daisy miller- 第13部分

as　possible　and　take　one！〃



〃What　you　say　is　very　wise；〃　Giovanelli　rejoined。

〃I　will　go　and　make　sure　the　carriage　is　at　hand。〃

And　he　went　forward　rapidly。



Daisy　followed　with　Winterbourne。　　He　kept　looking　at　her；

she　seemed　not　in　the　least　embarrassed。　　Winterbourne　said　nothing；

Daisy　chattered　about　the　beauty　of　the　place。　　〃Well；　I

HAVE　seen　the　Colosseum　by　moonlight！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃That's　one　good　thing。〃　　Then；　noticing　Winterbourne's　silence；

she　asked　him　why　he　didn't　speak。　　He　made　no　answer；

he　only　began　to　laugh。　　They　passed　under　one　of　the

dark　archways；　Giovanelli　was　in　front　with　the　carriage。

Here　Daisy　stopped　a　moment；　looking　at　the　young　American。

〃DID　you　believe　I　was　engaged；　the　other　day？〃　she　asked。



〃It　doesn't　matter　what　I　believed　the　other　day；〃

said　Winterbourne；　still　laughing。



〃Well；　what　do　you　believe　now？〃



〃I　believe　that　it　makes　very　little　difference　whether　you

are　engaged　or　not！〃



He　felt　the　young　girl's　pretty　eyes　fixed　upon　him　through

the　thick　gloom　of　the　archway；　she　was　apparently　going　to　answer。

But　Giovanelli　hurried　her　forward。　　〃Quick！　quick！〃　he　said；

〃if　we　get　in　by　midnight　we　are　quite　safe。〃



Daisy　took　her　seat　in　the　carriage；　and　the　fortunate　Italian

placed　himself　beside　her。　　〃Don't　forget　Eugenio's　pills！〃

said　Winterbourne　as　he　lifted　his　hat。



〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Daisy　in　a　little　strange　tone；　〃whether　I　have　Roman

fever　or　not！〃　　Upon　this　the　cab　driver　cracked　his　whip；　and　they　rolled

away　over　the　desultory　patches　of　the　antique　pavement。



Winterbourne；　to　do　him　justice；　as　it　were；　mentioned　to　no　one

that　he　had　encountered　Miss　Miller；　at　midnight；　in　the　Colosseum

with　a　gentleman；　but　nevertheless；　a　couple　of　days　later；　the　fact

of　her　having　been　there　under　these　circumstances　was　known　to　every

member　of　the　little　American　circle；　and　commented　accordingly。

Winterbourne　reflected　that　they　had　of　course　known　it

at　the　hotel；　and　that；　after　Daisy's　return；　there　had　been

an　exchange　of　remarks　between　the　porter　and　the　cab　driver。

But　the　young　man　was　conscious；　at　the　same　moment；　that　it　had

ceased　to　be　a　matter　of　serious　regret　to　him　that　the　little

American　flirt　should　be　〃talked　about〃　by　low…minded　menials。

These　people；　a　day　or　two　later；　had　serious　information　to　give：

the　little　American　flirt　was　alarmingly　ill。　　Winterbourne；　when　the

rumor　came　to　him；　immediately　went　to　the　hotel　for　more　news。

He　found　that　two　or　three　charitable　friends　had　preceded　him；

and　that　they　were　being　entertained　in　Mrs。　Miller's　salon　by　Randolph。



〃It's　going　round　at　night；〃　said　Randolph〃that's

what　made　her　sick。　　She's　always　going　round　at　night。

I　shouldn't　think　she'd　want　to；　it's　so　plaguy　dark。

You　can't　see　anything　here　at　night；　except　when　there's　a　moon。

In　America　there's　always　a　moon！〃　　Mrs。　Miller　was　invisible；

she　was　now；　at　least；　giving　her　aughter　the　advantage　of

her　society。　　It　was　evident　that　Daisy　was　dangerously　ill。



Winterbourne　went　often　to　ask　for　news　of　her；　and　once　he　saw　Mrs。　Miller；

who；　though　deeply　alarmed；　was；　rather　to　his　surprise；　perfectly　composed；

and；　as　it　appeared；　a　most　efficient　and　judicious　nurse。　　She　talked

a　good　deal　about　Dr。　Davis；　but　Winterbourne　paid　her　the　compliment

of　saying　to　himself　that　she　was　not；　after　all；　such　a　monstrous　goose。

〃Daisy　spoke　of　you　the　other　day；〃　she　said　to　him。　　〃Half　the　time

she　doesn't　know　what　she's　saying；　but　that　time　I　think　she　did。

She　gave　me　a　message　she　told　me　to　tell　you。　　She　told　me　to　tell　you

that　she　never　was　engaged　to　that　handsome　Italian。　　I　am　sure　I　am

very　glad；　Mr。　Giovanelli　hasn't　been　near　us　since　she　was　taken　ill。

I　thought　he　was　so　much　of　a　gentleman；　but　I　don't　call　that　very　polite！

A　lady　told　me　that　he　was　afraid　I　was　angry　with　him　for　taking　Daisy

round　at　night。　　Well；　so　I　am；　but　I　suppose　he　knows　I'm　a　lady。

I　would　scorn　to　scold　him。　　Anyway；　she　says　she's　not　engaged。

I　don't　know　why　she　wanted　you　to　know；　but　she　said　to　me　three　times；

'Mind　you　tell　Mr。　Winterbourne。'　　And　then　she　told　me　to　ask

if　you　remembered　the　time　you　went　to　that　castle　in　Switzerland。

But　I　said　I　wouldn't　give　any　such　messages　as　that。　　Only；　if　she

is　not　engaged；　I'm　sure　I'm　glad　to　know　it。〃



But；　as　Winterbourne　had　said；　it　mattered　very　little。

A　week　after　this；　the　poor　girl　died；　it　had　been　a　terrible

case　of　the　fever。　　Daisy's　grave　was　in　the　little

Protestant　cemetery；　in　an　angle　of　the　wall　of　imperial　Rome；

beneath　the　cypresses　and　the　thick　spring　flowers。

Winterbourne　stood　there　beside　it；　with　a　number　of　other　mourners；

a　number　larger　than　the　scandal　excited　by　the　young　lady's

career　would　have　led　you　to　expect。　　Near　him　stood　Giovanelli；

who　came　nearer　still　before　Winterbourne　turned　away。

Giovanelli　was　very　pale：　　on　this　occasion　he　had　no　flower

in　his　buttonhole；　he　seemed　to　wish　to　say　something。

At　last　he　said；　〃She　was　the　most　beautiful　young　lady　I

ever　saw；　and　the　most　amiable〃；　and　then　he　added　in　a　moment；

〃and　she　was　the　most　innocent。〃



Winterbourne　looked　at　him　and　presently　repeated　his　words；

〃And　the　most　innocent？〃



〃The　most　innocent！〃



Winterbourne　felt　sore　and　angry。　　〃Why　the　devil；〃　he　asked；

〃did　you　take　her　to　that　fatal　place？〃



Mr。　Giovanelli's　urbanity　was　apparently　imperturbable。

He　looked　on　the　ground　a　moment；　and　then　he　said；　〃For　myself

I　had　no　fear；　and　she　wanted　to　go。〃



〃That　was　no　reason！〃　　Winterbourne　declared。



The　subtle　Roman　again　dropped　his　eyes。　　〃If　she　had　lived；

I　should　have　got　nothing。　　She　would　never　have　married　me；

I　am　sure。〃



〃She　would　never　have　married　you？〃



〃For　a　moment　I　hoped　so。　　But　no。　　I　am　sure。〃



Winterbourne　listened　to　him：　　he　stood　staring　at　the　raw　protuberance

among　the　April　daisies。　　When　he　turned　away　again；　Mr。　Giovanelli；

with　his　light；　slow　step；　had　retired。



Winterbourne　almost　immediately　left　Rome；　but　the　following

summer　he　again　met　his　aunt；　Mrs。　Costello　at　Vevey。

Mrs。　Costello　was　fond　of　Vevey。　　In　the　interval　Winterbourne

had　often　thought　of　Daisy　Miller　and　her　mystifying　manners。

One　day　he　spoke　of　her　to　his　auntsaid　it　was　on　his　conscience

that　he　had　done　her　injustice。



〃I　am　sure　I　don't　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Costello。　　〃How　did　your

injustice　affect　her？〃



〃She　sent　me　a　message　before　her　death　which　I　didn't

understand　at　the　time；　but　I　have　understood　it　since。

She　would　have　appreciated　one's　esteem。〃



〃Is　that　a　modest　way；〃　asked　Mrs。　Costello；　〃of　saying　that　she　would

have　reciprocated　one's　affection？〃



Winterbourne　offered　no　answer　to　this　question；　but　he　presently　said；

〃You　were　right　in　that　remark　that　you　made　last　summer。　　I　was　booked

to　make　a　mistake。　　I　have　lived　too　long　in　foreign　parts。〃



Nevertheless；　he　went　back　to　live　at　Geneva；　whence　there　continue

to　come　the　most　contradictory　accounts　of　his　motives　of　sojourn：

a　report　that　he　is　〃studying〃　hardan　intimation　that　he　is　much

interested　in　a　very　clever　foreign　lady。







End