daisy miller-第7章

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



〃I　think　you　had　better　not　go　out　in　a　boat；　mademoiselle；〃　Eugenio　declared。



Winterbourne　wished　to　Heaven　this　pretty　girl　were　not　so　familiar

with　her　courier；　but　he　said　nothing。



〃I　suppose　you　don't　think　it's　proper！〃　　Daisy　exclaimed。

〃Eugenio　doesn't　think　anything's　proper。〃



〃I　am　at　your　service；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Does　mademoiselle　propose　to　go　alone？〃　asked　Eugenio　of　Mrs。　Miller。



〃Oh；　no；　with　this　gentleman！〃　answered　Daisy's　mamma。



The　courier　looked　for　a　moment　at　Winterbournethe　latter

thought　he　was　smilingand　then；　solemnly；　with　a　bow；

〃As　mademoiselle　pleases！〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　I　hoped　you　would　make　a　fuss！〃　said　Daisy。

〃I　don't　care　to　go　now。〃



〃I　myself　shall　make　a　fuss　if　you　don't　go；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃That's　all　I　wanta　little　fuss！〃　　And　the　young　girl　began

to　laugh　again。



〃Mr。　Randolph　has　gone　to　bed！〃　the　courier　announced　frigidly。



〃Oh；　Daisy；　now　we　can　go！〃　said　Mrs。　Miller。



Daisy　turned　away　from　Winterbourne；　looking　at　him；

smiling　and　fanning　herself。　　〃Good　night；〃　she　said；

〃I　hope　you　are　disappointed；　or　disgusted；　or　something！〃



He　looked　at　her；　taking　the　hand　she　offered　him。

〃I　am　puzzled；〃　he　answered。



〃Well；　I　hope　it　won't　keep　you　awake！〃　she　said　very　smartly；

and；　under　the　escort　of　the　privileged　Eugenio；　the　two　ladies

passed　toward　the　house。



Winterbourne　stood　looking　after　them；　he　was　indeed　puzzled。

He　lingered　beside　the　lake　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　turning　over

the　mystery　of　the　young　girl's　sudden　familiarities　and　caprices。

But　the　only　very　definite　conclusion　he　came　to　was　that　he　should

enjoy　deucedly　〃going　off〃　with　her　somewhere。



Two　days　afterward　he　went　off　with　her　to　the　Castle　of　Chillon。

He　waited　for　her　in　the　large　hall　of　the　hotel；　where　the　couriers；

the　servants；　the　foreign　tourists；　were　lounging　about　and　staring。

It　was　not　the　place　he　should　have　chosen；　but　she　had　appointed　it。

She　came　tripping　downstairs；　buttoning　her　long　gloves；

squeezing　her　folded　parasol　against　her　pretty　figure；

dressed　in　the　perfection　of　a　soberly　elegant　traveling　costume。

Winterbourne　was　a　man　of　imagination　and；　as　our　ancestors

used　to　say；　sensibility；　as　he　looked　at　her　dress　and；

on　the　great　staircase；　her　little　rapid；　confiding　step；

he　felt　as　if　there　were　something　romantic　going　forward。

He　could　have　believed　he　was　going　to　elope　with　her。

He　passed　out　with　her　among　all　the　idle　people　that　were

assembled　there；　they　were　all　looking　at　her　very　hard；

she　had　begun　to　chatter　as　soon　as　she　joined　him。

Winterbourne's　preference　had　been　that　they　should　be

conveyed　to　Chillon　in　a　carriage；　but　she　expressed　a　lively

wish　to　go　in　the　little　steamer；　she　declared　that　she　had

a　passion　for　steamboats。　　There　was　always　such　a　lovely

breeze　upon　the　water；　and　you　saw　such　lots　of　people。

The　sail　was　not　long；　but　Winterbourne's　companion　found　time

to　say　a　great　many　things。　　To　the　young　man　himself　their

little　excursion　was　so　much　of　an　escapadean　adventure

that；　even　allowing　for　her　habitual　sense　of　freedom；

he　had　some　expectation　of　seeing　her　regard　it　in　the　same　way。

But　it　must　be　confessed　that；　in　this　particular；

he　was　disappointed。　　Daisy　Miller　was　extremely　animated；

she　was　in　charming　spirits；　but　she　was　apparently　not　at

all　excited；　she　was　not　fluttered；　she　avoided　neither　his　eyes

nor　those　of　anyone　else；　she　blushed　neither　when　she　looked

at　him　nor　when　she　felt　that　people　were　looking　at　her。

People　continued　to　look　at　her　a　great　deal；　and　Winterbourne　took

much　satisfaction　in　his　pretty　companion's　distinguished　air。

He　had　been　a　little　afraid　that　she　would　talk　loud；　laugh　overmuch；

and　even；　perhaps；　desire　to　move　about　the　boat　a　good　deal。

But　he　quite　forgot　his　fears；　he　sat　smiling；　with　his

eyes　upon　her　face；　while；　without　moving　from　her　place；

she　delivered　herself　of　a　great　number　of　original　reflections。

It　was　the　most　charming　garrulity　he　had　ever　heard。

he　had　assented　to　the　idea　that　she　was　〃common〃；　but　was　she　so；

after　all；　or　was　he　simply　getting　used　to　her　commonness？

Her　conversation　was　chiefly　of　what　metaphysicians　term　the

objective　cast；　but　every　now　and　then　it　took　a　subjective　turn。



〃What　on　EARTH　are　you　so　grave　about？〃　she　suddenly　demanded；

fixing　her　agreeable　eyes　upon　Winterbourne's。



〃Am　I　grave？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　had　an　idea　I　was　grinning　from　ear　to　ear。〃



〃You　look　as　if　you　were　taking　me　to　a　funeral。　　If　that's　a　grin；

your　ears　are　very　near　together。〃



〃Should　you　like　me　to　dance　a　hornpipe　on　the　deck？〃



〃Pray　do；　and　I'll　carry　round　your　hat。　　It　will　pay　the　expenses

of　our　journey。〃



〃I　never　was　better　pleased　in　my　life；〃　murmured　Winterbourne。



She　looked　at　him　a　moment　and　then　burst　into　a　little　laugh。

〃I　like　to　make　you　say　those　things！　　You're　a　queer　mixture！〃



In　the　castle；　after　they　had　landed；　the　subjective　element

decidedly　prevailed。　　Daisy　tripped　about　the　vaulted　chambers；

rustled　her　skirts　in　the　corkscrew　staircases；　flirted　back　with

a　pretty　little　cry　and　a　shudder　from　the　edge　of　the　oubliettes；

and　turned　a　singularly　well…shaped　ear　to　everything　that

Winterbourne　told　her　about　the　place。　　But　he　saw　that　she

cared　very　little　for　feudal　antiquities　and　that　the　dusky

traditions　of　Chillon　made　but　a　slight　impression　upon　her。

They　had　the　good　fortune　to　have　been　able　to　walk　about　without

other　companionship　than　that　of　the　custodian；　and　Winterbourne

arranged　with　this　functionary　that　they　should　not　be　hurried

that　they　should　linger　and　pause　wherever　they　chose。　　The　custodian

interpreted　the　bargain　generouslyWinterbourne；　on　his　side；

had　been　generousand　ended　by　leaving　them　quite　to　themselves。

Miss　Miller's　observations　were　not　remarkable　for　logical　consistency；

for　anything　she　wanted　to　say　she　was　sure　to　find　a　pretext。

She　found　a　great　many　pretexts　in　the　rugged　embrasures　of　Chillon

for　asking　Winterbourne　sudden　questions　about　himselfhis　family；

his　previous　history；　his　tastes；　his　habits；　his　intentionsand　for

supplying　information　upon　corresponding　points　in　her　own　personality。

Of　her　own　tastes；　habits；　and　intentions　Miss　Miller　was　prepared

to　give　the　most　definite；　and　indeed　the　most　favorable　account。



〃Well；　I　hope　you　know　enough！〃　she　said　to　her　companion；

after　he　had　told　her　the　history　of　the　unhappy　Bonivard。

〃I　never　saw　a　man　that　knew　so　much！〃　　The　history　of　Bonivard

had　evidently；　as　they　say；　gone　into　one　ear　and　out　of　the　other。

But　Daisy　went　on　to　say　that　she　wished　Winterbourne　would　travel

with　them　and　〃go　round〃　with　them；　they　might　know　something；

in　that　case。　　〃Don't　you　want　to　come　and　teach　Randolph？〃　she　asked。

Winterbourne　said　that　nothing　could　possibly　please　him　so　much；

but　that　he　unfortunately　other　occupations。　　〃Other　occupations？

I　don't　believe　it！〃　said　Miss　Daisy。　　〃What　do　you　mean？

You　are　not　in　business。〃　　The　young　man　admitted　that　he　was　not

in　business；　but　he　had　engagements　which；　even　within　a　day　or　two；

would　force　him　to　go　back　to　Geneva。　　〃Oh；　bother！〃　she　said；

〃I　don't　believe　it！〃　and　she　began　to　talk　about　something　else。

But　a　few　moments　later；　when　he　was　pointing　out　to　her　the　pretty

design　of　an　antique　fireplace；　she　broke　out　irrelevantly；

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　you　are　going　back　to　Geneva？〃



〃It　is　a　melancholy　fact　that　I　shall　have　to　return　to　Geneva　tomorrow。〃



〃Well；　Mr。　Winterbourne；〃　said　Daisy；　〃I　think　you're　horrid！〃



〃Oh；　don't　say　such　dreadful　things！〃　said　Winterbourne〃just

at　the　last！〃



〃The　last！〃　cried　the　young　girl；　〃I　call　it　the　first。　　I　have　half

a　mind　to　leave　you　here　and　go　straight　back　to　the　hotel　al