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第7章

daisy miller-第7章

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〃Only it was turned the wrong way。〃



〃Well; we've got to turn the right way some time;〃

said Mrs。 Miller with a little laugh。  Winterbourne expressed

the hope that her daughter at least found some gratification

in Rome; and she declared that Daisy was quite carried away。

〃It's on account of the societythe society's splendid。

She goes round everywhere; she has made a great number

of acquaintances。  Of course she goes round more than I do。

I must say they have been very sociable; they have taken

her right in。  And then she knows a great many gentlemen。

Oh; she thinks there's nothing like Rome。  Of course;

it's a great deal pleasanter for a young lady if she knows

plenty of gentlemen。〃



By this time Daisy had turned her attention again to Winterbourne。

〃I've been telling Mrs。 Walker how mean you were!〃 the young girl announced。



〃And what is the evidence you have offered?〃 asked Winterbourne;

rather annoyed at Miss Miller's want of appreciation of the zeal of

an admirer who on his way down to Rome had stopped neither at Bologna

nor at Florence; simply because of a certain sentimental impatience。

He remembered that a cynical compatriot had once told him that

American womenthe pretty ones; and this gave a largeness to the axiom

were at once the most exacting in the world and the least endowed

with a sense of indebtedness。



〃Why; you were awfully mean at Vevey;〃 said Daisy。

〃You wouldn't do anything。  You wouldn't stay there when

I asked you。〃



〃My dearest young lady;〃 cried Winterbourne; with eloquence;

〃have I come all the way to Rome to encounter your reproaches?〃



〃Just hear him say that!〃 said Daisy to her hostess; giving a twist to a bow

on this lady's dress。  〃Did you ever hear anything so quaint?〃



〃So quaint; my dear?〃 murmured Mrs。 Walker in the tone of a

partisan of Winterbourne。



〃Well; I don't know;〃 said Daisy; fingering Mrs。 Walker's ribbons。

〃Mrs。 Walker; I want to tell you something。〃



〃Mother…r;〃 interposed Randolph; with his rough ends to his words;

〃I tell you you've got to go。  Eugenio'll raisesomething!〃



〃I'm not afraid of Eugenio;〃 said Daisy with a toss of her head。

〃Look here; Mrs。 Walker;〃 she went on; 〃you know I'm coming

to your party。〃



〃I am delighted to hear it。〃



〃I've got a lovely dress!〃



〃I am very sure of that。〃



〃But I want to ask a favorpermission to bring a friend。〃



〃I shall be happy to see any of your friends;〃 said Mrs。 Walker;

turning with a smile to Mrs。 Miller。



〃Oh; they are not my friends;〃 answered Daisy's mamma;

smiling shyly in her own fashion。  〃I never spoke to them。〃



〃It's an intimate friend of mineMr。 Giovanelli;〃 said Daisy without a tremor

in her clear little voice or a shadow on her brilliant little face。



Mrs。 Walker was silent a moment; she gave a rapid glance at Winterbourne。

〃I shall be glad to see Mr。 Giovanelli;〃 she then said。



〃He's an Italian;〃 Daisy pursued with the prettiest serenity。

〃He's a great friend of mine; he's the handsomest man in the world

except Mr。 Winterbourne!  He knows plenty of Italians; but he wants

to know some Americans。  He thinks ever so much of Americans。

He's tremendously clever。  He's perfectly lovely!〃



It was settled that this brilliant personage should be brought to

Mrs。 Walker's party; and then Mrs。 Miller prepared to take her leave。

〃I guess we'll go back to the hotel;〃 she said。



〃You may go back to the hotel; Mother; but I'm going to take

a walk;〃 said Daisy。



〃She's going to walk with Mr。 Giovanelli;〃 Randolph proclaimed。



〃I am going to the Pincio;〃 said Daisy; smiling。



〃Alone; my dearat this hour?〃  Mrs。 Walker asked。

The afternoon was drawing to a closeit was the hour for

the throng of carriages and of contemplative pedestrians。

〃I don't think it's safe; my dear;〃 said Mrs。 Walker。



〃Neither do I;〃 subjoined Mrs。 Miller。  〃You'll get the fever;

as sure as you live。  Remember what Dr。 Davis told you!〃



〃Give her some medicine before she goes;〃 said Randolph。



The company had risen to its feet; Daisy; still showing her pretty teeth;

bent over and kissed her hostess。  〃Mrs。 Walker; you are too perfect;〃

she said。  〃I'm not going alone; I am going to meet a friend。〃



〃Your friend won't keep you from getting the fever;〃

Mrs。 Miller observed。



〃Is it Mr。 Giovanelli?〃 asked the hostess。



Winterbourne was watching the young girl; at this question his

attention quickened。  She stood there; smiling and smoothing

her bonnet ribbons; she glanced at Winterbourne。  Then; while she

glanced and smiled; she answered; without a shade of hesitation;

〃Mr。 Giovanellithe beautiful Giovanelli。〃



〃My dear young friend;〃 said Mrs。 Walker; taking her hand pleadingly;

〃don't walk off to the Pincio at this hour to meet a beautiful Italian。〃



〃Well; he speaks English;〃 said Mrs。 Miller。



〃Gracious me!〃  Daisy exclaimed; 〃I don't to do anything improper。

There's an easy way to settle it。〃  She continued to glance at Winterbourne。

〃The Pincio is only a hundred yards distant; and if Mr。 Winterbourne

were as polite as he pretends; he would offer to walk with me!〃



Winterbourne's politeness hastened to affirm itself;

and the young girl gave him gracious leave to accompany her。

They passed downstairs before her mother; and at the door Winterbourne

perceived Mrs。 Miller's carriage drawn up; with the ornamental

courier whose acquaintance he had made at Vevey seated within。

〃Goodbye; Eugenio!〃 cried Daisy; 〃I'm going to take a walk。〃

The distance from the Via Gregoriana to the beautiful

garden at the other end of the Pincian Hill is; in fact;

rapidly traversed。  As the day was splendid; however; and the

concourse of vehicles; walkers; and loungers numerous;

the young Americans found their progress much delayed。

This fact was highly agreeable to Winterbourne; in spite of his

consciousness of his singular situation。  The slow…moving; idly

gazing Roman crowd bestowed much attention upon the extremely

pretty young foreign lady who was passing through it upon his arm;

and he wondered what on earth had been in Daisy's mind when she

proposed to expose herself; unattended; to its appreciation。

His own mission; to her sense; apparently; was to consign

her to the hands of Mr。 Giovanelli; but Winterbourne; at once

annoyed and gratified; resolved that he would do no such thing。



〃Why haven't you been to see me?〃 asked Daisy。  〃You can't

get out of that。〃



〃I have had the honor of telling you that I have only just stepped

out of the train。〃



〃You must have stayed in the train a good while after it stopped!〃

cried the young girl with her little laugh。  〃I suppose you were asleep。

You have had time to go to see Mrs。 Walker。〃



〃I knew Mrs。 Walker〃 Winterbourne began to explain。



〃I know where you knew her。  You knew her at Geneva。

She told me so。  Well; you knew me at Vevey。  That's just as good。

So you ought to have come。〃  She asked him no other question

than this; she began to prattle about her own affairs。

〃We've got splendid rooms at the hotel; Eugenio says they're

the best rooms in Rome。  We are going to stay all winter;

if we don't die of the fever; and I guess we'll stay then。

It's a great deal nicer than I thought; I thought it would

be fearfully quiet; I was sure it would be awfully poky。

I was sure we should be going round all the time with one of those

dreadful old men that explain about the pictures and things。

But we only had about a week of that; and now I'm enjoying myself。

I know ever so many people; and they are all so charming。

The society's extremely select。  There are all kindsEnglish;

and Germans; and Italians。  I think I like the English best。

I like their style of conversation。  But there are some

lovely Americans。  I never saw anything so hospitable。

There's something or other every day。  There's not much dancing;

but I must say I never thought dancing was everything。

I was always fond of conversation。  I guess I shall

have plenty at Mrs。 Walker's; her rooms are so small。〃

When they had passed the gate of the Pincian Gardens;

Miss Miller began to wonder where Mr。 Giovanelli might be。

〃We had better go straight to that place in front;〃 she said;

〃where you look at the view。〃



〃I certainly shall not help you to find him;〃 Winterbourne declared。



〃Then I shall find him without you;〃 cried Miss Daisy。



〃You certainly won't leave me!〃 cried Winterbourne。



She burst into her little laugh。  〃Are you afraid you'll get lost

or run over?  But there's Giovanelli; leaning against that tree。

He's staring at the women in the carriages:  did you ever see

anything so cool?〃



Winterbourne perceived at some distance a little man standing with

folded arms nursing his cane。  He had a handsome face; an artfully

poised hat; a glass in one eye; and a nosegay in his buttonhole。

Winterbourne looked at him a moment and then said; 〃Do you mean

to speak to that man?〃



〃Do I mean to speak to him?  Why; you don't suppose I mean

to communicate by signs?〃



〃Pray understand; then;〃 said Winterbourne; 〃that I intend

to remain with you。〃



Daisy stopped and looked at him; without a sign of troubled

consciousness in her face; with nothing but the presence of her

charming eyes and her happy dimples。  〃Well; she's a cool one!〃

thought the young man。



〃I don't like the way you say that;〃 said Daisy。

〃It's too imperious。〃



〃I beg your pardon if I say it wrong。  The main point is to give

you an idea of my meaning。〃



The young girl looked at him more gravely; but with eyes that were

prettier than ever。  〃I have never allowed a gentleman to dictate to me;

or to interfere with anything I do。〃



〃I think you have made a mistake;〃 said Winterbourne。

〃You should sometimes listen to a gentlemanthe right one。〃



Daisy began to laugh again。  〃I do nothing but listen to gentlemen!〃

she exclaimed。  〃Tell me if Mr。 Giovanelli is the right one?〃



The gentleman with the nosegay in his bosom had now perceived our two friends;

and was approaching the young girl with obsequious rapidity。  He bowed to

Winterbourne as well as to the latter's companion; he had a brilliant smile;

an intelligent eye; Winterbourne thought him not a bad…looking fellow。

But he nevertheless said to Daisy; 〃No; he's not the right one。〃



Daisy evidently had a natural talent for performing introductions;

she mentioned the name of each of her companions to the other。

She strolled alone with one of them on each side of her; Mr。 Giovanelli;

who spoke English very cleverlyWinterbourne afterward learned

that he had practiced the idiom upon a great many American heiresses

addressed her a great deal of very polite nonsense; he was extremely

urbane; and the young American; who said nothing; reflected upon

that profundity of Italian cleverness which enables people to app

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