daisy miller-第8章

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a　mind　to　leave　you　here　and　go　straight　back　to　the　hotel　alone。〃

And　for　the　next　ten　minutes　she　did　nothing　but　call　him　horrid。

Poor　Winterbourne　was　fairly　bewildered；　no　young　lady　had　as　yet　done

him　the　honor　to　be　so　agitated　by　the　announcement　of　his　movements。

His　companion；　after　this；　ceased　to　pay　any　attention　to　the

curiosities　of　Chillon　or　the　beauties　of　the　lake；　she　opened　fire

upon　the　mysterious　charmer　in　Geneva　whom　she　appeared　to　have

instantly　taken　it　for　granted　that　he　was　hurrying　back　to　see。

How　did　Miss　Daisy　Miller　know　that　there　was　a　charmer　in　Geneva？

Winterbourne；　who　denied　the　existence　of　such　a　person；

was　quite　unable　to　discover；　and　he　was　divided　between　amazement

at　the　rapidity　of　her　induction　and　amusement　at　the　frankness

of　her　persiflage。　　She　seemed　to　him；　in　all　this；

an　extraordinary　mixture　of　innocence　and　crudity。　　〃Does　she　never

allow　you　more　than　three　days　at　a　time？〃　asked　Daisy　ironically。

〃Doesn't　she　give　you　a　vacation　in　summer？　　There's　no　one　so　hard

worked　but　they　can　get　leave　to　go　off　somewhere　at　this　season。

I　suppose；　if　you　stay　another　day；　she'll　come　after　you　in　the　boat。

Do　wait　over　till　Friday；　and　I　will　go　down　to　the　landing　to　see

her　arrive！〃　　Winterbourne　began　to　think　he　had　been　wrong　to　feel

disappointed　in　the　temper　in　which　the　young　lady　had　embarked。

If　he　had　missed　the　personal　accent；　the　personal　accent　was

now　making　its　appearance。　　It　sounded　very　distinctly；　at　last；

in　her　telling　him　she　would　stop　〃teasing〃　him　if　he　would　promise

her　solemnly　to　come　down　to　Rome　in　the　winter。



〃That's　not　a　difficult　promise　to　make；〃　said　Winterbourne。

〃My　aunt　has　taken　an　apartment　in　Rome　for　the　winter　and　has

already　asked　me　to　come　and　see　her。〃



〃I　don't　want　you　to　come　for　your　aunt；〃　said　Daisy；　〃I　want　you

to　come　for　me。〃　　And　this　was　the　only　allusion　that　the　young

man　was　ever　to　hear　her　make　to　his　invidious　kinswoman。

He　declared　that；　at　any　rate；　he　would　certainly　come。

After　this　Daisy　stopped　teasing。　　Winterbourne　took　a　carriage；

and　they　drove　back　to　Vevey　in　the　dusk；　the　young　girl

was　very　quiet。



In　the　evening　Winterbourne　mentioned　to　Mrs。　Costello　that　he　had　spent

the　afternoon　at　Chillon　with　Miss　Daisy　Miller。



〃The　Americansof　the　courier？〃　asked　this　lady。



〃Ah；　happily；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃the　courier　stayed　at　home。〃



〃She　went　with　you　all　alone？〃



〃All　alone。〃



Mrs。　Costello　sniffed　a　little　at　her　smelling　bottle。

〃And　that；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃is　the　young　person　whom　you　wanted

me　to　know！〃











PART　II





Winterbourne；　who　had　returned　to　Geneva　the　day　after　his

excursion　to　Chillon；　went　to　Rome　toward　the　end　of　January。

His　aunt　had　been　established　there　for　several　weeks；

and　he　had　received　a　couple　of　letters　from　her。

〃Those　people　you　were　so　devoted　to　last　summer　at　Vevey

have　turned　up　here；　courier　and　all；〃　she　wrote。

〃They　seem　to　have　made　several　acquaintances；　but　the　courier

continues　to　be　the　most　intime。　　The　young　lady；　however；

is　also　very　intimate　with　some　third…rate　Italians；

with　whom　she　rackets　about　in　a　way　that　makes　much　talk。

Bring　me　that　pretty　novel　of　Cherbuliez'sPaule　Mere

and　don't　come　later　than　the　23rd。〃



In　the　natural　course　of　events；　Winterbourne；　on　arriving　in　Rome；

would　presently　have　ascertained　Mrs。　Miller's　address　at　the　American

banker's　and　have　gone　to　pay　his　compliments　to　Miss　Daisy。

〃After　what　happened　at　Vevey；　I　think　I　may　certainly　call　upon　them；〃

he　said　to　Mrs。　Costello。



〃If；　after　what　happensat　Vevey　and　everywhereyou　desire　to　keep　up

the　acquaintance；　you　are　very　welcome。　　Of　course　a　man　may　know　everyone。

Men　are　welcome　to　the　privilege！〃



〃Pray　what　is　it　that　happenshere；　for　instance？〃　　Winterbourne　demanded。



〃The　girl　goes　about　alone　with　her　foreigners。　　As　to　what

happens　further；　you　must　apply　elsewhere　for　information。

She　has　picked　up　half　a　dozen　of　the　regular　Roman

fortune　hunters；　and　she　takes　them　about　to　people's　houses。

When　she　comes　to　a　party　she　brings　with　her　a　gentleman

with　a　good　deal　of　manner　and　a　wonderful　mustache。〃



〃And　where　is　the　mother？〃



〃I　haven't　the　least　idea。　　They　are　very　dreadful　people。〃



Winterbourne　meditated　a　moment。　　〃They　are　very　ignorant

very　innocent　only。　　Depend　upon　it　they　are　not　bad。〃



〃They　are　hopelessly　vulgar；〃　said　Mrs。　Costello。　　〃Whether　or　no　being

hopelessly　vulgar　is　being　'bad'　is　a　question　for　the　metaphysicians。

They　are　bad　enough　to　dislike；　at　any　rate；　and　for　this　short　life

that　is　quite　enough。〃



The　news　that　Daisy　Miller　was　surrounded　by　half　a　dozen　wonderful

mustaches　checked　Winterbourne's　impulse　to　go　straightway　to　see　her。

He　had；　perhaps；　not　definitely　flattered　himself　that　he　had　made

an　ineffaceable　impression　upon　her　heart；　but　he　was　annoyed　at　hearing

of　a　state　of　affairs　so　little　in　harmony　with　an　image　that　had　lately

flitted　in　and　out　of　his　own　meditations；　the　image　of　a　very　pretty

girl　looking　out　of　an　old　Roman　window　and　asking　herself　urgently

when　Mr。　Winterbourne　would　arrive。　　If；　however；　he　determined　to　wait

a　little　before　reminding　Miss　Miller　of　his　claims　to　her　consideration；

he　went　very　soon　to　call　upon　two　or　three　other　friends。

One　of　these　friends　was　an　American　lady　who　had　spent　several

winters　at　Geneva；　where　she　had　placed　her　children　at　school。

She　was　a　very　accomplished　woman；　and　she　lived　in　the　Via　Gregoriana。

Winterbourne　found　her　in　a　little　crimson　drawing　room　on　a　third　floor；

the　room　was　filled　with　southern　sunshine。　　He　had　not　been　there　ten　minutes

when　the　servant　came　in；　announcing　〃Madame　Mila！〃　　This　announcement

was　presently　followed　by　the　entrance　of　little　Randolph　Miller；

who　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　stood　staring　at　Winterbourne。

An　instant　later　his　pretty　sister　crossed　the　threshold；　and　then；

after　a　considerable　interval；　Mrs。　Miller　slowly　advanced。



〃I　know　you！〃　said　Randolph。



〃I'm　sure　you　know　a　great　many　things；〃　exclaimed　Winterbourne；

taking　him　by　the　hand。　　〃How　is　your　education　coming　on？〃



Daisy　was　exchanging　greetings　very　prettily　with　her　hostess；

but　when　she　heard　Winterbourne's　voice　she　quickly　turned　her　head。

〃Well；　I　declare！〃　she　said。



〃I　told　you　I　should　come；　you　know；〃　Winterbourne　rejoined；　smiling。



〃Well；　I　didn't　believe　it；〃　said　Miss　Daisy。



〃I　am　much　obliged　to　you；〃　laughed　the　young　man。



〃You　might　have　come　to　see　me！〃　said　Daisy。



〃I　arrived　only　yesterday。〃



〃I　don't　believe　tte　that！〃　the　young　girl　declared。



Winterbourne　turned　with　a　protesting　smile　to　her　mother；　but　this

lady　evaded　his　glance；　and；　seating　herself；　fixed　her　eyes　upon

her　son。　　〃We've　got　a　bigger　place　than　this；〃　said　Randolph。

〃It's　all　gold　on　the　walls。〃



Mrs。　Miller　turned　uneasily　in　her　chair。　　〃I　told　you　if　I　were　to　bring　you；

you　would　say　something！〃　she　murmured。



〃I　told　YOU！〃　Randolph　exclaimed。　　〃I　tell　YOU；　sir！〃

he　added　jocosely；　giving　Winterbourne　a　thump　on　the　knee。

〃It　IS　bigger；　too！〃



Daisy　had　entered　upon　a　lively　conversation　with　her　hostess；

Winterbourne　judged　it　becoming　to　address　a　few　words　to　her　mother。

〃I　hope　you　have　been　well　since　we　parted　at　Vevey；〃　he　said。



Mrs。　Miller　now　certainly　looked　at　himat　his　chin。

〃Not　very　well；　sir；〃　she　answered。



〃She's　got　the　dyspepsia；〃　said　Randolph。　　〃I've　got　it　too。

Father's　got　it。　　I've　got　it　most！〃



This　announcement；　instead　of　embarrassing　Mrs。　Miller；

seemed　to　relieve　her。　　〃I　suffer　from　the　liver；〃　she　said。

〃I　think　it's　this　climate；　it's　less　bracing　than　Schenectady；

especially　in　the　winter　season。　　I　don't　know　whether　you　know

we　reside　at　Schenectady。　　I　was　saying　to　Daisy　that　I