第1章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Daisy Miller",免费读到尾

  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。

点击下载App,搜索"Daisy Miller",免费读到尾