daisy miller-第14章

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

I　think　it　is　really　not　absolutely　impossible　that　the　courier

introduced　him。　　He　is　evidently　immensely　charmed　with　Miss　Miller。

If　she　thinks　him　the　finest　gentleman　in　the　world；　he；　on　his　side；

has　never　found　himself　in　personal　contact　with　such　splendor；

such　opulence；　such　expensiveness　as　this　young　lady's。　And

then　she　must　seem　to　him　wonderfully　pretty　and　interesting。

I　rather　doubt　that　he　dreams　of　marrying　her。

That　must　appear　to　him　too　impossible　a　piece　of　luck。

He　has　nothing　but　his　handsome　face　to　offer；　and　there　is

a　substantial　Mr。　Miller　in　that　mysterious　land　of　dollars。

Giovanelli　knows　that　he　hasn't　a　title　to　offer。

If　he　were　only　a　count　or　a　marchese！　　He　must　wonder

at　his　luck；　at　the　way　they　have　taken　him　up。〃



〃He　accounts　for　it　by　his　handsome　face　and　thinks　Miss

Miller　a　young　lady　qui　se　passe　ses　fantaisies！〃

said　Mrs。　Costello。



〃It　is　very　true；〃　Winterbourne　pursued；　〃that　Daisy　and　her　mamma

have　not　yet　risen　to　that　stage　ofwhat　shall　I　call　it？of　culture

at　which　the　idea　of　catching　a　count　or　a　marchese　begins。

I　believe　that　they　are　intellectually　incapable　of　that　conception。〃



〃Ah！　but　the　avvocato　can't　believe　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Costello。



Of　the　observation　excited　by　Daisy's　〃intrigue；〃　Winterbourne

gathered　that　day　at　St。　Peter's　sufficient　evidence。　　A　dozen

of　the　American　colonists　in　Rome　came　to　talk　with　Mrs。　Costello；

who　sat　on　a　little　portable　stool　at　the　base　of　one　of　the

great　pilasters。　　The　vesper　service　was　going　forward　in　splendid

chants　and　organ　tones　in　the　adjacent　choir；　and　meanwhile；

between　Mrs。　Costello　and　her　friends；　there　was　a　great　deal

said　about　poor　little　Miss　Miller's　going　really　〃too　far。〃

Winterbourne　was　not　pleased　with　what　he　heard；　but　when；

coming　out　upon　the　great　steps　of　the　church；　he　saw　Daisy；

who　had　emerged　before　him；　get　into　an　open　cab　with　her

accomplice　and　roll　away　through　the　cynical　streets　of　Rome；

he　could　not　deny　to　himself　that　she　was　going　very　far　indeed。

He　felt　very　sorry　for　hernot　exactly　that　he　believed　that

she　had　completely　lost　her　head；　but　because　it　was　painful

to　hear　so　much　that　was　pretty；　and　undefended；　and　natural

assigned　to　a　vulgar　place　among　the　categories　of　disorder。

He　made　an　attempt　after　this　to　give　a　hint　to　Mrs。　Miller。

He　met　one　day　in　the　Corso　a　friend；　a　tourist　like　himself；

who　had　just　come　out　of　the　Doria　Palace；　where　he　had　been

walking　through　the　beautiful　gallery。　　His　friend　talked

for　a　moment　about　the　superb　portrait　of　Innocent　X　by

Velasquez　which　hangs　in　one　of　the　cabinets　of　the　palace；

and　then　said；　〃And　in　the　same　cabinet；　by　the　way；　I　had

the　pleasure　of　contemplating　a　picture　of　a　different　kind

that　pretty　American　girl　whom　you　pointed　out　to　me　last　week。〃

In　answer　to　Winterbourne's　inquiries；　his　friend　narrated

that　the　pretty　American　girlprettier　than　everwas　seated

with　a　companion　in　the　secluded　nook　in　which　the　great　papal

portrait　was　enshrined。



〃Who　was　her　companion？〃　asked　Winterbourne。



〃A　little　Italian　with　a　bouquet　in　his　buttonhole。

The　girl　is　delightfully　pretty；　but　I　thought　I　understood　from　you

the　other　day　that　she　was　a　young　lady　du　meilleur　monde。〃



〃So　she　is！〃　answered　Winterbourne；　and　having　assured　himself　that　his

informant　had　seen　Daisy　and　her　companion　but　five　minutes　before；

he　jumped　into　a　cab　and　went　to　call　on　Mrs。　Miller。　　She　was　at　home；

but　she　apologized　to　him　for　receiving　him　in　Daisy's　absence。



〃She's　gone　out　somewhere　with　Mr。　Giovanelli；〃　said　Mrs。　Miller。

〃She's　always　going　round　with　Mr。　Giovanelli。〃



〃I　have　noticed　that　they　are　very　intimate；〃　Winterbourne　observed。



〃Oh；　it　seems　as　if　they　couldn't　live　without　each　other！〃　said　Mrs。　Miller。

〃Well；　he's　a　real　gentleman；　anyhow。　　I　keep　telling　Daisy　she's　engaged！〃



〃And　what　does　Daisy　say？〃



〃Oh；　she　says　she　isn't　engaged。　　But　she　might　as　well　be！〃

this　impartial　parent　resumed；　〃she　goes　on　as　if　she　was。

But　I've　made　Mr。　Giovanelli　promise　to　tell　me；　if　SHE　doesn't。

I　should　want　to　write　to　Mr。　Miller　about　itshouldn't　you？〃



Winterbourne　replied　that　he　certainly　should；　and　the　state　of　mind

of　Daisy's　mamma　struck　him　as　so　unprecedented　in　the　annals　of　parental

vigilance　that　he　gave　up　as　utterly　irrelevant　the　attempt　to　place

her　upon　her　guard。



After　this　Daisy　was　never　at　home；　and　Winterbourne　ceased　to　meet　her

at　the　houses　of　their　common　acquaintances；　because；　as　he　perceived；

these　shrewd　people　had　quite　made　up　their　minds　that　she　was　going　too　far。

They　ceased　to　invite　her；　and　they　intimated　that　they　desired　to

express　to　observant　Europeans　the　great　truth　that；　though　Miss　Daisy

Miller　was　a　young　American　lady；　her　behavior　was　not　representative

was　regarded　by　her　compatriots　as　abnormal。　　Winterbourne　wondered

how　she　felt　about　all　the　cold　shoulders　that　were　turned　toward　her；

and　sometimes　it　annoyed　him　to　suspect　that　she　did　not　feel　at　all。

He　said　to　himself　that　she　was　too　light　and　childish；　too　uncultivated

and　unreasoning；　too　provincial；　to　have　reflected　upon　her　ostracism；

or　even　to　have　perceived　it。　　Then　at　other　moments　he　believed　that　she

carried　about　in　her　elegant　and　irresponsible　little　organism　a　defiant；

passionate；　perfectly　observant　consciousness　of　the　impression　she　produced。

He　asked　himself　whether　Daisy's　defiance　came　from　the　consciousness

of　innocence；　or　from　her　being；　essentially；　a　young　person　of　the

reckless　class。　　It　must　be　admitted　that　holding　one's　self　to　a　belief

in　Daisy's　〃innocence〃　came　to　seem　to　Winterbourne　more　and　more　a　matter

of　fine…spun　gallantry。　　As　I　have　already　had　occasion　to　relate；　he　was

angry　at　finding　himself　reduced　to　chopping　logic　about　this　young　lady；

he　was　vexed　at　his　want　of　instinctive　certitude　as　to　how　far　her

eccentricities　were　generic；　national；　and　how　far　they　were　personal。

From　either　view　of　them　he　had　somehow　missed　her；　and　now　it　was　too　late。

She　was　〃carried　away〃　by　Mr。　Giovanelli。



A　few　days　after　his　brief　interview　with　her　mother；　he　encountered

her　in　that　beautiful　abode　of　flowering　desolation　known　as　the

Palace　of　the　Caesars。　　The　early　Roman　spring　had　filled　the　air

with　bloom　and　perfume；　and　the　rugged　surface　of　the　Palatine

was　muffled　with　tender　verdure。　　Daisy　was　strolling　along

the　top　of　one　of　those　great　mounds　of　ruin　that　are　embanked

with　mossy　marble　and　paved　with　monumental　inscriptions。

It　seemed　to　him　that　Rome　had　never　been　so　lovely　as　just　then。

He　stood；　looking　off　at　the　enchanting　harmony　of　line　and　color

that　remotely　encircles　the　city；　inhaling　the　softly　humid　odors；

and　feeling　the　freshness　of　the　year　and　the　antiquity

of　the　place　reaffirm　themselves　in　mysterious　interfusion。

It　seemed　to　him　also　that　Daisy　had　never　looked　so　pretty；

but　this　had　been　an　observation　of　his　whenever　he　met　her。

Giovanelli　was　at　her　side；　and　Giovanelli；　too；　wore　an　aspect

of　even　unwonted　brilliancy。



〃Well；〃　said　Daisy；　〃I　should　think　you　would　be　lonesome！〃



〃Lonesome？〃　asked　Winterbourne。



〃You　are　always　going　round　by　yourself。　　Can't　you　get　anyone

to　walk　with　you？〃



〃I　am　not　so　fortunate；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃as　your　companion。〃



Giovanelli；　from　the　first；　had　treated　Winterbourne　with

distinguished　politeness。　　He　listened　with　a　deferential　air

to　his　remarks；　he　laughed　punctiliously　at　his　pleasantries；

he　seemed　disposed　to　testify　to　his　belief　that　Winterbourne

was　a　superior　young　man。　　He　carried　himself　in　no　degree

like　a　jealous　wooer；　he　had　obviously　a　great　deal　of　tact；

he　had　no　objection　to　your　expecting　a　little　humility　of　him。

It　even　seemed　to　Winterbourne　at　times　that　Giovanelli　would