsomethird-rateItalians,withwhomsheracketsaboutinawaythatmakesmuchtalk。
BringmethatprettynovelofCherbuliez’s——PauleMere——
anddon’tcomelaterthanthe23rd。\"
Inthenaturalcourseofevents,Winterbourne,onarrivinginRome,wouldpresentlyhaveascertainedMrs。Miller’saddressattheAmericanbanker’sandhavegonetopayhiscomplimentstoMissDaisy。
\"AfterwhathappenedatVevey,IthinkImaycertainlycalluponthem,\"
hesaidtoMrs。Costello。
\"If,afterwhathappens——atVeveyandeverywhere——youdesiretokeepuptheacquaintance,youareverywelcome。Ofcourseamanmayknoweveryone。
Menarewelcometotheprivilege!\"
\"Praywhatisitthathappens——here,forinstance?\"Winterbournedemanded。
\"Thegirlgoesaboutalonewithherforeigners。Astowhathappensfurther,youmustapplyelsewhereforinformation。
ShehaspickeduphalfadozenoftheregularRomanfortunehunters,andshetakesthemabouttopeople’shouses。
Whenshecomestoapartyshebringswithheragentlemanwithagooddealofmannerandawonderfulmustache。\"
\"Andwhereisthemother?\"
\"Ihaven’ttheleastidea。Theyareverydreadfulpeople。\"
Winterbournemeditatedamoment。\"Theyareveryignorant——
veryinnocentonly。Dependuponittheyarenotbad。\"
\"Theyarehopelesslyvulgar,\"saidMrs。Costello。\"Whetherornobeinghopelesslyvulgarisbeing’bad’isaquestionforthemetaphysicians。
Theyarebadenoughtodislike,atanyrate;andforthisshortlifethatisquiteenough。\"
ThenewsthatDaisyMillerwassurroundedbyhalfadozenwonderfulmustachescheckedWinterbourne’simpulsetogostraightwaytoseeher。
Hehad,perhaps,notdefinitelyflatteredhimselfthathehadmadeanineffaceableimpressionuponherheart,buthewasannoyedathearingofastateofaffairssolittleinharmonywithanimagethathadlatelyflittedinandoutofhisownmeditations;theimageofaveryprettygirllookingoutofanoldRomanwindowandaskingherselfurgentlywhenMr。Winterbournewouldarrive。If,however,hedeterminedtowaitalittlebeforeremindingMissMillerofhisclaimstoherconsideration,hewentverysoontocallupontwoorthreeotherfriends。
OneofthesefriendswasanAmericanladywhohadspentseveralwintersatGeneva,whereshehadplacedherchildrenatschool。
Shewasaveryaccomplishedwoman,andshelivedintheViaGregoriana。
Winterbournefoundherinalittlecrimsondrawingroomonathirdfloor;
theroomwasfilledwithsouthernsunshine。Hehadnotbeentheretenminuteswhentheservantcamein,announcing\"MadameMila!\"ThisannouncementwaspresentlyfollowedbytheentranceoflittleRandolphMiller,whostoppedinthemiddleoftheroomandstoodstaringatWinterbourne。
Aninstantlaterhisprettysistercrossedthethreshold;andthen,afteraconsiderableinterval,Mrs。Millerslowlyadvanced。
\"Iknowyou!\"saidRandolph。
\"I’msureyouknowagreatmanythings,\"exclaimedWinterbourne,takinghimbythehand。\"Howisyoureducationcomingon?\"
Daisywasexchanginggreetingsveryprettilywithherhostess,butwhensheheardWinterbourne’svoiceshequicklyturnedherhead。
\"Well,Ideclare!\"shesaid。
\"ItoldyouIshouldcome,youknow,\"Winterbournerejoined,smiling。
\"Well,Ididn’tbelieveit,\"saidMissDaisy。
\"Iammuchobligedtoyou,\"laughedtheyoungman。
\"Youmighthavecometoseeme!\"saidDaisy。
\"Iarrivedonlyyesterday。\"
\"Idon’tbelievettethat!\"theyounggirldeclared。
Winterbourneturnedwithaprotestingsmiletohermother,butthisladyevadedhisglance,and,seatingherself,fixedhereyesuponherson。\"We’vegotabiggerplacethanthis,\"saidRandolph。
\"It’sallgoldonthewalls。\"
Mrs。Millerturneduneasilyinherchair。\"ItoldyouifIweretobringyou,youwouldsaysomething!\"shemurmured。
\"ItoldYOU!\"Randolphexclaimed。\"ItellYOU,sir!\"
headdedjocosely,givingWinterbourneathumpontheknee。
\"ItISbigger,too!\"
Daisyhadentereduponalivelyconversationwithherhostess;
Winterbournejudgeditbecomingtoaddressafewwordstohermother。
\"IhopeyouhavebeenwellsincewepartedatVevey,\"hesaid。
Mrs。Millernowcertainlylookedathim——athischin。
\"Notverywell,sir,\"sheanswered。
\"She’sgotthedyspepsia,\"saidRandolph。\"I’vegotittoo。
Father’sgotit。I’vegotitmost!\"
Thisannouncement,insteadofembarrassingMrs。Miller,seemedtorelieveher。\"Isufferfromtheliver,\"shesaid。
\"Ithinkit’sthisclimate;it’slessbracingthanSchenectady,especiallyinthewinterseason。Idon’tknowwhetheryouknowweresideatSchenectady。IwassayingtoDaisythatIcertainlyhadn’tfoundanyonelikeDr。Davis,andIdidn’tbelieveIshould。
Oh,atSchenectadyhestandsfirst;theythinkeverythingofhim。
Hehassomuchtodo,andyettherewasnothinghewouldn’tdoforme。
Hesaidheneversawanythinglikemydyspepsia,buthewasboundtocureit。I’msuretherewasnothinghewouldn’ttry。
Hewasjustgoingtotrysomethingnewwhenwecameoff。
Mr。MillerwantedDaisytoseeEuropeforherself。ButIwrotetoMr。MillerthatitseemsasifIcouldn’tgetonwithoutDr。Davis。
AtSchenectadyhestandsattheverytop;andthere’sagreatdealofsicknessthere,too。Itaffectsmysleep。\"
WinterbournehadagooddealofpathologicalgossipwithDr。Davis’spatient,duringwhichDaisychatteredunremittinglytoherowncompanion。
TheyoungmanaskedMrs。MillerhowshewaspleasedwithRome。
\"Well,ImustsayIamdisappointed,\"sheanswered。\"Wehadheardsomuchaboutit;Isupposewehadheardtoomuch。Butwecouldn’thelpthat。
Wehadbeenledtoexpectsomethingdifferent。\"
\"Ah,waitalittle,andyouwillbecomeveryfondofit,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Ihateitworseandworseeveryday!\"criedRandolph。
\"YouareliketheinfantHannibal,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"No,Iain’t!\"Randolphdeclaredataventure。
\"Youarenotmuchlikeaninfant,\"saidhismother。\"Butwehaveseenplaces,\"sheresumed,\"thatIshouldputalongwaybeforeRome。\"
AndinreplytoWinterbourne’sinterrogation,\"There’sZurich,\"
sheconcluded,\"IthinkZurichislovely;andwehadn’theardhalfsomuchaboutit。\"
\"Thebestplacewe’veseenistheCityofRichmond!\"saidRandolph。
\"Hemeanstheship,\"hismotherexplained。\"Wecrossedinthatship。
RandolphhadagoodtimeontheCityofRichmond。\"
\"It’sthebestplaceI’veseen,\"thechildrepeated。
\"Onlyitwasturnedthewrongway。\"
\"Well,we’vegottoturntherightwaysometime,\"
saidMrs。Millerwithalittlelaugh。WinterbourneexpressedthehopethatherdaughteratleastfoundsomegratificationinRome,andshedeclaredthatDaisywasquitecarriedaway。
\"It’sonaccountofthesociety——thesociety’ssplendid。
Shegoesroundeverywhere;shehasmadeagreatnumberofacquaintances。OfcourseshegoesroundmorethanIdo。
Imustsaytheyhavebeenverysociable;theyhavetakenherrightin。Andthensheknowsagreatmanygentlemen。
Oh,shethinksthere’snothinglikeRome。Ofcourse,it’sagreatdealpleasanterforayoungladyifsheknowsplentyofgentlemen。\"
BythistimeDaisyhadturnedherattentionagaintoWinterbourne。
\"I’vebeentellingMrs。Walkerhowmeanyouwere!\"theyounggirlannounced。
\"Andwhatistheevidenceyouhaveoffered?\"askedWinterbourne,ratherannoyedatMissMiller’swantofappreciationofthezealofanadmirerwhoonhiswaydowntoRomehadstoppedneitheratBolognanoratFlorence,simplybecauseofacertainsentimentalimpatience。
HerememberedthatacynicalcompatriothadoncetoldhimthatAmericanwomen——theprettyones,andthisgavealargenesstotheaxiom——
wereatoncethemostexactingintheworldandtheleastendowedwithasenseofindebtedness。
\"Why,youwereawfullymeanatVevey,\"saidDaisy。
\"Youwouldn’tdoanything。Youwouldn’tstaytherewhenIaskedyou。\"
\"Mydearestyounglady,\"criedWinterbourne,witheloquence,\"haveIcomeallthewaytoRometoencounteryourreproaches?\"
\"Justhearhimsaythat!\"saidDaisytoherhostess,givingatwisttoabowonthislady’sdress。\"Didyoueverhearanythingsoquaint?\"
\"Soquaint,mydear?\"murmuredMrs。WalkerinthetoneofapartisanofWinterbourne。
\"Well,Idon’tknow,\"saidDaisy,fingeringMrs。Walker’sribbons。
\"Mrs。Walker,Iwanttotellyousomething。\"
\"Mother-r,\"interposedRandolph,withhisroughendstohiswords,\"Itellyouyou’vegottogo。Eugenio’llraise——something!\"
\"I’mnotafraidofEugenio,\"saidDaisywithatossofherhead。
\"Lookhere,Mrs。Walker,\"shewenton,\"youknowI’mcomingtoyourparty。\"
\"Iamdelightedtohearit。\"
\"I’vegotalovelydress!\"
\"Iamverysureofthat。\"
\"ButIwanttoaskafavor——permissiontobringafriend。\"
\"Ishallbehappytoseeanyofyourfriends,\"saidMrs。Walker,turningwithasmiletoMrs。Miller。
\"Oh,theyarenotmyfriends,\"answeredDaisy’smamma,smilingshylyinherownfashion。\"Ineverspoketothem。\"
\"It’sanintimatefriendofmine——Mr。Giovanelli,\"saidDaisywithoutatremorinherclearlittlevoiceorashadowonherbrilliantlittleface。
Mrs。Walkerwassilentamoment;shegavearapidglanceatWinterbourne。
\"IshallbegladtoseeMr。Giovanelli,\"shethensaid。
\"He’sanItalian,\"Daisypursuedwiththeprettiestserenity。
\"He’sagreatfriendofmine;he’sthehandsomestmanintheworld——
exceptMr。Winterbourne!HeknowsplentyofItalians,buthewantstoknowsomeAmericans。HethinkseversomuchofAmericans。
He’stremendouslyclever。He’sperfectlylovely!\"
ItwassettledthatthisbrilliantpersonageshouldbebroughttoMrs。Walker’sparty,andthenMrs。Millerpreparedtotakeherleave。
\"Iguesswe’llgobacktothehotel,\"shesaid。
\"Youmaygobacktothehotel,Mother,butI’mgoingtotakeawalk,\"saidDaisy。
\"She’sgoingtowalkwithMr。Giovanelli,\"Randolphproclaimed。
\"IamgoingtothePincio,\"saidDaisy,smiling。
\"Alone,mydear——atthishour?\"Mrs。Walkerasked。
Theafternoonwasdrawingtoaclose——itwasthehourforthethrongofcarriagesandofcontemplativepedestrians。
\"Idon’tthinkit’ssafe,mydear,\"saidMrs。Walker。
\"NeitherdoI,\"subjoinedMrs。Miller。\"You’llgetthefever,assureasyoulive。RememberwhatDr。Davistoldyou!\"
\"Givehersomemedicinebeforeshegoes,\"saidRandolph。
Thecompanyhadrisentoitsfeet;Daisy,stillshowingherprettyteeth,bentoverandkissedherhostess。\"Mrs。Walker,youaretooperfect,\"
shesaid。\"I’mnotgoingalone;Iamgoingtomeetafriend。\"
\"Yourfriendwon’tkeepyoufromgettingthefever,\"
Mrs。Millerobserved。
\"IsitMr。Giovanelli?\"askedthehostess。
Winterbournewaswatchingtheyounggirl;atthisquestionhisattentionquickened。Shestoodthere,smilingandsmoothingherbonnetribbons;sheglancedatWinterbourne。Then,whilesheglancedandsmiled,sheanswered,withoutashadeofhesitation,\"Mr。Giovanelli——thebeautifulGiovanelli。\"
\"Mydearyoungfriend,\"saidMrs。Walker,takingherhandpleadingly,\"don’twalkofftothePincioatthishourtomeetabeautifulItalian。\"
\"Well,hespeaksEnglish,\"saidMrs。Miller。
\"Graciousme!\"Daisyexclaimed,\"Idon’ttodoanythingimproper。
There’saneasywaytosettleit。\"ShecontinuedtoglanceatWinterbourne。
\"ThePincioisonlyahundredyardsdistant;andifMr。Winterbournewereaspoliteashepretends,hewouldoffertowalkwithme!\"
Winterbourne’spolitenesshastenedtoaffirmitself,andtheyounggirlgavehimgraciousleavetoaccompanyher。
Theypasseddownstairsbeforehermother,andatthedoorWinterbourneperceivedMrs。Miller’scarriagedrawnup,withtheornamentalcourierwhoseacquaintancehehadmadeatVeveyseatedwithin。
\"Goodbye,Eugenio!\"criedDaisy;\"I’mgoingtotakeawalk。\"
ThedistancefromtheViaGregorianatothebeautifulgardenattheotherendofthePincianHillis,infact,rapidlytraversed。Asthedaywassplendid,however,andtheconcourseofvehicles,walkers,andloungersnumerous,theyoungAmericansfoundtheirprogressmuchdelayed。
ThisfactwashighlyagreeabletoWinterbourne,inspiteofhisconsciousnessofhissingularsituation。Theslow-moving,idlygazingRomancrowdbestowedmuchattentionupontheextremelyprettyyoungforeignladywhowaspassingthroughituponhisarm;
andhewonderedwhatonearthhadbeeninDaisy’smindwhensheproposedtoexposeherself,unattended,toitsappreciation。
Hisownmission,tohersense,apparently,wastoconsignhertothehandsofMr。Giovanelli;butWinterbourne,atonceannoyedandgratified,resolvedthathewoulddonosuchthing。
\"Whyhaven’tyoubeentoseeme?\"askedDaisy。\"Youcan’tgetoutofthat。\"
\"IhavehadthehonoroftellingyouthatIhaveonlyjuststeppedoutofthetrain。\"
\"Youmusthavestayedinthetrainagoodwhileafteritstopped!\"
criedtheyounggirlwithherlittlelaugh。\"Isupposeyouwereasleep。
YouhavehadtimetogotoseeMrs。Walker。\"
\"IknewMrs。Walker——\"Winterbournebegantoexplain。
\"Iknowwhereyouknewher。YouknewheratGeneva。
Shetoldmeso。Well,youknewmeatVevey。That’sjustasgood。
Soyououghttohavecome。\"Sheaskedhimnootherquestionthanthis;shebegantoprattleaboutherownaffairs。
\"We’vegotsplendidroomsatthehotel;Eugeniosaysthey’rethebestroomsinRome。Wearegoingtostayallwinter,ifwedon’tdieofthefever;andIguesswe’llstaythen。
It’sagreatdealnicerthanIthought;Ithoughtitwouldbefearfullyquiet;Iwassureitwouldbeawfullypoky。
Iwassureweshouldbegoingroundallthetimewithoneofthosedreadfuloldmenthatexplainaboutthepicturesandthings。
Butweonlyhadaboutaweekofthat,andnowI’menjoyingmyself。
Iknoweversomanypeople,andtheyareallsocharming。
Thesociety’sextremelyselect。Thereareallkinds——English,andGermans,andItalians。IthinkIliketheEnglishbest。
Iliketheirstyleofconversation。ButtherearesomelovelyAmericans。Ineversawanythingsohospitable。
There’ssomethingorothereveryday。There’snotmuchdancing;
butImustsayIneverthoughtdancingwaseverything。
Iwasalwaysfondofconversation。IguessIshallhaveplentyatMrs。Walker’s,herroomsaresosmall。\"
WhentheyhadpassedthegateofthePincianGardens,MissMillerbegantowonderwhereMr。Giovanellimightbe。
\"Wehadbettergostraighttothatplaceinfront,\"shesaid,\"whereyoulookattheview。\"
\"Icertainlyshallnothelpyoutofindhim,\"Winterbournedeclared。
\"ThenIshallfindhimwithoutyou,\"criedMissDaisy。
\"Youcertainlywon’tleaveme!\"criedWinterbourne。
Sheburstintoherlittlelaugh。\"Areyouafraidyou’llgetlost——
orrunover?Butthere’sGiovanelli,leaningagainstthattree。
He’sstaringatthewomeninthecarriages:didyoueverseeanythingsocool?\"
Winterbourneperceivedatsomedistancealittlemanstandingwithfoldedarmsnursinghiscane。Hehadahandsomeface,anartfullypoisedhat,aglassinoneeye,andanosegayinhisbuttonhole。
Winterbournelookedathimamomentandthensaid,\"Doyoumeantospeaktothatman?\"
\"DoImeantospeaktohim?Why,youdon’tsupposeImeantocommunicatebysigns?\"
\"Prayunderstand,then,\"saidWinterbourne,\"thatIintendtoremainwithyou。\"
Daisystoppedandlookedathim,withoutasignoftroubledconsciousnessinherface,withnothingbutthepresenceofhercharmingeyesandherhappydimples。\"Well,she’sacoolone!\"
thoughttheyoungman。
\"Idon’tlikethewayyousaythat,\"saidDaisy。
\"It’stooimperious。\"
\"IbegyourpardonifIsayitwrong。Themainpointistogiveyouanideaofmymeaning。\"
Theyounggirllookedathimmoregravely,butwitheyesthatwereprettierthanever。\"Ihaveneverallowedagentlemantodictatetome,ortointerferewithanythingIdo。\"
\"Ithinkyouhavemadeamistake,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Youshouldsometimeslistentoagentleman——therightone。\"
Daisybegantolaughagain。\"Idonothingbutlistentogentlemen!\"
sheexclaimed。\"TellmeifMr。Giovanelliistherightone?\"
Thegentlemanwiththenosegayinhisbosomhadnowperceivedourtwofriends,andwasapproachingtheyounggirlwithobsequiousrapidity。HebowedtoWinterbourneaswellastothelatter’scompanion;hehadabrilliantsmile,anintelligenteye;Winterbournethoughthimnotabad-lookingfellow。
ButheneverthelesssaidtoDaisy,\"No,he’snottherightone。\"
Daisyevidentlyhadanaturaltalentforperformingintroductions;
shementionedthenameofeachofhercompanionstotheother。
Shestrolledalonewithoneofthemoneachsideofher;Mr。Giovanelli,whospokeEnglishverycleverly——WinterbourneafterwardlearnedthathehadpracticedtheidiomuponagreatmanyAmericanheiresses——
addressedheragreatdealofverypolitenonsense;hewasextremelyurbane,andtheyoungAmerican,whosaidnothing,reflecteduponthatprofundityofItalianclevernesswhichenablespeopletoappearmoregraciousinproportionastheyaremoreacutelydisappointed。
Giovanelli,ofcourse,hadcounteduponsomethingmoreintimate;
hehadnotbargainedforapartyofthree。Buthekepthistemperinamannerwhichsuggestedfar-stretchingintentions。
Winterbourneflatteredhimselfthathehadtakenhismeasure。
\"Heisnotagentleman,\"saidtheyoungAmerican;
\"heisonlyacleverimitationofone。Heisamusicmaster,orapenny-a-liner,orathird-rateartist。D__nhisgoodlooks!\"
Mr。Giovanellihadcertainlyaveryprettyface;butWinterbournefeltasuperiorindignationathisownlovelyfellowcountrywoman’snotknowingthedifferencebetweenaspuriousgentlemanandarealone。
Giovanellichatteredandjestedandmadehimselfwonderfullyagreeable。
Itwastruethat,ifhewasanimitation,theimitationwasbrilliant。
\"Nevertheless,\"Winterbournesaidtohimself,\"anicegirloughttoknow!\"
Andthenhecamebacktothequestionwhetherthiswas,infact,anicegirl。Wouldanicegirl,evenallowingforherbeingalittleAmericanflirt,makearendezvouswithapresumablylow-livedforeigner?
Therendezvousinthiscase,indeed,hadbeeninbroaddaylightandinthemostcrowdedcornerofRome,butwasitnotimpossibletoregardthechoiceofthesecircumstancesasaproofofextremecynicism?
Singularthoughitmayseem,Winterbournewasvexedthattheyounggirl,injoiningheramoroso,shouldnotappearmoreimpatientofhisowncompany,andhewasvexedbecauseofhisinclination。
Itwasimpossibletoregardherasaperfectlywell-conductedyounglady;shewaswantinginacertainindispensabledelicacy。
Itwouldthereforesimplifymattersgreatlytobeabletotreatherastheobjectofoneofthosesentimentswhicharecalledbyromancers\"lawlesspassions。\"Thatsheshouldseemtowishtogetridofhimwouldhelphimtothinkmorelightlyofher,andtobeabletothinkmorelightlyofherwouldmakehermuchlessperplexing。
ButDaisy,onthisoccasion,continuedtopresentherselfasaninscrutablecombinationofaudacityandinnocence。
Shehadbeenwalkingsomequarterofanhour,attendedbyhertwocavaliers,andrespondinginatoneofverychildishgaiety,asitseemedtoWinterbourne,totheprettyspeechesofMr。Giovanelli,whenacarriagethathaddetacheditselffromtherevolvingtraindrewupbesidethepath。
AtthesamemomentWinterbourneperceivedthathisfriendMrs。Walker——theladywhosehousehehadlatelyleft——
wasseatedinthevehicleandwasbeckoningtohim。
LeavingMissMiller’sside,hehastenedtoobeyhersummons。
Mrs。Walkerwasflushed;sheworeanexcitedair。
\"Itisreallytoodreadful,\"shesaid。\"Thatgirlmustnotdothissortofthing。Shemustnotwalkherewithyoutwomen。
Fiftypeoplehavenoticedher。\"
Winterbourneraisedhiseyebrows。\"Ithinkit’sapitytomaketoomuchfussaboutit。\"
\"It’sapitytoletthegirlruinherself!\"
\"Sheisveryinnocent,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"She’sverycrazy!\"criedMrs。Walker。\"Didyoueverseeanythingsoimbecileashermother?Afteryouhadallleftmejustnow,Icouldnotsitstillforthinkingofit。
Itseemedtoopitiful,noteventoattempttosaveher。
Iorderedthecarriageandputonmybonnet,andcamehereasquicklyaspossible。ThankHeavenIhavefoundyou!\"
\"Whatdoyouproposetodowithus?\"askedWinterbourne,smiling。
\"Toaskhertogetin,todriveherabouthereforhalfanhour,sothattheworldmayseesheisnotrunningabsolutelywild,andthentotakehersafelyhome。\"
\"Idon’tthinkit’saveryhappythought,\"saidWinterbourne;
\"butyoucantry。\"
Mrs。Walkertried。TheyoungmanwentinpursuitofMissMiller,whohadsimplynoddedandsmiledathisinterlocutorinthecarriageandhadgoneherwaywithhercompanion。Daisy,onlearningthatMrs。Walkerwishedtospeaktoher,retracedherstepswithaperfectgoodgraceandwithMr。Giovanelliatherside。
ShedeclaredthatshewasdelightedtohaveachancetopresentthisgentlemantoMrs。Walker。Sheimmediatelyachievedtheintroduction,anddeclaredthatshehadneverinherlifeseenanythingsolovelyasMrs。Walker’scarriagerug。
\"Iamgladyouadmireit,\"saidthislady,smilingsweetly。
\"Willyougetinandletmeputitoveryou?\"
\"Oh,no,thankyou,\"saidDaisy。\"IshalladmireitmuchmoreasIseeyoudrivingroundwithit。\"
\"Dogetinanddrivewithme!\"saidMrs。Walker。
\"Thatwouldbecharming,butit’ssoenchantingjustasIam!\"
andDaisygaveabrilliantglanceatthegentlemenoneithersideofher。
\"Itmaybeenchanting,dearchild,butitisnotthecustomhere,\"
urgedMrs。Walker,leaningforwardinhervictoria,withherhandsdevoutlyclasped。
\"Well,itoughttobe,then!\"saidDaisy。\"IfIdidn’twalkIshouldexpire。\"
\"Youshouldwalkwithyourmother,dear,\"criedtheladyfromGeneva,losingpatience。
\"Withmymotherdear!\"exclaimedtheyounggirl。Winterbournesawthatshescentedinterference。\"Mymotherneverwalkedtenstepsinherlife。
Andthen,youknow,\"sheaddedwithalaugh,\"Iammorethanfiveyearsold。\"
\"Youareoldenoughtobemorereasonable。Youareoldenough,dearMissMiller,tobetalkedabout。\"
DaisylookedatMrs。Walker,smilingintensely。\"Talkedabout?
Whatdoyoumean?\"
\"Comeintomycarriage,andIwilltellyou。\"
Daisyturnedherquickenedglanceagainfromoneofthegentlemenbesidehertotheother。Mr。Giovanelliwasbowingtoandfro,rubbingdownhisglovesandlaughingveryagreeably;Winterbournethoughtitamostunpleasantscene。
\"Idon’tthinkIwanttoknowwhatyoumean,\"saidDaisypresently。
\"Idon’tthinkIshouldlikeit。\"
WinterbournewishedthatMrs。Walkerwouldtuckinhercarriageruganddriveaway,butthisladydidnotenjoybeingdefied,assheafterwardtoldhim。
\"Shouldyoupreferbeingthoughtaveryrecklessgirl?\"shedemanded。
\"Gracious!\"exclaimedDaisy。ShelookedagainatMr。Giovanelli,thensheturnedtoWinterbourne。Therewasalittlepinkflushinhercheek;shewastremendouslypretty。\"DoesMr。Winterbournethink,\"
sheaskedslowly,smiling,throwingbackherhead,andglancingathimfromheadtofoot,\"that,tosavemyreputation,Ioughttogetintothecarriage?\"
Winterbournecolored;foraninstanthehesitatedgreatly。