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。