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第11章

daisy miller-第11章

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Winterbourne raised his eyebrows。  〃I think it's a pity to make

too much fuss about it。〃



〃It's a pity to let the girl ruin herself!〃



〃She is very innocent;〃 said Winterbourne。



〃She's very crazy!〃 cried Mrs。 Walker。  〃Did you ever see

anything so imbecile as her mother?  After you had all left

me just now; I could not sit still for thinking of it。

It seemed too pitiful; not even to attempt to save her。

I ordered the carriage and put on my bonnet; and came here

as quickly as possible。  Thank Heaven I have found you!〃



〃What do you propose to do with us?〃 asked Winterbourne; smiling。



〃To ask her to get in; to drive her about here for half an hour;

so that the world may see she is not running absolutely wild;

and then to take her safely home。〃



〃I don't think it's a very happy thought;〃 said Winterbourne;

〃but you can try。〃



Mrs。 Walker tried。  The young man went in pursuit of Miss Miller;

who had simply nodded and smiled at his interlocutor in the carriage

and had gone her way with her companion。  Daisy; on learning

that Mrs。 Walker wished to speak to her; retraced her steps

with a perfect good grace and with Mr。 Giovanelli at her side。

She declared that she was delighted to have a chance to present this

gentleman to Mrs。 Walker。  She immediately achieved the introduction;

and declared that she had never in her life seen anything so lovely

as Mrs。 Walker's carriage rug。



〃I am glad you admire it;〃 said this lady; smiling sweetly。

〃Will you get in and let me put it over you?〃



〃Oh; no; thank you;〃 said Daisy。  〃I shall admire it much more as I see you

driving round with it。〃



〃Do get in and drive with me!〃 said Mrs。 Walker。



〃That would be charming; but it's so enchanting just as I am!〃

and Daisy gave a brilliant glance at the gentlemen on either

side of her。



〃It may be enchanting; dear child; but it is not the custom here;〃

urged Mrs。 Walker; leaning forward in her victoria; with her

hands devoutly clasped。



〃Well; it ought to be; then!〃 said Daisy。  〃If I didn't walk

I should expire。〃



〃You should walk with your mother; dear;〃 cried the lady

from Geneva; losing patience。



〃With my mother dear!〃 exclaimed the young girl。  Winterbourne saw that she

scented interference。  〃My mother never walked ten steps in her life。

And then; you know;〃 she added with a laugh; 〃I am more than five years old。〃



〃You are old enough to be more reasonable。  You are old enough;

dear Miss Miller; to be talked about。〃



Daisy looked at Mrs。 Walker; smiling intensely。  〃Talked about?

What do you mean?〃



〃Come into my carriage; and I will tell you。〃



Daisy turned her quickened glance again from one of the gentlemen beside her

to the other。  Mr。 Giovanelli was bowing to and fro; rubbing down his gloves

and laughing very agreeably; Winterbourne thought it a most unpleasant scene。

〃I don't think I want to know what you mean;〃 said Daisy presently。

〃I don't think I should like it。〃



Winterbourne wished that Mrs。 Walker would tuck in her carriage rug and drive

away; but this lady did not enjoy being defied; as she afterward told him。

〃Should you prefer being thought a very reckless girl?〃 she demanded。



〃Gracious!〃 exclaimed Daisy。  She looked again at Mr。 Giovanelli;

then she turned to Winterbourne。  There was a little pink flush in

her cheek; she was tremendously pretty。  〃Does Mr。 Winterbourne think;〃

she asked slowly; smiling; throwing back her head; and glancing

at him from head to foot; 〃that; to save my reputation; I ought

to get into the carriage?〃



Winterbourne colored; for an instant he hesitated greatly。

It seemed so strange to hear her speak that way of her 〃reputation。〃

But he himself; in fact; must speak in accordance with gallantry。

The finest gallantry; here; was simply to tell her the truth;

and the truth; for Winterbourne; as the few indications I

have been able to give have made him known to the reader;

was that Daisy Miller should take Mrs。 Walker's advice。

He looked at her exquisite prettiness; and then he said;

very gently; 〃I think you should get into the carriage。〃



Daisy gave a violent laugh。  〃I never heard anything so stiff!

If this is improper; Mrs。 Walker;〃 she pursued; 〃then I am all improper;

and you must give me up。  Goodbye; I hope you'll have a lovely ride!〃

and; with Mr。 Giovanelli; who made a triumphantly obsequious salute;

she turned away。



Mrs。 Walker sat looking after her; and there were tears in

Mrs。 Walker's eyes。  〃Get in here; sir;〃 she said to Winterbourne;

indicating the place beside her。  The young man answered that he felt

bound to accompany Miss Miller; whereupon Mrs。 Walker declared that

if he refused her this favor she would never speak to him again。

She was evidently in earnest。  Winterbourne overtook Daisy and

her companion; and; offering the young girl his hand; told her

that Mrs。 Walker had made an imperious claim upon his society。

He expected that in answer she would say something rather free;

something to commit herself still further to that 〃recklessness〃

from which Mrs。 Walker had so charitably endeavored to dissuade her。

But she only shook his hand; hardly looking at him; while Mr。 Giovanelli

bade him farewell with a too emphatic flourish of the hat。



Winterbourne was not in the best possible humor as he took his seat in

Mrs。 Walker's victoria。  〃That was not clever of you;〃 he said candidly;

while the vehicle mingled again with the throng of carriages。



〃In such a case;〃 his companion answered; 〃I don't wish to be clever;

I wish to be EARNEST!〃



〃Well; your earnestness has only offended her and put her off。〃



〃It has happened very well;〃 said Mrs。 Walker。  〃If she is so perfectly

determined to compromise herself; the sooner one knows it the better;

one can act accordingly。〃



〃I suspect she meant no harm;〃 Winterbourne rejoined。



〃So I thought a month ago。  But she has been going too far。〃



〃What has she been doing?〃



〃Everything that is not done here。  Flirting with any man she could pick up;

sitting in corners with mysterious Italians; dancing all the evening

with the same partners; receiving visits at eleven o'clock at night。

Her mother goes away when visitors come。〃



〃But her brother;〃 said Winterbourne; laughing; 〃sits up till midnight。〃



〃He must be edified by what he sees。  I'm told that at their hotel

everyone is talking about her; and that a smile goes round among

all the servants when a gentleman comes and asks for Miss Miller。〃



〃The servants be hanged!〃 said Winterbourne angrily。

〃The poor girl's only fault;〃 he presently added; 〃is that she

is very uncultivated。〃



〃She is naturally indelicate;〃 Mrs。 Walker declared。



〃Take that example this morning。  How long had you known her at Vevey?〃



〃A couple of days。〃



〃Fancy; then; her making it a personal matter that you should have

left the place!〃



Winterbourne was silent for some moments; then he said; 〃I suspect;

Mrs。 Walker; that you and I have lived too long at Geneva!〃

And he added a request that she should inform him with what particular

design she had made him enter her carriage。



〃I wished to beg you to cease your relations with Miss Miller

not to flirt with herto give her no further opportunity

to expose herselfto let her alone; in short。〃



〃I'm afraid I can't do that;〃 said Winterbourne。

〃I like her extremely。〃



〃All the more reason that you shouldn't help her to make a scandal。〃



〃There shall be nothing scandalous in my attentions to her。〃



〃There certainly will be in the way she takes them。

But I have said what I had on my conscience;〃 Mrs。 Walker pursued。

〃If you wish to rejoin the young lady I will put you down。

Here; by the way; you have a chance。〃



The carriage was traversing that part of the Pincian

Garden that overhangs the wall of Rome and overlooks

the beautiful Villa Borghese。  It is bordered 

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