daisy miller-第6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！



〃Common；〃　she　was；　as　Mrs。　Costello　had　pronounced　her；

yet　it　was　a　wonder　to　Winterbourne　that；　with　her　commonness；

she　had　a　singularly　delicate　grace。



Her　mother　was　a　small；　spare；　light　person；　with　a

wandering　eye；　a　very　exiguous　nose；　and　a　large　forehead；

decorated　with　a　certain　amount　of　thin；　much　frizzled　hair。

Like　her　daughter；　Mrs。　Miller　was　dressed　with　extreme　elegance；

she　had　enormous　diamonds　in　her　ears。　　So　far　as　Winterbourne

could　observe；　she　gave　him　no　greetingshe　certainly　was　not

looking　at　him。　　Daisy　was　near　her；　pulling　her　shawl　straight。

〃What　are　you　doing；　poking　round　here？〃　this　young　lady　inquired；

but　by　no　means　with　that　harshness　of　accent　which　her　choice

of　words　may　imply。



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　her　mother；　turning　toward　the　lake　again。



〃I　shouldn't　think　you'd　want　that　shawl！〃　　Daisy　exclaimed。



〃Well　I　do！〃　her　mother　answered　with　a　little　laugh。



〃Did　you　get　Randolph　to　go　to　bed？〃　asked　the　young　girl。



〃No；　I　couldn't　induce　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Miller　very　gently。

〃He　wants　to　talk　to　the　waiter。　　He　likes　to　talk　to　that　waiter。〃



I　was　telling　Mr。　Winterbourne；〃　the　young　girl　went　on；

and　to　the　young　man's　ear　her　tone　might　have　indicated

that　she　had　been　uttering　his　name　all　her　life。



〃Oh；　yes！〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃I　have　the　pleasure　of　knowing　your　son。〃



Randolph's　mamma　was　silent；　she　turned　her　attention　to　the　lake。

But　at　last　she　spoke。　　〃Well；　I　don't　see　how　he　lives！〃



〃Anyhow；　it　isn't　so　bad　as　it　was　at　Dover；〃　said　Daisy　Miller。



〃And　what　occurred　at　Dover？〃　　Winterbourne　asked。



〃He　wouldn't　go　to　bed　at　all。　　I　guess　he　sat　up　all　night

in　the　public　parlor。　　He　wasn't　in　bed　at　twelve　o'clock：

I　know　that。〃



〃It　was　half…past　twelve；〃　declared　Mrs。　Miller　with　mild　emphasis。



〃Does　he　sleep　much　during　the　day？〃　　Winterbourne　demanded。



〃I　guess　he　doesn't　sleep　much；〃　Daisy　rejoined。



〃I　wish　he　would！〃　said　her　mother。　　〃It　seems　as　if　he　couldn't。〃



〃I　think　he's　real　tiresome；〃　Daisy　pursued。



Then；　for　some　moments；　there　was　silence。　　〃Well；　Daisy　Miller；〃

said　the　elder　lady；　presently；　〃I　shouldn't　think　you'd　want

to　talk　against　your　own　brother！〃



〃Well；　he　IS　tiresome；　Mother；〃　said　Daisy；　quite　without

the　asperity　of　a　retort。



〃He's　only　nine；〃　urged　Mrs。　Miller。



〃Well；　he　wouldn't　go　to　that　castle；〃　said　the　young　girl。

〃I'm　going　there　with　Mr。　Winterbourne。〃



To　this　announcement；　very　placidly　made；　Daisy's　mamma　offered

no　response。　　Winterbourne　took　for　granted　that　she　deeply

disapproved　of　the　projected　excursion；　but　he　said　to　himself

that　she　was　a　simple；　easily　managed　person；　and　that　a　few

deferential　protestations　would　take　the　edge　from　her　displeasure。

〃Yes；〃　he　began；　〃your　daughter　has　kindly　allowed　me　the　honor

of　being　her　guide。〃



Mrs。　Miller's　wandering　eyes　attached　themselves；　with　a　sort　of

appealing　air；　to　Daisy；　who；　however；　strolled　a　few　steps　farther；

gently　humming　to　herself。　　〃I　presume　you　will　go　in　the　cars；〃

said　her　mother。



〃Yes；　or　in　the　boat；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Well；　of　course；　I　don't　know；〃　Mrs。　Miller　rejoined。

〃I　have　never　been　to　that　castle。〃



〃It　is　a　pity　you　shouldn't　go；〃　said　Winterbourne；

beginning　to　feel　reassured　as　to　her　opposition。

And　yet　he　was　quite　prepared　to　find　that；　as　a　matter　of　course；

she　meant　to　accompany　her　daughter。



〃We've　been　thinking　ever　so　much　about　going；〃　she　pursued；

〃but　it　seems　as　if　we　couldn't。　Of　course　Daisyshe　wants

to　go　round。　　But　there's　a　lady　hereI　don't　know　her　name

she　says　she　shouldn't　think　we'd　want　to　go　to　see　castles

HERE；　she　should　think　we'd　want　to　wait　till　we　got

to　Italy。　　It　seems　as　if　there　would　be　so　many　there；〃

continued　Mrs。　Miller　with　an　air　of　increasing　confidence。

〃Of　course　we　only　want　to　see　the　principal　ones。

We　visited　several　in　England；〃　she　presently　added。



〃Ah　yes！　in　England　there　are　beautiful　castles；〃　said　Winterbourne。

〃But　Chillon　here；　is　very　well　worth　seeing。〃



〃Well；　if　Daisy　feels　up　to　it〃　said　Mrs。　Miller；　in　a　tone

impregnated　with　a　sense　of　the　magnitude　of　the　enterprise。

〃It　seems　as　if　there　was　nothing　she　wouldn't　undertake。〃



〃Oh；　I　think　she'll　enjoy　it！〃　　Winterbourne　declared。

And　he　desired　more　and　more　to　make　it　a　certainty　that　he　was

to　have　the　privilege　of　a　tete…a…tete　with　the　young　lady；

who　was　still　strolling　along　in　front　of　them；　softly　vocalizing。

〃You　are　not　disposed；　madam；〃　he　inquired；　〃to　undertake　it　yourself？〃



Daisy's　mother　looked　at　him　an　instant　askance；　and　then　walked

forward　in　silence。　　Then〃I　guess　she　had　better　go　alone；〃

she　said　simply。　　Winterbourne　observed　to　himself　that　this

was　a　very　different　type　of　maternity　from　that　of　the　vigilant

matrons　who　massed　themselves　in　the　forefront　of　social

intercourse　in　the　dark　old　city　at　the　other　end　of　the　lake。

But　his　meditations　were　interrupted　by　hearing　his　name　very

distinctly　pronounced　by　Mrs。　Miller's　unprotected　daughter。



〃Mr。　Winterbourne！〃　murmured　Daisy。



〃Mademoiselle！〃　said　the　young　man。



〃Don't　you　want　to　take　me　out　in　a　boat？〃



〃At　present？〃　he　asked。



〃Of　course！〃　said　Daisy。



〃Well；　Annie　Miller！〃　exclaimed　her　mother。



〃I　beg　you；　madam；　to　let　her　go；〃　said　Winterbourne　ardently；

for　he　had　never　yet　enjoyed　the　sensation　of　guiding

through　the　summer　starlight　a　skiff　freighted　with　a　fresh

and　beautiful　young　girl。



〃I　shouldn't　think　she'd　want　to；〃　said　her　mother。

〃I　should　think　she'd　rather　go　indoors。〃



〃I'm　sure　Mr。　Winterbourne　wants　to　take　me；〃　Daisy　declared。

〃He's　so　awfully　devoted！〃



〃I　will　row　you　over　to　Chillon　in　the　starlight。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it！〃　said　Daisy。



〃Well！〃　ejaculated　the　elder　lady　again。



〃You　haven't　spoken　to　me　for　half　an　hour；〃　her　daughter　went　on。



〃I　have　been　having　some　very　pleasant　conversation　with

your　mother；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Well；　I　want　you　to　take　me　out　in　a　boat！〃　　Daisy　repeated。　　They　had

all　stopped；　and　she　had　turned　round　and　was　looking　at　Winterbourne。

Her　face　wore　a　charming　smile；　her　pretty　eyes　were　gleaming；

she　was　swinging　her　great　fan　about。　　No；　it's　impossible　to　be　prettier

than　that；　thought　Winterbourne。



〃There　are　half　a　dozen　boats　moored　at　that　landing　place；〃　he　said；

pointing　to　certain　steps　which　descended　from　the　garden　to　the　lake。

〃If　you　will　do　me　the　honor　to　accept　my　arm；　we　will　go　and　select

one　of　them。〃



Daisy　stood　there　smiling；　she　threw　back　her　head　and　gave　a　little；

light　laugh。　　〃I　like　a　gentleman　to　be　formal！〃　she　declared。



〃I　assure　you　it's　a　formal　offer。〃



〃I　was　bound　I　would　make　you　say　something；〃　Daisy　went　on。



〃You　see；　it's　not　very　difficult；〃　said　Winterbourne。

〃But　I　am　afraid　you　are　chaffing　me。〃



〃I　think　not；　sir；〃　remarked　Mrs。　Miller　very　gently。



〃Do；　then；　let　me　give　you　a　row；〃　he　said　to　the　young　girl。



〃It's　quite　lovely；　the　way　you　say　that！〃　cried　Daisy。



〃It　will　be　still　more　lovely　to　do　it。〃



〃Yes；　it　would　be　lovely！〃　said　Daisy。　　But　she　made　no　movement

to　accompany　him；　she　only　stood　there　laughing。



〃I　should　think　you　had　better　find　out　what　time　it　is；〃

interposed　her　mother。



〃It　is　eleven　o'clock；　madam；〃　said　a　voice；　with　a　foreign　accent；

out　of　the　neighboring　darkness；　and　Winterbourne；　turning；　perceived

the　florid　personage　who　was　in　attendance　upon　the　two　ladies。

He　had　apparently　just　approached。



〃Oh；　Eugenio；〃　said　Daisy；　〃I　am　going　out　in　a　boat！〃



Eugenio　bowed。　　〃At　eleven　o'clock；　mademoiselle？〃



〃I　am　going　with　Mr。　Winterbournethis　very　minute。〃



〃Do　tell　her　she　can't；〃　said　Mrs。　Miller　to　the　courier。



〃I　think　you　had　better　not　go　out　in　a　boat；　mademoiselle；〃　E