INTWOPARTS
PARTI
AtthelittletownofVevey,inSwitzerland,thereisaparticularlycomfortablehotel。Thereare,indeed,manyhotels,fortheentertainmentoftouristsisthebusinessoftheplace,which,asmanytravelerswillremember,isseatedupontheedgeofaremarkablybluelake——alakethatitbehooveseverytouristtovisit。Theshoreofthelakepresentsanunbrokenarrayofestablishmentsofthisorder,ofeverycategory,fromthe\"grandhotel\"ofthenewestfashion,withachalk-whitefront,ahundredbalconies,andadozenflagsflyingfromitsroof,tothelittleSwisspensionofanelderday,withitsnameinscribedinGerman-lookingletteringuponapinkoryellowwallandanawkwardsummerhouseintheangleofthegarden。
OneofthehotelsatVevey,however,isfamous,evenclassical,beingdistinguishedfrommanyofitsupstartneighborsbyanairbothofluxuryandofmaturity。Inthisregion,inthemonthofJune,Americantravelersareextremelynumerous;
itmaybesaid,indeed,thatVeveyassumesatthisperiodsomeofthecharacteristicsofanAmericanwateringplace。
Therearesightsandsoundswhichevokeavision,anecho,ofNewportandSaratoga。Thereisaflittinghitherandthitherof\"stylish\"younggirls,arustlingofmuslinflounces,arattleofdancemusicinthemorninghours,asoundofhigh-pitchedvoicesatalltimes。Youreceiveanimpressionofthesethingsattheexcellentinnofthe\"TroisCouronnes\"
andaretransportedinfancytotheOceanHouseortoCongressHall。
Butatthe\"TroisCouronnes,\"itmustbeadded,thereareotherfeaturesthataremuchatvariancewiththesesuggestions:
neatGermanwaiters,wholooklikesecretariesoflegation;
Russianprincessessittinginthegarden;littlePolishboyswalkingaboutheldbythehand,withtheirgovernors;
aviewofthesunnycrestoftheDentduMidiandthepicturesquetowersoftheCastleofChillon。
IhardlyknowwhetheritwastheanalogiesorthedifferencesthatwereuppermostinthemindofayoungAmerican,who,twoorthreeyearsago,satinthegardenofthe\"TroisCouronnes,\"lookingabouthim,ratheridly,atsomeofthegracefulobjectsIhavementioned。
Itwasabeautifulsummermorning,andinwhateverfashiontheyoungAmericanlookedatthings,theymusthaveseemedtohimcharming。
HehadcomefromGenevathedaybeforebythelittlesteamer,toseehisaunt,whowasstayingatthehotel——Genevahavingbeenforalongtimehisplaceofresidence。Buthisaunthadaheadache——
hisaunthadalmostalwaysaheadache——andnowshewasshutupinherroom,smellingcamphor,sothathewasatlibertytowanderabout。
Hewassomeseven-and-twentyyearsofage;whenhisfriendsspokeofhim,theyusuallysaidthathewasatGeneva\"studying。\"
Whenhisenemiesspokeofhim,theysaid——but,afterall,hehadnoenemies;hewasanextremelyamiablefellow,anduniversallyliked。
WhatIshouldsayis,simply,thatwhencertainpersonsspokeofhimtheyaffirmedthatthereasonofhisspendingsomuchtimeatGenevawasthathewasextremelydevotedtoaladywholivedthere——aforeignlady——apersonolderthanhimself。
VeryfewAmericans——indeed,Ithinknone——hadeverseenthislady,aboutwhomthereweresomesingularstories。ButWinterbournehadanoldattachmentforthelittlemetropolisofCalvinism;
hehadbeenputtoschoolthereasaboy,andhehadafterwardgonetocollegethere——circumstanceswhichhadledtohisformingagreatmanyyouthfulfriendships。Manyofthesehehadkept,andtheywereasourceofgreatsatisfactiontohim。
Afterknockingathisaunt’sdoorandlearningthatshewasindisposed,hehadtakenawalkaboutthetown,andthenhehadcomeintohisbreakfast。Hehadnowfinishedhisbreakfast;buthewasdrinkingasmallcupofcoffee,whichhadbeenservedtohimonalittletableinthegardenbyoneofthewaiterswholookedlikeanattache。
Atlasthefinishedhiscoffeeandlitacigarette。Presentlyasmallboycamewalkingalongthepath——anurchinofnineorten。
Thechild,whowasdiminutiveforhisyears,hadanagedexpressionofcountenance,apalecomplexion,andsharplittlefeatures。
Hewasdressedinknickerbockers,withredstockings,whichdisplayedhispoorlittlespindle-shanks;healsoworeabrilliantredcravat。
Hecarriedinhishandalongalpenstock,thesharppointofwhichhethrustintoeverythingthatheapproached——theflowerbeds,thegardenbenches,thetrainsoftheladies’dresses。InfrontofWinterbournehepaused,lookingathimwithapairofbright,penetratinglittleeyes。
\"Willyougivemealumpofsugar?\"heaskedinasharp,hardlittlevoice——
avoiceimmatureandyet,somehow,notyoung。
Winterbourneglancedatthesmalltablenearhim,onwhichhiscoffeeservicerested,andsawthatseveralmorselsofsugarremained。
\"Yes,youmaytakeone,\"heanswered;\"butIdon’tthinksugarisgoodforlittleboys。\"
Thislittleboysteppedforwardandcarefullyselectedthreeofthecovetedfragments,twoofwhichheburiedinthepocketofhisknickerbockers,depositingtheotheraspromptlyinanotherplace。
Hepokedhisalpenstock,lance-fashion,intoWinterbourne’sbenchandtriedtocrackthelumpofsugarwithhisteeth。
\"Oh,blazes;it’shar-r-d!\"heexclaimed,pronouncingtheadjectiveinapeculiarmanner。
Winterbournehadimmediatelyperceivedthathemighthavethehonorofclaiminghimasafellowcountryman。
\"Takecareyoudon’thurtyourteeth,\"hesaid,paternally。
\"Ihaven’tgotanyteethtohurt。Theyhaveallcomeout。
Ihaveonlygotseventeeth。Mymothercountedthemlastnight,andonecameoutrightafterward。Shesaidshe’dslapmeifanymorecameout。Ican’thelpit。It’sthisoldEurope。
It’stheclimatethatmakesthemcomeout。InAmericatheydidn’tcomeout。It’sthesehotels。\"
Winterbournewasmuchamused。\"Ifyoueatthreelumpsofsugar,yourmotherwillcertainlyslapyou,\"hesaid。
\"She’sgottogivemesomecandy,then,\"rejoinedhisyounginterlocutor。
\"Ican’tgetanycandyhere——anyAmericancandy。Americancandy’sthebestcandy。\"
\"AndareAmericanlittleboysthebestlittleboys?\"askedWinterbourne。
\"Idon’tknow。I’manAmericanboy,\"saidthechild。
\"Iseeyouareoneofthebest!\"laughedWinterbourne。
\"AreyouanAmericanman?\"pursuedthisvivaciousinfant。
Andthen,onWinterbourne’saffirmativereply——\"Americanmenarethebest,\"hedeclared。
Hiscompanionthankedhimforthecompliment,andthechild,whohadnowgotastrideofhisalpenstock,stoodlookingabouthim,whileheattackedasecondlumpofsugar。
Winterbournewonderedifhehimselfhadbeenlikethisinhisinfancy,forhehadbeenbroughttoEuropeataboutthisage。
\"Herecomesmysister!\"criedthechildinamoment。
\"She’sanAmericangirl。\"
Winterbournelookedalongthepathandsawabeautifulyoungladyadvancing。\"Americangirlsarethebestgirls,\"
hesaidcheerfullytohisyoungcompanion。
\"Mysisterain’tthebest!\"thechilddeclared。
\"She’salwaysblowingatme。\"
\"Iimaginethatisyourfault,nothers,\"saidWinterbourne。
Theyoungladymeanwhilehaddrawnnear。Shewasdressedinwhitemuslin,withahundredfrillsandflounces,andknotsofpale-coloredribbon。
Shewasbareheaded,butshebalancedinherhandalargeparasol,withadeepborderofembroidery;andshewasstrikingly,admirablypretty。
\"Howprettytheyare!\"thoughtWinterbourne,straighteninghimselfinhisseat,asifhewerepreparedtorise。
Theyoungladypausedinfrontofhisbench,neartheparapetofthegarden,whichoverlookedthelake。Thelittleboyhadnowconvertedhisalpenstockintoavaultingpole,bytheaidofwhichhewasspringingaboutinthegravelandkickingitupnotalittle。
\"Randolph,\"saidtheyounglady,\"whatAREyoudoing?\"
\"I’mgoinguptheAlps,\"repliedRandolph。\"Thisistheway!\"
Andhegaveanotherlittlejump,scatteringthepebblesaboutWinterbourne’sears。
\"That’sthewaytheycomedown,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"He’sanAmericanman!\"criedRandolph,inhislittlehardvoice。
Theyoungladygavenoheedtothisannouncement,butlookedstraightatherbrother。\"Well,Iguessyouhadbetterbequiet,\"
shesimplyobserved。
ItseemedtoWinterbournethathehadbeeninamannerpresented。Hegotupandsteppedslowlytowardtheyounggirl,throwingawayhiscigarette。
\"ThislittleboyandIhavemadeacquaintance,\"hesaid,withgreatcivility。
InGeneva,ashehadbeenperfectlyaware,ayoungmanwasnotatlibertytospeaktoayoungunmarriedladyexceptundercertainrarelyoccurringconditions;buthereatVevey,whatconditionscouldbebetterthanthese?——
aprettyAmericangirlcomingandstandinginfrontofyouinagarden。
ThisprettyAmericangirl,however,onhearingWinterbourne’sobservation,simplyglancedathim;shethenturnedherheadandlookedovertheparapet,atthelakeandtheoppositemountains。Hewonderedwhetherhehadgonetoofar,buthedecidedthathemustadvancefarther,ratherthanretreat。
Whilehewasthinkingofsomethingelsetosay,theyoungladyturnedtothelittleboyagain。
\"Ishouldliketoknowwhereyougotthatpole,\"shesaid。
\"Iboughtit,\"respondedRandolph。
\"Youdon’tmeantosayyou’regoingtotakeittoItaly?\"
\"Yes,IamgoingtotakeittoItaly,\"thechilddeclared。
Theyounggirlglancedoverthefrontofherdressandsmoothedoutaknotortwoofribbon。Thensherestedhereyesupontheprospectagain。
\"Well,Iguessyouhadbetterleaveitsomewhere,\"shesaidafteramoment。
\"AreyougoingtoItaly?\"Winterbourneinquiredinatoneofgreatrespect。
Theyoungladyglancedathimagain。\"Yes,sir,\"shereplied。
Andshesaidnothingmore。
\"Areyou——a——goingovertheSimplon?\"Winterbournepursued,alittleembarrassed。
\"Idon’tknow,\"shesaid。\"Isupposeit’ssomemountain。
Randolph,whatmountainarewegoingover?\"
\"Goingwhere?\"thechilddemanded。
\"ToItaly,\"Winterbourneexplained。
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidRandolph。\"Idon’twanttogotoItaly。
IwanttogotoAmerica。\"
\"Oh,Italyisabeautifulplace!\"rejoinedtheyoungman。
\"Canyougetcandythere?\"Randolphloudlyinquired。
\"Ihopenot,\"saidhissister。\"Iguessyouhavehadenoughcandy,andmotherthinkssotoo。\"
\"Ihaven’thadanyforeversolong——forahundredweeks!\"
criedtheboy,stilljumpingabout。
Theyoungladyinspectedherflouncesandsmoothedherribbonsagain;
andWinterbournepresentlyriskedanobservationuponthebeautyoftheview。Hewasceasingtobeembarrassed,forhehadbeguntoperceivethatshewasnotintheleastembarrassedherself。
Therehadnotbeentheslightestalterationinhercharmingcomplexion;
shewasevidentlyneitheroffendednorflattered。
Ifshelookedanotherwaywhenhespoketoher,andseemednotparticularlytohearhim,thiswassimplyherhabit,hermanner。
Yet,ashetalkedalittlemoreandpointedoutsomeoftheobjectsofinterestintheview,withwhichsheappearedquiteunacquainted,shegraduallygavehimmoreofthebenefitofherglance;andthenhesawthatthisglancewasperfectlydirectandunshrinking。
Itwasnot,however,whatwouldhavebeencalledanimmodestglance,fortheyounggirl’seyesweresingularlyhonestandfresh。
Theywerewonderfullyprettyeyes;and,indeed,Winterbournehadnotseenforalongtimeanythingprettierthanhisfaircountrywoman’svariousfeatures——hercomplexion,hernose,herears,herteeth。
Hehadagreatrelishforfemininebeauty;hewasaddictedtoobservingandanalyzingit;andasregardsthisyounglady’sfacehemadeseveralobservations。Itwasnotatallinsipid,butitwasnotexactlyexpressive;andthoughitwaseminentlydelicate,Winterbournementallyaccusedit——veryforgivingly——ofawantoffinish。
HethoughtitverypossiblethatMasterRandolph’ssisterwasacoquette;
hewassureshehadaspiritofherown;butinherbright,sweet,superficiallittlevisagetherewasnomockery,noirony。
Beforelongitbecameobviousthatshewasmuchdisposedtowardconversation。ShetoldhimthattheyweregoingtoRomeforthewinter——sheandhermotherandRandolph。Sheaskedhimifhewasa\"realAmerican\";sheshouldn’thavetakenhimforone;
heseemedmorelikeaGerman——thiswassaidafteralittlehesitation——
especiallywhenhespoke。Winterbourne,laughing,answeredthathehadmetGermanswhospokelikeAmericans,butthathehadnot,sofarasheremembered,metanAmericanwhospokelikeaGerman。
Thenheaskedherifsheshouldnotbemorecomfortableinsittinguponthebenchwhichhehadjustquitted。Sheansweredthatshelikedstandingupandwalkingabout;butshepresentlysatdown。
ShetoldhimshewasfromNewYorkState——\"ifyouknowwherethatis。\"
Winterbournelearnedmoreaboutherbycatchingholdofhersmall,slipperybrotherandmakinghimstandafewminutesbyhisside。
\"Tellmeyourname,myboy,\"hesaid。
\"RandolphC。Miller,\"saidtheboysharply。\"AndI’lltellyouhername\";
andheleveledhisalpenstockathissister。
\"Youhadbetterwaittillyouareasked!\"saidthisyoungladycalmly。
\"Ishouldlikeverymuchtoknowyourname,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"HernameisDaisyMiller!\"criedthechild。\"Butthatisn’therrealname;
thatisn’thernameonhercards。\"
\"It’sapityyouhaven’tgotoneofmycards!\"saidMissMiller。
\"HerrealnameisAnnieP。Miller,\"theboywenton。
\"AskhimHISname,\"saidhissister,indicatingWinterbourne。
ButonthispointRandolphseemedperfectlyindifferent;
hecontinuedtosupplyinformationwithregardtohisownfamily。
\"Myfather’snameisEzraB。Miller,\"heannounced。
\"Myfatherain’tinEurope;myfather’sinabetterplacethanEurope;。\"
WinterbourneimaginedforamomentthatthiswasthemannerinwhichthechildhadbeentaughttointimatethatMr。Millerhadbeenremovedtothesphereofcelestialreward。
ButRandolphimmediatelyadded,\"Myfather’sinSchenectady。
He’sgotabigbusiness。Myfather’srich,youbet!\"
\"Well!\"ejaculatedMissMiller,loweringherparasolandlookingattheembroideredborder。Winterbournepresentlyreleasedthechild,whodeparted,dragginghisalpenstockalongthepath。
\"Hedoesn’tlikeEurope,\"saidtheyounggirl。\"Hewantstogoback。\"
\"ToSchenectady,youmean?\"
\"Yes;hewantstogorighthome。Hehasn’tgotanyboyshere。
Thereisoneboyhere,buthealwaysgoesroundwithateacher;
theywon’tlethimplay。\"
\"Andyourbrotherhasn’tanyteacher?\"Winterbourneinquired。
\"Motherthoughtofgettinghimone,totravelroundwithus。
Therewasaladytoldherofaverygoodteacher;
anAmericanlady——perhapsyouknowher——Mrs。Sanders。
IthinkshecamefromBoston。Shetoldherofthisteacher,andwethoughtofgettinghimtotravelroundwithus。
ButRandolphsaidhedidn’twantateachertravelingroundwithus。
Hesaidhewouldn’thavelessonswhenhewasinthecars。
AndweAREinthecarsabouthalfthetime。TherewasanEnglishladywemetinthecars——IthinkhernamewasMissFeatherstone;
perhapsyouknowher。ShewantedtoknowwhyIdidn’tgiveRandolphlessons——givehim’instruction,’shecalledit。
IguesshecouldgivememoreinstructionthanIcouldgivehim。
He’sverysmart。\"
\"Yes,\"saidWinterbourne;\"heseemsverysmart。\"
\"Mother’sgoingtogetateacherforhimassoonaswegettoItaly。
CanyougetgoodteachersinItaly?\"
\"Verygood,Ishouldthink,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Orelseshe’sgoingtofindsomeschool。Heoughttolearnsomemore。He’sonlynine。He’sgoingtocollege。\"
AndinthiswayMissMillercontinuedtoconverseupontheaffairsofherfamilyanduponothertopics。Shesattherewithherextremelyprettyhands,ornamentedwithverybrilliantrings,foldedinherlap,andwithherprettyeyesnowrestinguponthoseofWinterbourne,nowwanderingoverthegarden,thepeoplewhopassedby,andthebeautifulview。ShetalkedtoWinterbourneasifshehadknownhimalongtime。Hefounditverypleasant。
Itwasmanyyearssincehehadheardayounggirltalksomuch。
Itmighthavebeensaidofthisunknownyounglady,whohadcomeandsatdownbesidehimuponabench,thatshechattered。
Shewasveryquiet;shesatinacharming,tranquilattitude;
butherlipsandhereyeswereconstantlymoving。Shehadasoft,slender,agreeablevoice,andhertonewasdecidedlysociable。
ShegaveWinterbourneahistoryofhermovementsandintentionsandthoseofhermotherandbrother,inEurope,andenumerated,inparticular,thevarioushotelsatwhichtheyhadstopped。
\"ThatEnglishladyinthecars,\"shesaid——\"MissFeatherstone——
askedmeifwedidn’tallliveinhotelsinAmerica。
ItoldherIhadneverbeeninsomanyhotelsinmylifeassinceI
cametoEurope。Ihaveneverseensomany——it’snothingbuthotels。\"
ButMissMillerdidnotmakethisremarkwithaquerulousaccent;
sheappearedtobeinthebesthumorwitheverything。
Shedeclaredthatthehotelswereverygood,whenonceyougotusedtotheirways,andthatEuropewasperfectlysweet。
Shewasnotdisappointed——notabit。Perhapsitwasbecauseshehadheardsomuchaboutitbefore。Shehadeversomanyintimatefriendsthathadbeenthereeversomanytimes。
AndthenshehadhadeversomanydressesandthingsfromParis。
WheneversheputonaParisdressshefeltasifshewereinEurope。
\"Itwasakindofawishingcap,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Yes,\"saidMissMillerwithoutexaminingthisanalogy;
\"italwaysmademewishIwashere。ButIneedn’thavedonethatfordresses。IamsuretheysendalltheprettyonestoAmerica;youseethemostfrightfulthingshere。
TheonlythingIdon’tlike,\"sheproceeded,\"isthesociety。
Thereisn’tanysociety;or,ifthereis,Idon’tknowwhereitkeepsitself。Doyou?Isupposethereissomesocietysomewhere,butIhaven’tseenanythingofit。
I’mveryfondofsociety,andIhavealwayshadagreatdealofit。
Idon’tmeanonlyinSchenectady,butinNewYork。
IusedtogotoNewYorkeverywinter。InNewYorkIhadlotsofsociety。LastwinterIhadseventeendinnersgivenme;
andthreeofthemwerebygentlemen,\"addedDaisyMiller。
\"IhavemorefriendsinNewYorkthaninSchenectady——
moregentlemanfriends;andmoreyoungladyfriendstoo,\"
sheresumedinamoment。Shepausedagainforaninstant;
shewaslookingatWinterbournewithallherprettinessinherlivelyeyesandinherlight,slightlymonotonoussmile。
\"Ihavealwayshad,\"shesaid,\"agreatdealofgentlemen’ssociety。\"
PoorWinterbournewasamused,perplexed,anddecidedlycharmed。
Hehadneveryetheardayounggirlexpressherselfinjustthisfashion;never,atleast,saveincaseswheretosaysuchthingsseemedakindofdemonstrativeevidenceofacertainlaxityofdeportment。AndyetwashetoaccuseMissDaisyMillerofactualorpotentialinconduite,astheysaidatGeneva?
HefeltthathehadlivedatGenevasolongthathehadlostagooddeal;hehadbecomedishabituatedtotheAmericantone。
Never,indeed,sincehehadgrownoldenoughtoappreciatethings,hadheencounteredayoungAmericangirlofsopronouncedatypeasthis。
Certainlyshewasverycharming,buthowdeucedlysociable!
WasshesimplyaprettygirlfromNewYorkState?Weretheyalllikethat,theprettygirlswhohadagooddealofgentlemen’ssociety?
Orwasshealsoadesigning,anaudacious,anunscrupulousyoungperson?
Winterbournehadlosthisinstinctinthismatter,andhisreasoncouldnothelphim。MissDaisyMillerlookedextremelyinnocent。
Somepeoplehadtoldhimthat,afterall,Americangirlswereexceedinglyinnocent;andothershadtoldhimthat,afterall,theywerenot。HewasinclinedtothinkMissDaisyMillerwasaflirt——aprettyAmericanflirt。Hehadnever,asyet,hadanyrelationswithyoungladiesofthiscategory。
Hehadknown,hereinEurope,twoorthreewomen——personsolderthanMissDaisyMiller,andprovided,forrespectability’ssake,withhusbands——whoweregreatcoquettes——dangerous,terriblewomen,withwhomone’srelationswereliabletotakeaseriousturn。
Butthisyounggirlwasnotacoquetteinthatsense;shewasveryunsophisticated;shewasonlyaprettyAmericanflirt。
WinterbournewasalmostgratefulforhavingfoundtheformulathatappliedtoMissDaisyMiller。Heleanedbackinhisseat;
heremarkedtohimselfthatshehadthemostcharmingnosehehadeverseen;hewonderedwhatweretheregularconditionsandlimitationsofone’sintercoursewithaprettyAmericanflirt。
Itpresentlybecameapparentthathewasonthewaytolearn。
\"Haveyoubeentothatoldcastle?\"askedtheyounggirl,pointingwithherparasoltothefar-gleamingwallsoftheChateaudeChillon。
\"Yes,formerly,morethanonce,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Youtoo,Isuppose,haveseenit?\"
\"No;wehaven’tbeenthere。Iwanttogotheredreadfully。
OfcourseImeantogothere。Iwouldn’tgoawayfromherewithouthavingseenthatoldcastle。\"
\"It’saveryprettyexcursion,\"saidWinterbourne,\"andveryeasytomake。
Youcandrive,youknow,oryoucangobythelittlesteamer。\"
\"Youcangointhecars,\"saidMissMiller。
\"Yes;youcangointhecars,\"Winterbourneassented。
\"Ourcouriersaystheytakeyourightuptothecastle,\"theyounggirlcontinued。\"Weweregoinglastweek,butmymothergaveout。
Shesuffersdreadfullyfromdyspepsia。Shesaidshecouldn’tgo。
Randolphwouldn’tgoeither;hesayshedoesn’tthinkmuchofoldcastles。
ButIguesswe’llgothisweek,ifwecangetRandolph。\"
\"Yourbrotherisnotinterestedinancientmonuments?\"
Winterbourneinquired,smiling。
\"Hesayshedon’tcaremuchaboutoldcastles。He’sonlynine。
Hewantstostayatthehotel。Mother’safraidtoleavehimalone,andthecourierwon’tstaywithhim;sowehaven’tbeentomanyplaces。
Butitwillbetoobadifwedon’tgoupthere。\"AndMissMillerpointedagainattheChateaudeChillon。
\"Ishouldthinkitmightbearranged,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Couldn’tyougetsomeonetostayfortheafternoonwithRandolph?\"
MissMillerlookedathimamoment,andthen,veryplacidly,\"IwishYOUwouldstaywithhim!\"shesaid。
Winterbournehesitatedamoment。\"IshouldmuchrathergotoChillonwithyou。\"
\"Withme?\"askedtheyounggirlwiththesameplacidity。
Shedidn’trise,blushing,asayounggirlatGenevawouldhavedone;
andyetWinterbourne,consciousthathehadbeenverybold,thoughtitpossibleshewasoffended。\"Withyourmother,\"
heansweredveryrespectfully。
ButitseemedthatbothhisaudacityandhisrespectwerelostuponMissDaisyMiller。\"Iguessmymotherwon’tgo,afterall,\"
shesaid。\"Shedon’tliketorideroundintheafternoon。
Butdidyoureallymeanwhatyousaidjustnow——thatyouwouldliketogoupthere?\"
\"Mostearnestly,\"Winterbournedeclared。
\"Thenwemayarrangeit。IfmotherwillstaywithRandolph,IguessEugeniowill。\"
\"Eugenio?\"theyoungmaninquired。
\"Eugenio’sourcourier。Hedoesn’tliketostaywithRandolph;
he’sthemostfastidiousmanIeversaw。Buthe’sasplendidcourier。
Iguesshe’llstayathomewithRandolphifmotherdoes,andthenwecangotothecastle。\"
Winterbournereflectedforaninstantaslucidlyaspossible——
\"we\"couldonlymeanMissDaisyMillerandhimself。
Thisprogramseemedalmosttooagreeableforcredence;
hefeltasifheoughttokisstheyounglady’shand。
Possiblyhewouldhavedonesoandquitespoiledtheproject,butatthismomentanotherperson,presumablyEugenio,appeared。
Atall,handsomeman,withsuperbwhiskers,wearingavelvetmorningcoatandabrilliantwatchchain,approachedMissMiller,lookingsharplyathercompanion。\"Oh,Eugenio!\"saidMissMillerwiththefriendliestaccent。
EugeniohadlookedatWinterbournefromheadtofoot;
henowbowedgravelytotheyounglady。\"Ihavethehonortoinformmademoisellethatluncheonisuponthetable。\"
MissMillerslowlyrose。\"Seehere,Eugenio!\"shesaid;
\"I’mgoingtothatoldcastle,anyway。\"
\"TotheChateaudeChillon,mademoiselle?\"thecourierinquired。
\"Mademoisellehasmadearrangements?\"headdedinatonewhichstruckWinterbourneasveryimpertinent。
Eugenio’stoneapparentlythrew,eventoMissMiller’sownapprehension,aslightlyironicallightupontheyounggirl’ssituation。
SheturnedtoWinterbourne,blushingalittle——averylittle。
\"Youwon’tbackout?\"shesaid。
\"Ishallnotbehappytillwego!\"heprotested。
\"Andyouarestayinginthishotel?\"shewenton。
\"AndyouarereallyanAmerican?\"
ThecourierstoodlookingatWinterbourneoffensively。Theyoungman,atleast,thoughthismanneroflookinganoffensetoMissMiller;
itconveyedanimputationthatshe\"pickedup\"acquaintances。\"Ishallhavethehonorofpresentingtoyouapersonwhowilltellyouallaboutme,\"
hesaid,smilingandreferringtohisaunt。
\"Oh,well,we’llgosomeday,\"saidMissMiller。
Andshegavehimasmileandturnedaway。SheputupherparasolandwalkedbacktotheinnbesideEugenio。
Winterbournestoodlookingafterher;andasshemovedaway,drawinghermuslinfurbelowsoverthegravel,saidtohimselfthatshehadthetournureofaprincess。
Hehad,however,engagedtodomorethanprovedfeasible,inpromisingtopresenthisaunt,Mrs。Costello,toMissDaisyMiller。
Assoonastheformerladyhadgotbetterofherheadache,hewaiteduponherinherapartment;and,aftertheproperinquiriesinregardtoherhealth,heaskedherifshehadobservedinthehotelanAmericanfamily——amamma,adaughter,andalittleboy。
\"Andacourier?\"saidMrs。Costello。\"Ohyes,Ihaveobservedthem。
Seenthem——heardthem——andkeptoutoftheirway。\"Mrs。Costellowasawidowwithafortune;apersonofmuchdistinction,whofrequentlyintimatedthat,ifshewerenotsodreadfullyliabletosickheadaches,shewouldprobablyhaveleftadeeperimpressuponhertime。Shehadalong,paleface,ahighnose,andagreatdealofverystrikingwhitehair,whichsheworeinlargepuffsandrouleauxoverthetopofherhead。
ShehadtwosonsmarriedinNewYorkandanotherwhowasnowinEurope。
ThisyoungmanwasamusinghimselfatHamburg,and,thoughhewasonhistravels,wasrarelyperceivedtovisitanyparticularcityatthemomentselectedbyhismotherforherownappearancethere。
Hernephew,whohadcomeuptoVeveyexpresslytoseeher,wasthereforemoreattentivethanthosewho,asshesaid,werenearertoher。
HehadimbibedatGenevatheideathatonemustalwaysbeattentivetoone’saunt。Mrs。Costellohadnotseenhimformanyyears,andshewasgreatlypleasedwithhim,manifestingherapprobationbyinitiatinghimintomanyofthesecretsofthatsocialswaywhich,asshegavehimtounderstand,sheexertedintheAmericancapital。
Sheadmittedthatshewasveryexclusive;but,ifhewereacquaintedwithNewYork,hewouldseethatonehadtobe。Andherpictureoftheminutelyhierarchicalconstitutionofthesocietyofthatcity,whichshepresentedtohiminmanydifferentlights,was,toWinterbourne’simagination,almostoppressivelystriking。
Heimmediatelyperceived,fromhertone,thatMissDaisyMiller’splaceinthesocialscalewaslow。\"Iamafraidyoudon’tapproveofthem,\"hesaid。
\"Theyareverycommon,\"Mrs。Costellodeclared。\"TheyarethesortofAmericansthatonedoesone’sdutybynot——notaccepting。\"
\"Ah,youdon’tacceptthem?\"saidtheyoungman。
\"Ican’t,mydearFrederick。IwouldifIcould,butIcan’t。\"
\"Theyounggirlisverypretty,\"saidWinterbourneinamoment。
\"Ofcourseshe’spretty。Butsheisverycommon。\"
\"Iseewhatyoumean,ofcourse,\"saidWinterbourneafteranotherpause。
\"Shehasthatcharminglookthattheyallhave,\"hisauntresumed。
\"Ican’tthinkwheretheypickitup;andshedressesinperfection——no,youdon’tknowhowwellshedresses。
Ican’tthinkwheretheygettheirtaste。\"
\"But,mydearaunt,sheisnot,afterall,aComanchesavage。\"
\"Sheisayounglady,\"saidMrs。Costello,\"whohasanintimacywithhermamma’scourier。\"
\"Anintimacywiththecourier?\"theyoungmandemanded。
\"Oh,themotherisjustasbad!Theytreatthecourierlikeafamiliarfriend——likeagentleman。Ishouldn’twonderifhedineswiththem。Verylikelytheyhaveneverseenamanwithsuchgoodmanners,suchfineclothes,solikeagentleman。
Heprobablycorrespondstotheyounglady’sideaofacount。
Hesitswiththeminthegardenintheevening。
Ithinkhesmokes。\"
Winterbournelistenedwithinteresttothesedisclosures;
theyhelpedhimtomakeuphismindaboutMissDaisy。
Evidentlyshewasratherwild。\"Well,\"hesaid,\"Iamnotacourier,andyetshewasverycharmingtome。\"
\"Youhadbetterhavesaidatfirst,\"saidMrs。Costellowithdignity,\"thatyouhadmadeheracquaintance。\"
\"Wesimplymetinthegarden,andwetalkedabit。\"
\"Toutbonnement!Andpraywhatdidyousay?\"
\"IsaidIshouldtakethelibertyofintroducinghertomyadmirableaunt。\"
\"Iammuchobligedtoyou。\"
\"Itwastoguaranteemyrespectability,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Andpraywhoistoguaranteehers?\"
\"Ah,youarecruel!\"saidtheyoungman。\"She’saveryniceyounggirl。\"
\"Youdon’tsaythatasifyoubelievedit,\"Mrs。Costelloobserved。
\"Sheiscompletelyuncultivated,\"Winterbournewenton。
\"Butsheiswonderfullypretty,and,inshort,sheisverynice。
ToprovethatIbelieveit,IamgoingtotakehertotheChateaudeChillon。\"
\"Youtwoaregoingofftheretogether?Ishouldsayitprovedjustthecontrary。Howlonghadyouknownher,mayIask,whenthisinterestingprojectwasformed?
Youhaven’tbeentwenty-fourhoursinthehouse。\"
\"Ihaveknownherhalfanhour!\"saidWinterbourne,smiling。
\"Dearme!\"criedMrs。Costello。\"Whatadreadfulgirl!\"
Hernephewwassilentforsomemoments。\"Youreallythink,then,\"
hebeganearnestly,andwithadesirefortrustworthyinformation——\"youreallythinkthat——\"Buthepausedagain。
\"Thinkwhat,sir?\"saidhisaunt。
\"Thatsheisthesortofyoungladywhoexpectsaman,soonerorlater,tocarryheroff?\"
\"Ihaven’ttheleastideawhatsuchyoungladiesexpectamantodo。
ButIreallythinkthatyouhadbetternotmeddlewithlittleAmericangirlsthatareuncultivated,asyoucallthem。Youhavelivedtoolongoutofthecountry。Youwillbesuretomakesomegreatmistake。
Youaretooinnocent。\"
\"Mydearaunt,Iamnotsoinnocent,\"saidWinterbourne,smilingandcurlinghismustache。
\"Youareguiltytoo,then!\"
Winterbournecontinuedtocurlhismustachemeditatively。
\"Youwon’tletthepoorgirlknowyouthen?\"heaskedatlast。
\"IsitliterallytruethatsheisgoingtotheChateaudeChillonwithyou?\"
\"Ithinkthatshefullyintendsit。\"
\"Then,mydearFrederick,\"saidMrs。Costello,\"Imustdeclinethehonorofheracquaintance。Iamanoldwoman,butIamnottooold,thankHeaven,tobeshocked!\"
\"Butdon’ttheyalldothesethings——theyounggirlsinAmerica?\"
Winterbourneinquired。
Mrs。Costellostaredamoment。\"Ishouldliketoseemygranddaughtersdothem!\"shedeclaredgrimly。
Thisseemedtothrowsomelightuponthematter,forWinterbournerememberedtohaveheardthathisprettycousinsinNewYorkwere\"tremendousflirts。\"
If,therefore,MissDaisyMillerexceededtheliberalmarginallowedtotheseyoungladies,itwasprobablethatanythingmightbeexpectedofher。
Winterbournewasimpatienttoseeheragain,andhewasvexedwithhimselfthat,byinstinct,heshouldnotappreciateherjustly。
Thoughhewasimpatienttoseeher,hehardlyknewwhatheshouldsaytoherabouthisaunt’srefusaltobecomeacquaintedwithher;
buthediscovered,promptlyenough,thatwithMissDaisyMillertherewasnogreatneedofwalkingontiptoe。Hefoundherthateveninginthegarden,wanderingaboutinthewarmstarlightlikeanindolentsylph,andswingingtoandfrothelargestfanhehadeverbeheld。
Itwasteno’clock。Hehaddinedwithhisaunt,hadbeensittingwithhersincedinner,andhadjusttakenleaveofhertillthemorrow。
MissDaisyMillerseemedverygladtoseehim;shedeclareditwasthelongesteveningshehadeverpassed。
\"Haveyoubeenallalone?\"heasked。
\"Ihavebeenwalkingroundwithmother。Butmothergetstiredwalkinground,\"sheanswered。
\"Hasshegonetobed?\"
\"No;shedoesn’tliketogotobed,\"saidtheyounggirl。
\"Shedoesn’tsleep——notthreehours。Shesaysshedoesn’tknowhowshelives。She’sdreadfullynervous。
Iguessshesleepsmorethanshethinks。She’sgonesomewhereafterRandolph;shewantstotrytogethimtogotobed。
Hedoesn’tliketogotobed。\"
\"Letushopeshewillpersuadehim,\"observedWinterbourne。
\"Shewilltalktohimallshecan;buthedoesn’tlikehertotalktohim,\"saidMissDaisy,openingherfan。\"She’sgoingtotrytogetEugeniototalktohim。Butheisn’tafraidofEugenio。
Eugenio’sasplendidcourier,buthecan’tmakemuchimpressiononRandolph!Idon’tbelievehe’llgotobedbeforeeleven。\"
ItappearedthatRandolph’svigilwasinfacttriumphantlyprolonged,forWinterbournestrolledaboutwiththeyounggirlforsometimewithoutmeetinghermother。\"Ihavebeenlookingroundforthatladyyouwanttointroducemeto,\"hiscompanionresumed。
\"She’syouraunt。\"Then,onWinterbourne’sadmittingthefactandexpressingsomecuriosityastohowshehadlearnedit,shesaidshehadheardallaboutMrs。Costellofromthechambermaid。
Shewasveryquietandverycommeilfaut;sheworewhitepuffs;
shespoketonoone,andsheneverdinedatthetabled’hote。
Everytwodaysshehadaheadache。\"Ithinkthat’salovelydescription,headacheandall!\"saidMissDaisy,chatteringalonginherthin,gayvoice。\"Iwanttoknowhereversomuch。
IknowjustwhatYOURauntwouldbe;IknowIshouldlikeher。
Shewouldbeveryexclusive。Ilikealadytobeexclusive;
I’mdyingtobeexclusivemyself。Well,weAREexclusive,motherandI。Wedon’tspeaktoeveryone——ortheydon’tspeaktous。
Isupposeit’saboutthesamething。Anyway,Ishallbeeversogladtoknowyouraunt。\"
Winterbournewasembarrassed。\"Shewouldbemosthappy,\"hesaid;
\"butIamafraidthoseheadacheswillinterfere。\"
Theyounggirllookedathimthroughthedusk。
\"ButIsupposeshedoesn’thaveaheadacheeveryday,\"
shesaidsympathetically。
Winterbournewassilentamoment。\"Shetellsmeshedoes,\"
heansweredatlast,notknowingwhattosay。
MissDaisyMillerstoppedandstoodlookingathim。Herprettinesswasstillvisibleinthedarkness;shewasopeningandclosingherenormousfan。\"Shedoesn’twanttoknowme!\"shesaidsuddenly。
\"Whydon’tyousayso?Youneedn’tbeafraid。I’mnotafraid!\"
Andshegavealittlelaugh。
Winterbournefanciedtherewasatremorinhervoice;hewastouched,shocked,mortifiedbyit。\"Mydearyounglady,\"heprotested,\"sheknowsnoone。
It’sherwretchedhealth。\"
Theyounggirlwalkedonafewsteps,laughingstill。
\"Youneedn’tbeafraid,\"sherepeated。\"Whyshouldshewanttoknowme?\"Thenshepausedagain;shewasclosetotheparapetofthegarden,andinfrontofherwasthestarlitlake。
Therewasavaguesheenuponitssurface,andinthedistanceweredimlyseenmountainforms。DaisyMillerlookedoutuponthemysteriousprospectandthenshegaveanotherlittlelaugh。
\"Gracious!sheISexclusive!\"shesaid。Winterbournewonderedwhethershewasseriouslywounded,andforamomentalmostwishedthathersenseofinjurymightbesuchastomakeitbecominginhimtoattempttoreassureandcomforther。
Hehadapleasantsensethatshewouldbeveryapproachableforconsolatorypurposes。Hefeltthen,fortheinstant,quitereadytosacrificehisaunt,conversationally;toadmitthatshewasaproud,rudewoman,andtodeclarethattheyneedn’tmindher。Butbeforehehadtimetocommithimselftothisperilousmixtureofgallantryandimpiety,theyounglady,resumingherwalk,gaveanexclamationinquiteanothertone。
\"Well,here’sMother!Iguessshehasn’tgotRandolphtogotobed。\"
Thefigureofaladyappearedatadistance,veryindistinctinthedarkness,andadvancingwithaslowandwaveringmovement。
Suddenlyitseemedtopause。
\"Areyousureitisyourmother?Canyoudistinguishherinthisthickdusk?\"Winterbourneasked。
\"Well!\"criedMissDaisyMillerwithalaugh;\"IguessIknowmyownmother。
Andwhenshehasgotonmyshawl,too!Sheisalwayswearingmythings。\"
Theladyinquestion,ceasingtoadvance,hoveredvaguelyaboutthespotatwhichshehadcheckedhersteps。
\"Iamafraidyourmotherdoesn’tseeyou,\"saidWinterbourne。
\"Orperhaps,\"headded,thinking,withMissMiller,thejokepermissible——\"perhapsshefeelsguiltyaboutyourshawl。\"
\"Oh,it’safearfuloldthing!\"theyounggirlrepliedserenely。
\"Itoldhershecouldwearit。Shewon’tcomeherebecausesheseesyou。\"
\"Ah,then,\"saidWinterbourne,\"Ihadbetterleaveyou。\"
\"Oh,no;comeon!\"urgedMissDaisyMiller。