daisy miller-第12节

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I　don't　want　her　to　go　away　without　me。〃　　Daisy　turned　away；

looking　with　a　pale；　grave　face　at　the　circle　near　the　door；

Winterbourne　saw　that；　for　the　first　moment；　she　was

too　much　shocked　and　puzzled　even　for　indignation。

He　on　his　side　was　greatly　touched。



〃That　was　very　cruel；〃　he　said　to　Mrs。　Walker。



〃She　never　enters　my　drawing　room　again！〃　replied　his　hostess。



Since　Winterbourne　was　not　to　meet　her　in　Mrs。　Walker's　drawing　room；

he　went　as　often　as　possible　to　Mrs。　Miller's　hotel。　　The　ladies

were　rarely　at　home；　but　when　he　found　them；　the　devoted　Giovanelli

was　always　present。　　Very　often　the　brilliant　little　Roman　was　in　the

drawing　room　with　Daisy　alone；　Mrs。　Miller　being　apparently　constantly

of　the　opinion　that　discretion　is　the　better　part　of　surveillance。

Winterbourne　noted；　at　first　with　surprise；　that　Daisy　on　these

occasions　was　never　embarrassed　or　annoyed　by　his　own　entrance；

but　he　very　presently　began　to　feel　that　she　had　no　more　surprises　for　him；

the　unexpected　in　her　behavior　was　the　only　thing　to　expect。　　She　showed

no　displeasure　at　her　tete…a…tete　with　Giovanelli　being　interrupted；

she　could　chatter　as　freshly　and　freely　with　two　gentlemen　as　with　one；

there　was　always；　in　her　conversation；　the　same　odd　mixture　of　audacity

and　puerility。　　Winterbourne　remarked　to　himself　that　if　she　was

seriously　interested　in　Giovanelli；　it　was　very　singular　that　she　should

not　take　more　trouble　to　preserve　the　sanctity　of　their　interviews；

and　he　liked　her　the　more　for　her　innocent…looking　indifference

and　her　apparently　inexhaustible　good　humor。　　He　could　hardly　have

said　why；　but　she　seemed　to　him　a　girl　who　would　never　be　jealous。

At　the　risk　of　exciting　a　somewhat　derisive　smile　on　the　reader's　part；

I　may　affirm　that　with　regard　to　the　women　who　had　hitherto　interested　him；

it　very　often　seemed　to　Winterbourne　among　the　possibilities　that；　given

certain　contingencies；　he　should　be　afraidliterally　afraidof　these　ladies；

he　had　a　pleasant　sense　that　he　should　never　be　afraid　of　Daisy　Miller。

It　must　be　added　that　this　sentiment　was　not　altogether　flattering　to　Daisy；

it　was　part　of　his　conviction；　or　rather　of　his　apprehension；　that　she

would　prove　a　very　light　young　person。



But　she　was　evidently　very　much　interested　in　Giovanelli。

She　looked　at　him　whenever　he　spoke；　she　was　perpetually　telling　him

to　do　this　and　to　do　that；　she　was　constantly　〃chaffing〃　and　abusing　him。

She　appeared　completely　to　have　forgotten　that　Winterbourne　had　said　anything

to　displease　her　at　Mrs。　Walker's　little　party。　　One　Sunday　afternoon；

having　gone　to　St。　Peter's　with　his　aunt；　Winterbourne　perceived　Daisy

strolling　about　the　great　church　in　company　with　the　inevitable　Giovanelli。

Presently　he　pointed　out　the　young　girl　and　her　cavalier　to　Mrs。　Costello。

This　lady　looked　at　them　a　moment　through　her　eyeglass；　and　then　she　said：



〃That's　what　makes　you　so　pensive　in　these　days；　eh？〃



〃I　had　not　the　least　idea　I　was　pensive；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃You　are　very　much　preoccupied；　you　are　thinking　of　something。〃



〃And　what　is　it；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　accuse　me　of　thinking　of？〃



〃Of　that　young　lady'sMiss　Baker's；　Miss　Chandler'swhat's　her　name？

Miss　Miller's　intrigue　with　that　little　barber's　block。〃



〃Do　you　call　it　an　intrigue；〃　Winterbourne　asked〃an　affair　that　goes

on　with　such　peculiar　publicity？〃



〃That's　their　folly；〃　said　Mrs。　Costello；　〃it's　not　their　merit。〃



〃No；〃　rejoined　Winterbourne；　with　something　of　that　pensiveness

to　which　his　aunt　had　alluded。　　〃I　don't　believe　that　there

is　anything　to　be　called　an　intrigue。〃



〃I　have　heard　a　dozen　people　speak　of　it；　they　say　she　is　quite　carried

away　by　him。〃



〃They　are　certainly　very　intimate；〃　said　Winterbourne。



Mrs。　Costello　inspected　the　young　couple　again　with　her　optical　instrument。

〃He　is　very　handsome。　　One　easily　sees　how　it　is。　　She　thinks

him　the　most　elegant　man　in　the　world；　the　finest　gentleman。

She　has　never　seen　anything　like　him；　he　is　better；　even；　than　the　courier。

It　was　the　courier　probably　who　introduced　him；　and　if　he　succeeds　in　marrying

the　young　lady；　the　courier　will　come　in　for　a　magnificent　commission。〃



〃I　don't　believe　she　thinks　of　marrying　him；〃　said　Winterbourne；

〃and　I　don't　believe　he　hopes　to　marry　her。〃



〃You　may　be　very　sure　she　thinks　of　nothing。　　She　goes　on　from

day　to　day；　from　hour　to　hour；　as　they　did　in　the　Golden　Age。

I　can　imagine　nothing　more　vulgar。　　And　at　the　same　time；〃

added　Mrs。　Costello；　〃depend　upon　it　that　she　may　tell　you

any　moment　that　she　is　'engaged。'〃



〃I　think　that　is　more　than　Giovanelli　expects；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Who　is　Giovanelli？〃



〃The　little　Italian。　　I　have　asked　questions　about　him　and

learned　something。　　He　is　apparently　a　perfectly　respectable

little　man。　　I　believe　he　is；　in　a　small　way；　a　cavaliere

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；　sh