daisy miller-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



It　even　seemed　to　Winterbourne　at　times　that　Giovanelli　would

find　a　certain　mental　relief　in　being　able　to　have　a　private

understanding　with　himto　say　to　him；　as　an　intelligent　man；

that；　bless　you；　HE　knew　how　extraordinary　was　this

young　lady；　and　didn't　flatter　himself　with　delusive

or　at　least　TOO　delusivehopes　of　matrimony　and　dollars。

On　this　occasion　he　strolled　away　from　his　companion　to　pluck

a　sprig　of　almond　blossom；　which　he　carefully　arranged

in　his　buttonhole。



〃I　know　why　you　say　that；〃　said　Daisy；　watching　Giovanelli。

〃Because　you　think　I　go　round　too　much　with　HIM。〃

And　she　nodded　at　her　attendant。



〃Every　one　thinks　soif　you　care　to　know；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Of　course　I　care　to　know！〃　　Daisy　exclaimed　seriously。

〃But　I　don't　believe　it。　　They　are　only　pretending　to　be　shocked。

They　don't　really　care　a　straw　what　I　do。　　Besides；　I　don't

go　round　so　much。〃



〃I　think　you　will　find　they　do　care。　　They　will　show　it　disagreeably。〃



Daisy　looked　at　him　a　moment。　　〃How　disagreeably？〃



〃Haven't　you　noticed　anything？〃　　Winterbourne　asked。



〃I　have　noticed　you。　　But　I　noticed　you　were　as　stiff　as　an　umbrella

the　first　time　I　saw　you。〃



〃You　will　find　I　am　not　so　stiff　as　several　others；〃

said　Winterbourne；　smiling。



〃How　shall　I　find　it？〃



〃By　going　to　see　the　others。〃



〃What　will　they　do　to　me？〃



〃They　will　give　you　the　cold　shoulder。　　Do　you　know　what　that　means？〃



Daisy　was　looking　at　him　intently；　she　began　to　color。

〃Do　you　mean　as　Mrs。　Walker　did　the　other　night？〃



〃Exactly！〃　said　Winterbourne。



She　looked　away　at　Giovanelli；　who　was　decorating　himself

with　his　almond　blossom。　　Then　looking　back　at　Winterbourne；

〃I　shouldn't　think　you　would　let　people　be　so　unkind！〃　she　said。



〃How　can　I　help　it？〃　he　asked。



〃I　should　think　you　would　say　something。〃



〃I　do　say　something〃；　and　he　paused　a　moment。　　〃I　say　that　your　mother

tells　me　that　she　believes　you　are　engaged。〃



〃Well；　she　does；〃　said　Daisy　very　simply。



Winterbourne　began　to　laugh。　　〃And　does　Randolph　believe　it？〃　he　asked。



〃I　guess　Randolph　doesn't　believe　anything；〃　said　Daisy。

Randolph's　skepticism　excited　Winterbourne　to　further　hilarity；

and　he　observed　that　Giovanelli　was　coming　back　to　them。

Daisy；　observing　it　too；　addressed　herself　again　to　her　countryman。

〃Since　you　have　mentioned　it；〃　she　said；　〃I　AM　engaged。〃

*　*　*　Winterbourne　looked　at　her；　he　had　stopped　laughing。

〃You　don't　believe！〃　she　added。



He　was　silent　a　moment；　and　then；　〃Yes；　I　believe　it；〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　no；　you　don't！〃　she　answered。　　〃Well；　thenI　am　not！〃



The　young　girl　and　her　cicerone　were　on　their　way　to　the　gate

of　the　enclosure；　so　that　Winterbourne；　who　had　but　lately　entered；

presently　took　leave　of　them。　　A　week　afterward　he　went　to　dine

at　a　beautiful　villa　on　the　Caelian　Hill；　and；　on　arriving；

dismissed　his　hired　vehicle。　　The　evening　was　charming；　and　he

promised　himself　the　satisfaction　of　walking　home　beneath　the　Arch

of　Constantine　and　past　the　vaguely　lighted　monuments　of　the　Forum。

There　was　a　waning　moon　in　the　sky；　and　her　radiance　was　not　brilliant；

but　she　was　veiled　in　a　thin　cloud　curtain　which　seemed　to　diffuse

and　equalize　it。　　When；　on　his　return　from　the　villa　（it　was　eleven

o'clock）；　Winterbourne　approached　the　dusky　circle　of　the　Colosseum；

it　recurred　to　him；　as　a　lover　of　the　picturesque；　that　the　interior；

in　the　pale　moonshine；　would　be　well　worth　a　glance。　　He　turned　aside

and　walked　to　one　of　the　empty　arches；　near　which；　as　he　observed；

an　open　carriageone　of　the　little　Roman　streetcabswas　stationed。

Then　he　passed　in；　among　the　cavernous　shadows　of　the　great　structure；

and　emerged　upon　the　clear　and　silent　arena。　　The　place　had　never

seemed　to　him　more　impressive。　　One…half　of　the　gigantic　circus

was　in　deep　shade；　the　other　was　sleeping　in　the　luminous　dusk。

As　he　stood　there　he　began　to　murmur　Byron's　famous　lines；

out　of　〃Manfred；〃　but　before　he　had　finished　his　quotation

he　remembered　that　if　nocturnal　meditations　in　the　Colosseum　are

recommended　by　the　poets；　they　are　deprecated　by　the　doctors。

The　historic　atmosphere　was　there；　certainly；　but　the　historic　atmosphere；

scientifically　considered；　was　no　better　than　a　villainous　miasma。

Winterbourne　walked　to　the　middle　of　the　arena；　to　take　a　more

general　glance；　intending　thereafter　to　make　a　hasty　retreat。

The　great　cross　in　the　center　was　covered　with　shadow；

it　was　only　as　he　drew　near　it　that　he　made　it　out　distinctly。

Then　he　saw　that　two　persons　were　stationed　upon　the　low　steps　which

formed　its　base。　　One　of　these　was　a　woman；　seated；　her　companion

was　standing　in　front　of　her。



Presently　the　sound　of　the　woman's　voice　came　to　him　distinctly

in　the　warm　night　air。　　〃Well；　he　looks　at　us　as　one　of　the　old

lions　or　tigers　may　have　looked　at　the　Christian　martyrs！〃

These　were　the　words　he　heard；　in　the　familiar　accent　of

Miss　Daisy　Miller。



〃Let　us　hope　he　is　not　very　hungry；〃　responded　the　ingenious　Giovanelli。

〃He　will　have　to　take　me　first；　you　will　serve　for　dessert！〃



Winterbourne　stopped；　with　a　sort　of　horror；　and；　it　must　be　added；

with　a　sort　of　relief。　　It　was　as　if　a　sudden　illumination　had　been

flashed　upon　the　ambiguity　of　Daisy's　behavior；　and　the　riddle　had

become　easy　to　read。　　She　was　a　young　lady　whom　a　gentleman　need

no　longer　be　at　pains　to　respect。　　He　stood　there；　looking　at　her

looking　at　her　companion　and　not　reflecting　that　though　he　saw

them　vaguely；　he　himself　must　have　been　more　brightly　visible。

He　felt　angry　with　himself　that　he　had　bothered　so　much　about

the　right　way　of　regarding　Miss　Daisy　Miller。　　Then；　as　he　was　going

to　advance　again；　he　checked　himself；　not　from　the　fear　that　he　was　doing

her　injustice；　but　from　a　sense　of　the　danger　of　appearing　unbecomingly

exhilarated　by　this　sudden　revulsion　from　cautious　criticism。

He　turned　away　toward　the　entrance　of　the　place；　but；　as　he　did　so；

he　heard　Daisy　speak　again。



〃Why；　it　was　Mr。　Winterbourne！　　He　saw　me；　and　he　cuts　me！〃



What　a　clever　little　reprobate　she　was；　and　how　smartly　she　played

at　injured　innocence！　　But　he　wouldn't　cut　her。　　Winterbourne　came

forward　again　and　went　toward　the　great　cross。　　Daisy　had　got　up；

Giovanelli　lifted　his　hat。　　Winterbourne　had　now　begun　to　think

simply　of　the　craziness；　from　a　sanitary　point　of　view；　of　a　delicate

young　girl　lounging　away　the　evening　in　this　nest　of　malaria。

What　if　she　WERE　a　clever　little　reprobate？　that　was　no　reason

for　her　dying　of　the　perniciosa。　〃How　long　have　you　been　here？〃

he　asked　almost　brutally。



Daisy；　lovely　in　the　flattering　moonlight；　looked　at　him　a　moment。

Then〃All　the　evening；〃　she　answered；　gently。　　*　*　*　〃I　never　saw

anything　so　pretty。〃



〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃that　you　will　not　think

Roman　fever　very　pretty。　　This　is　the　way　people　catch　it。

I　wonder；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Giovanelli；　〃that　you；

a　native　Roman；　should　countenance　such　a　terrible　indiscretion。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　the　handsome　native；　〃for　myself　I　am　not　afraid。〃



〃Neither　am　Ifor　you！　　I　am　speaking　for　this　young　lady。〃



Giovanelli　lifted　his　well…shaped　eyebrows　and　showed　his　brilliant　teeth。

But　he　took　Winterbourne's　rebuke　with　docility。　　〃I　told　the　signorina　it

was　a　grave　indiscretion；　but　when　was　the　signorina　ever　prudent？〃



〃I　never　was　sick；　and　I　don't　mean　to　be！〃　the　signorina　declared。

〃I　don't　look　like　much；　but　I'm　healthy！　　I　was　bound　to　see　the　Colosseum

by　moonlight；　I　shouldn't　have　wanted　to　go　home　without　that；

and　we　have　had　the　most　beautiful　time；　haven't　we；　Mr。　Giovanelli？

If　there　has　been　any　danger；　Eugenio　can　give　me　some　pills。

He　has　got　some　splendid　pills。〃



〃I　should　advise　you；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃to　drive　home　as　fast

as　possible　and　take　one！〃



〃What　you　say　is　very　wise；〃　Giovanelli　rejoined。

〃I　will　go　an