daisy miller- 第10部分

make　a　point；　in　their　own　phrase；　of　studying　European　society；

and　she　had　on　this　occasion　collected　several　specimens　of　her

diversely　born　fellow　mortals　to　serve；　as　it　were；　as　textbooks。

When　Winterbourne　arrived；　Daisy　Miller　was　not　there；　but　in　a　few

moments　he　saw　her　mother　come　in　alone；　very　shyly　and　ruefully。

Mrs。　Miller's　hair　above　her　exposed…looking　temples　was　more　frizzled

than　ever。　　As　she　approached　Mrs。　Walker；　Winterbourne　also　drew　near。



〃You　see；　I've　come　all　alone；〃　said　poor　Mrs。　Miller。

〃I'm　so　frightened；　I　don't　know　what　to　do。　　It's　the　first　time

I've　ever　been　to　a　party　alone；　especially　in　this　country。

I　wanted　to　bring　Randolph　or　Eugenio；　or　someone；　but　Daisy　just

pushed　me　off　by　myself。　　I　ain't　used　to　going　round　alone。〃



〃And　does　not　your　daughter　intend　to　favor　us　with　her　society？〃

demanded　Mrs。　Walker　impressively。



〃Well；　Daisy's　all　dressed；〃　said　Mrs。　Miller　with　that　accent　of

the　dispassionate；　if　not　of　the　philosophic；　historian　with　which　she

always　recorded　the　current　incidents　of　her　daughter's　career。

〃She　got　dressed　on　purpose　before　dinner。　　But　she's　got　a　friend

of　hers　there；　that　gentlemanthe　Italianthat　she　wanted　to　bring。

They've　got　going　at　the　piano；　it　seems　as　if　they　couldn't　leave　off。

Mr。　Giovanelli　sings　splendidly。　　But　I　guess　they'll　come　before　very　long；〃

concluded　Mrs。　Miller　hopefully。



〃I'm　sorry　she　should　come　in　that　way；〃　said　Mrs。　Walker。



〃Well；　I　told　her　that　there　was　no　use　in　her　getting　dressed　before

dinner　if　she　was　going　to　wait　three　hours；〃　responded　Daisy's　mamma。

〃I　didn't　see　the　use　of　her　putting　on　such　a　dress　as　that　to　sit

round　with　Mr。　Giovanelli。〃



〃This　is　most　horrible！〃　said　Mrs。　Walker；　turning　away　and

addressing　herself　to　Winterbourne。　　〃Elle　s'affiche。　It's

her　revenge　for　my　having　ventured　to　remonstrate　with　her。

When　she　comes；　I　shall　not　speak　to　her。〃



Daisy　came　after　eleven　o'clock；　but　she　was　not；

on　such　an　occasion；　a　young　lady　to　wait　to　be　spoken　to。

She　rustled　forward　in　radiant　loveliness；　smiling　and　chattering；

carrying　a　large　bouquet；　and　attended　by　Mr。　Giovanelli。

Everyone　stopped　talking　and　turned　and　looked　at　her。

She　came　straight　to　Mrs。　Walker。　　〃I'm　afraid　you　thought

I　never　was　coming；　so　I　sent　mother　off　to　tell　you。

I　wanted　to　make　Mr。　Giovanelli　practice　some　things　before　he　came；

you　know　he　sings　beautifully；　and　I　want　you　to　ask　him　to　sing。

This　is　Mr。　Giovanelli；　you　know　I　introduced　him　to　you；

he's　got　the　most　lovely　voice；　and　he　knows　the　most　charming

set　of　songs。　　I　made　him　go　over　them　this　evening　on　purpose；

we　had　the　greatest　time　at　the　hotel。〃　　Of　all　this　Daisy　delivered

herself　with　the　sweetest；　brightest　audibleness；　looking　now

at　her　hostess　and　now　round　the　room；　while　she　gave　a　series

of　little　pats；　round　her　shoulders；　to　the　edges　of　her　dress。

〃Is　there　anyone　I　know？〃　she　asked。



〃I　think　every　one　knows　you！〃　said　Mrs。　Walker　pregnantly；　and　she

gave　a　very　cursory　greeting　to　Mr。　Giovanelli。　　This　gentleman　bore

himself　gallantly。　　He　smiled　and　bowed　and　showed　his　white　teeth；

he　curled　his　mustaches　and　rolled　his　eyes　and　performed　all

the　proper　functions　of　a　handsome　Italian　at　an　evening　party。

He　sang　very　prettily　half　a　dozen　songs；　though　Mrs。　Walker　afterward

declared　that　she　had　been　quite　unable　to　find　out　who　asked　him。

It　was　apparently　not　Daisy　who　had　given　him　his　orders。

Daisy　sat　at　a　distance　from　the　piano；　and　though　she　had　publicly；

as　it　were；　professed　a　high　admiration　for　his　singing；　talked；

not　inaudibly；　while　it　was　going　on。



〃It's　a　pity　these　rooms　are　so　small；　we　can't　dance；〃　she　said

to　Winterbourne；　as　if　she　had　seen　him　five　minutes　before。



〃I　am　not　sorry　we　can't　dance；〃　Winterbourne　answered；

〃I　don't　dance。〃



〃Of　course　you　don't　dance；　you're　too　stiff；〃　said　Miss　Daisy。

〃I　hope　you　enjoyed　your　drive　with　Mrs。　Walker！〃



〃No。　I　didn't　enjoy　it；　I　preferred　walking　with　you。〃



〃We　paired　off：　　that　was　much　better；〃　said　Daisy。

〃But　did　you　ever　hear　anything　so　cool　as　Mrs。　Walker's

wanting　me　to　get　into　her　carriage　and　drop　poor

Mr。　Giovanelli；　and　under　the　pretext　that　it　was　proper？

People　have　different　ideas！　　It　would　have　been　most　unkind；

he　had　been　talking　about　that　walk　for　ten　days。〃



〃He　should　not　have　talked　about　it　at　all；〃　said　Winterbourne；

〃he　would　never　have　proposed　to　a　young　lady　of　this　country

to　walk　about　the　streets　with　him。〃



〃About　the　streets？〃　cried　Daisy　with　her　pretty　stare。

〃Where；　then；　would　he　have　proposed　to　her　to　walk？

The　Pincio　is　not　the　streets；　either；　and　I；　thank　goodness；

am　not　a　young　lady　of　this　country。　　The　young　ladies　of　this

country　have　a　dreadfully　poky　time　of　it；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；

I　don't　see　why　I　should　change　my　habits　for　THEM。〃



〃I　am　afraid　your　habits　are　those　of　a　flirt；〃　said　Winterbourne　gravely。



〃Of　course　they　are；〃　she　cried；　giving　him　her　little　smiling　stare　again。

〃I'm　a　fearful；　frightful　flirt！　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　a　nice　girl　that

was　not？　　But　I　suppose　you　will　tell　me　now　that　I　am　not　a　nice　girl。〃



〃You're　a　very　nice　girl；　but　I　wish　you　would　flirt　with　me；

and　me　only；〃　said　Winterbourne。



〃Ah！　thank　youthank　you　very　much；　you　are　the　last　man　I　should

think　of　flirting　with。　　As　I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　informing　you；

you　are　too　stiff。〃



〃You　say　that　too　often；〃　said　Winterbourne。



Daisy　gave　a　delighted　laugh。　　〃If　I　could　have　the　sweet　hope　of　making

you　angry；　I　should　say　it　again。〃



〃Don't　do　that；　when　I　am　angry　I'm　stiffer　than　ever。

But　if　you　won't　flirt　with　me；　do　cease；　at　least；　to　flirt

with　your　friend　at　the　piano；　they　don't　understand　that　sort

of　thing　here。〃



〃I　thought　they　understood　nothing　else！〃　exclaimed　Daisy。



〃Not　in　young　unmarried　women。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　much　more　proper　in　young　unmarried　women　than　in　old

married　ones；〃　Daisy　declared。



〃Well；〃　said　Winterbourne；　〃when　you　deal　with　natives　you　must　go

by　the　custom　of　the　place。　　Flirting　is　a　purely　American　custom；

it　doesn't　exist　here。　　So　when　you　show　yourself　in　public　with

Mr。　Giovanelli；　and　without　your　mother〃



〃Gracious！　poor　Mother！〃　interposed　Daisy。



〃Though　you　may　be　flirting；　Mr。　Giovanelli　is　not；

he　means　something　else。〃



〃He　isn't　preaching；　at　any　rate；〃　said　Daisy　with　vivacity。

〃And　if　you　want　very　much　to　know；　we　are　neither　of　us　flirting；

we　are　too　good　friends　for　that：　　we　are　very　intimate　friends。〃



〃Ah！〃　rejoined　Winterbourne；　〃if　you　are　in　love　with　each　other；

it　is　another　affair。〃



She　had　allowed　him　up　to　this　point　to　talk　so　frankly　that

he　had　no　expectation　of　shocking　her　by　this　ejaculation；

but　she　immediately　got　up；　blushing　visibly；　and　leaving

him　to　exclaim　mentally　that　little　American　flirts　were

the　queerest　creatures　in　the　world。　　〃Mr。　Giovanelli；

at　least；〃　she　said；　giving　her　interlocutor　a　single　glance；

〃never　says　such　very　disagreeable　things　to　me。〃



Winterbourne　was　bewildered；　he　stood；　staring。　　Mr。　Giovanelli

had　finished　singing。　　He　left　the　piano　and　came　over　to　Daisy。

〃Won't　you　come　into　the　other　room　and　have　some　tea？〃　he　asked；

bending　before　her　with　his　ornamental　smile。



Daisy　turned　to　Winterbourne；　beginning　to　smile　again。　　He　was　still

more　perplexed；　for　this　inconsequent　smile　made　nothing　clear；

though　it　seemed　to　prove；　indeed；　that　she　had　a　sweetness　and

softness　that　reverted　instinctively　to　the　pardon　of　offenses。

〃It　has　never　occurred　to　Mr。　Winterbourne　to　offer　me　any　tea；〃

she　said　with　her　little　tormenting　manner。



〃I　have　offered　you　advice；〃　Winterbourne　rejoined。



〃I　prefer　weak　tea！〃　cried　Daisy；　and　she　went　off　with　the

brilliant　Giovanelli。　　She　sat　with　him　in　the　adjoining　room；

in　the　embrasure　of　the　window；　for　the　rest　of　the　evening。

There　was　an　interesting　performance　at　the　piano；　but　neither

of　these　young　people　gave　heed　to　it。　　When　Daisy　came　to　take

leave　of　Mrs。　Walker；　this　lady　conscientiously　repaired

the　weakness　of　which　she　had　been　guilty　at　the　moment　of

the　young　girl's　arrival。　　She　turned　her　back　straight　upon

Miss　Miller　and　left　her　to　depart　with　what　grace　she　might。

Winterbourne　was　standing　near　the　door；　he　saw　it　all。

Daisy　turned　very　pale　and　looked　at　her　mother；　but　Mrs。　Miller

was　humbly　unconscious　of　any　violation　of　the　usual　social　forms。

She　appeared；　indeed；　to　have　felt　an　incongruous　impulse

to　draw　attention　to　her　own　striking　observance　of　them。

〃Good　night；　Mrs。　Walker；〃　she　said；　〃we've　had　a　beautiful　evening。

You　see；　if　I　let　Daisy　come　to　parties　without　me；

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