daisy miller-第13节

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〃And　what　does　Daisy　say？〃



〃Oh；　she　says　she　isn't　engaged。　　But　she　might　as　well　be！〃

this　impartial　parent　resumed；　〃she　goes　on　as　if　she　was。

But　I've　made　Mr。　Giovanelli　promise　to　tell　me；　if　SHE　doesn't。

I　should　want　to　write　to　Mr。　Miller　about　itshouldn't　you？〃



Winterbourne　replied　that　he　certainly　should；　and　the　state　of　mind

of　Daisy's　mamma　struck　him　as　so　unprecedented　in　the　annals　of　parental

vigilance　that　he　gave　up　as　utterly　irrelevant　the　attempt　to　place

her　upon　her　guard。



After　this　Daisy　was　never　at　home；　and　Winterbourne　ceased　to　meet　her

at　the　houses　of　their　common　acquaintances；　because；　as　he　perceived；

these　shrewd　people　had　quite　made　up　their　minds　that　she　was　going　too　far。

They　ceased　to　invite　her；　and　they　intimated　that　they　desired　to

express　to　observant　Europeans　the　great　truth　that；　though　Miss　Daisy

Miller　was　a　young　American　lady；　her　behavior　was　not　representative

was　regarded　by　her　compatriots　as　abnormal。　　Winterbourne　wondered

how　she　felt　about　all　the　cold　shoulders　that　were　turned　toward　her；

and　sometimes　it　annoyed　him　to　suspect　that　she　did　not　feel　at　all。

He　said　to　himself　that　she　was　too　light　and　childish；　too　uncultivated

and　unreasoning；　too　provincial；　to　have　reflected　upon　her　ostracism；

or　even　to　have　perceived　it。　　Then　at　other　moments　he　believed　that　she

carried　about　in　her　elegant　and　irresponsible　little　organism　a　defiant；

passionate；　perfectly　observant　consciousness　of　the　impression　she　produced。

He　asked　himself　whether　Daisy's　defiance　came　from　the　consciousness

of　innocence；　or　from　her　being；　essentially；　a　young　person　of　the

reckless　class。　　It　must　be　admitted　that　holding　one's　self　to　a　belief

in　Daisy's　〃innocence〃　came　to　seem　to　Winterbourne　more　and　more　a　matter

of　fine…spun　gallantry。　　As　I　have　already　had　occasion　to　relate；　he　was

angry　at　finding　himself　reduced　to　chopping　logic　about　this　young　lady；

he　was　vexed　at　his　want　of　instinctive　certitude　as　to　how　far　her

eccentricities　were　generic；　national；　and　how　far　they　were　personal。

From　either　view　of　them　he　had　somehow　missed　her；　and　now　it　was　too　late。

She　was　〃carried　away〃　by　Mr。　Giovanelli。



A　few　days　after　his　brief　interview　with　her　mother；　he　encountered

her　in　that　beautiful　abode　of　flowering　desolation　known　as　the

Palace　of　the　Caesars。　　The　early　Roman　spring　had　filled　the　air

with　bloom　and　perfume；　and　the　rugged　surface　of　the　Palatine

was　muffled　with　tender　verdure。　　Daisy　was　strolling　along

the　top　of　one　of　those　great　mounds　of　ruin　that　are　embanked

with　mossy　marble　and　paved　with　monumental　inscriptions。

It　seemed　to　him　that　Rome　had　never　been　so　lovely　as　just　then。

He　stood；　looking　off　at　the　enchanting　harmony　of　line　and　color

that　remotely　encircles　the　city；　inhaling　the　softly　humid　odors；

and　feeling　the　freshness　of　the　year　and　the　antiquity

of　the　place　reaffirm　themselves　in　mysterious　interfusion。

It　seemed　to　him　also　that　Daisy　had　never　looked　so　pretty；

but　this　had　been　an　observation　of　his　whenever　he　met　her。

Giovanelli　was　at　her　side；　and　Giovanelli；　too；　wore　an　aspect

of　even　unwonted　brilliancy。



〃Well；〃　said　Daisy；　〃I　should　think　you　would　be　lonesome！〃



〃Lonesome？〃　asked　Winterbourne。



〃You　are　always　going　round　by　yourself。　　Can't　you　get　anyone

to　walk　with　you？〃



〃I　am　not　so　fortunate；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃as　your　companion。〃



Giovanelli；　from　the　first；　had　treated　Winterbourne　with

distinguished　politeness。　　He　listened　with　a　deferential　air

to　his　remarks；　he　laughed　punctiliously　at　his　pleasantries；

he　seemed　disposed　to　testify　to　his　belief　that　Winterbourne

was　a　superior　young　man。　　He　carried　himself　in　no　degree

like　a　jealous　wooer；　he　had　obviously　a　great　deal　of　tact；

he　had　no　objection　to　your　expecting　a　little　humility　of　him。

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；