daisy miller-第13章

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〃I　thought　they　understood　nothing　else！〃　exclaimed　Daisy。



〃Not　in　young　unmarried　women。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　much　more　proper　in　young　unmarried　women　than　in　old

married　ones；〃　Daisy　declared。



〃Well；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃when　you　deal　with　natives　you　must　go

by　the　custom　of　the　place。　　Flirting　is　a　purely　American　custom；

it　doesn't　exist　here。　　So　when　you　show　yourself　in　public　with

Mr。　Giovanelli；　and　without　your　mother〃



〃Gracious！　poor　Mother！〃　interposed　Daisy。



〃Though　you　may　be　flirting；　Mr。　Giovanelli　is　not；

he　means　something　else。〃



〃He　isn't　preaching；　at　any　rate；〃　said　Daisy　with　vivacity。

〃And　if　you　want　very　much　to　know；　we　are　neither　of　us　flirting；

we　are　too　good　friends　for　that：　　we　are　very　intimate　friends。〃



〃Ah！〃　rejoined　Winterbourne；　〃if　you　are　in　love　with　each　other；

it　is　another　affair。〃



She　had　allowed　him　up　to　this　point　to　talk　so　frankly　that

he　had　no　expectation　of　shocking　her　by　this　ejaculation；

but　she　immediately　got　up；　blushing　visibly；　and　leaving

him　to　exclaim　mentally　that　little　American　flirts　were

the　queerest　creatures　in　the　world。　　〃Mr。　Giovanelli；

at　least；〃　she　said；　giving　her　interlocutor　a　single　glance；

〃never　says　such　very　disagreeable　things　to　me。〃



Winterbourne　was　bewildered；　he　stood；　staring。　　Mr。　Giovanelli

had　finished　singing。　　He　left　the　piano　and　came　over　to　Daisy。

〃Won't　you　come　into　the　other　room　and　have　some　tea？〃　he　asked；

bending　before　her　with　his　ornamental　smile。



Daisy　turned　to　Winterbourne；　beginning　to　smile　again。　　He　was　still

more　perplexed；　for　this　inconsequent　smile　made　nothing　clear；

though　it　seemed　to　prove；　indeed；　that　she　had　a　sweetness　and

softness　that　reverted　instinctively　to　the　pardon　of　offenses。

〃It　has　never　occurred　to　Mr。　Winterbourne　to　offer　me　any　tea；〃

she　said　with　her　little　tormenting　manner。



〃I　have　offered　you　advice；〃　Winterbourne　rejoined。



〃I　prefer　weak　tea！〃　cried　Daisy；　and　she　went　off　with　the

brilliant　Giovanelli。　　She　sat　with　him　in　the　adjoining　room；

in　the　embrasure　of　the　window；　for　the　rest　of　the　evening。

There　was　an　interesting　performance　at　the　piano；　but　neither

of　these　young　people　gave　heed　to　it。　　When　Daisy　came　to　take

leave　of　Mrs。　Walker；　this　lady　conscientiously　repaired

the　weakness　of　which　she　had　been　guilty　at　the　moment　of

the　young　girl's　arrival。　　She　turned　her　back　straight　upon

Miss　Miller　and　left　her　to　depart　with　what　grace　she　might。

Winterbourne　was　standing　near　the　door；　he　saw　it　all。

Daisy　turned　very　pale　and　looked　at　her　mother；　but　Mrs。　Miller

was　humbly　unconscious　of　any　violation　of　the　usual　social　forms。

She　appeared；　indeed；　to　have　felt　an　incongruous　impulse

to　draw　attention　to　her　own　striking　observance　of　them。

〃Good　night；　Mrs。　Walker；〃　she　said；　〃we've　had　a　beautiful　evening。

You　see；　if　I　let　Daisy　come　to　parties　without　me；

I　don't　want　her　to　go　away　without　me。〃　　Daisy　turned　away；

looking　with　a　pale；　grave　face　at　the　circle　near　the　door；

Winterbourne　saw　that；　for　the　first　moment；　she　was

too　much　shocked　and　puzzled　even　for　indignation。

He　on　his　side　was　greatly　touched。



〃That　was　very　cruel；〃　he　said　to　Mrs。　Walker。



〃She　never　enters　my　drawing　room　again！〃　replied　his　hostess。



Since　Winterbourne　was　not　to　meet　her　in　Mrs。　Walker's　drawing　room；

he　went　as　often　as　possible　to　Mrs。　Miller's　hotel。　　The　ladies

were　rarely　at　home；　but　when　he　found　them；　the　devoted　Giovanelli

was　always　present。　　Very　often　the　brilliant　little　Roman　was　in　the

drawing　room　with　Daisy　alone；　Mrs。　Miller　being　apparently　constantly

of　the　opinion　that　discretion　is　the　better　part　of　surveillance。

Winterbourne　noted；　at　first　with　surprise；　that　Daisy　on　these

occasions　was　never　embarrassed　or　annoyed　by　his　own　entrance；

but　he　very　presently　began　to　feel　that　she　had　no　more　surprises　for　him；

the　unexpected　in　her　behavior　was　the　only　thing　to　expect。　　She　showed

no　displeasure　at　her　tete…a…tete　with　Giovanelli　being　interrupted；

she　could　chatter　as　freshly　and　freely　with　two　gentlemen　as　with　one；

there　was　always；　in　her　conversation；　the　same　odd　mixture　of　audacity

and　puerility。　　Winterbourne　remarked　to　himself　that　if　she　was

seriously　interested　in　Giovanelli；　it　was　very　singular　that　she　should

not　take　more　trouble　to　preserve　the　sanctity　of　their　interviews；

and　he　liked　her　the　more　for　her　innocent…looking　indifference

and　her　apparently　inexhaustible　good　humor。　　He　could　hardly　have

said　why；　but　she　seemed　to　him　a　girl　who　would　never　be　jealous。

At　the　risk　of　exciting　a　somewhat　derisive　smile　on　the　reader's　part；

I　may　affirm　that　with　regard　to　the　women　who　had　hitherto　interested　him；

it　very　often　seemed　to　Winterbourne　among　the　possibilities　that；　given

certain　contingencies；　he　should　be　afraidliterally　afraidof　these　ladies；

he　had　a　pleasant　sense　that　he　should　never　be　afraid　of　Daisy　Miller。

It　must　be　added　that　this　sentiment　was　not　altogether　flattering　to　Daisy；

it　was　part　of　his　conviction；　or　rather　of　his　apprehension；　that　she

would　prove　a　very　light　young　person。



But　she　was　evidently　very　much　interested　in　Giovanelli。

She　looked　at　him　whenever　he　spoke；　she　was　perpetually　telling　him

to　do　this　and　to　do　that；　she　was　constantly　〃chaffing〃　and　abusing　him。

She　appeared　completely　to　have　forgotten　that　Winterbourne　had　said　anything

to　displease　her　at　Mrs。　Walker's　little　party。　　One　Sunday　afternoon；

having　gone　to　St。　Peter's　with　his　aunt；　Winterbourne　perceived　Daisy

strolling　about　the　great　church　in　company　with　the　inevitable　Giovanelli。

Presently　he　pointed　out　the　young　girl　and　her　cavalier　to　Mrs。　Costello。

This　lady　looked　at　them　a　moment　through　her　eyeglass；　and　then　she　said：



〃That's　what　makes　you　so　pensive　in　these　days；　eh？〃



〃I　had　not　the　least　idea　I　was　pensive；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃You　are　very　much　preoccupied；　you　are　thinking　of　something。〃



〃And　what　is　it；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　accuse　me　of　thinking　of？〃



〃Of　that　young　lady'sMiss　Baker's；　Miss　Chandler'swhat's　her　name？

Miss　Miller's　intrigue　with　that　little　barber's　block。〃



〃Do　you　call　it　an　intrigue；〃　Winterbourne　asked〃an　affair　that　goes

on　with　such　peculiar　publicity？〃



〃That's　their　folly；〃　said　Mrs。　Costello；　〃it's　not　their　merit。〃



〃No；〃　rejoined　Winterbourne；　with　something　of　that　pensiveness

to　which　his　aunt　had　alluded。　　〃I　don't　believe　that　there

is　anything　to　be　called　an　intrigue。〃



〃I　have　heard　a　dozen　people　speak　of　it；　they　say　she　is　quite　carried

away　by　him。〃



〃They　are　certainly　very　intimate；〃　said　Winterbourne。



Mrs。　Costello　inspected　the　young　couple　again　with　her　optical　instrument。

〃He　is　very　handsome。　　One　easily　sees　how　it　is。　　She　thinks

him　the　most　elegant　man　in　the　world；　the　finest　gentleman。

She　has　never　seen　anything　like　him；　he　is　better；　even；　than　the　courier。

It　was　the　courier　probably　who　introduced　him；　and　if　he　succeeds　in　marrying

the　young　lady；　the　courier　will　come　in　for　a　magnificent　commission。〃



〃I　don't　believe　she　thinks　of　marrying　him；〃　said　Winterbourne；

〃and　I　don't　believe　he　hopes　to　marry　her。〃



〃You　may　be　very　sure　she　thinks　of　nothing。　　She　goes　on　from

day　to　day；　from　hour　to　hour；　as　they　did　in　the　Golden　Age。

I　can　imagine　nothing　more　vulgar。　　And　at　the　same　time；〃

added　Mrs。　Costello；　〃depend　upon　it　that　she　may　tell　you

any　moment　that　she　is　'engaged。'〃



〃I　think　that　is　more　than　Giovanelli　expects；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Who　is　Giovanelli？〃



〃The　little　Italian。　　I　have　asked　questions　about　him　and

learned　something。　　He　is　apparently　a　perfectly　respectable

little　man。　　I　believe　he　is；　in　a　small　way；　a　cavaliere

avvocato。　But　he　doesn't　move　in　what　are　called　the　first　circles。

I　think　it　is　really　not　absolu