Daisy Miller Henry James

8/14/2019 Daisy Miller Henry James

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Daisy Miller: A Study

by Henry James

Holding a mirror to social conventions through the contrast of American innocence

and European sophistication, James explores his favorite theme in this novel

published in 1878. aisy is touring Europe !ith her mother and being courted by an

American living abroad in "taly, #rederic$ %interbourne. &he is a spontaneous,

unaffected girl !hose !arm nature and friendship !ith an "talian man is

misunderstood by the rigid society of Americans living in "taly. 'hey shun her and

only after her death does %interbourne reali(e the tragedy of his misunderstanding of

her actions and the beauty of her true nature.

)*+'E+'&

PART I

Section 1

Section 2

PART II

Section I

Section 2

PART I

Section 1

t the little to!n of evey, in &!it(erland, there is a particularly comfortable

hotel. 'here are, indeed, many hotels, for the entertainment of tourists is thebusiness of the place, !hich, as many travelers !ill remember, is seated

upon the edge of a remar$ably blue la$e--a la$e that it behooves everytourist to visit. 'he shore of the la$e presents an unbro$en array of

establishments of this order, of every category, from the grand hotel of thene!est fashion, !ith a chal$-!hite front, a hundred balconies, and a do(en

flags flying from its roof, to the little &!iss pension of an elder day, !ith its

name inscribed in /erman-loo$ing lettering upon a pin$ or yello! !all andan a!$!ard summerhouse in the angle of the garden. *ne of the hotels at
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evey, ho!ever, is famous, even classical, being distinguished from many ofits upstart neighbors by an air both of luxury and of maturity. "n this region,

in the month of June, American travelers are extremely numerous0 it may besaid, indeed, that evey assumes at this period some of the characteristics of

an American !atering place. 'here are sights and sounds !hich evo$e avision, an echo, of +e!port and &aratoga. 'here is a flitting hither and

thither of stylish young girls, a rustling of muslin flounces, a rattle ofdance music in the morning hours, a sound of high-pitched voices at all

times. ou receive an impression of these things at the excellent inn of the'rois )ouronnes and are transported in fancy to the *cean House or to

)ongress Hall. 2ut at the 'rois )ouronnes, it must be added, there areother features that are much at variance !ith these suggestions3 neat /erman

!aiters, !ho loo$ li$e secretaries of legation0 4ussian princesses sitting inthe garden0 little 5olish boys !al$ing about held by the hand, !ith their

governors0 a vie! of the sunny crest of the ent du 6idi and the picturesueto!ers of the )astle of )hillon.

" hardly $no! !hether it !as the analogies or the differences that !ereuppermost in the mind of a young American, !ho, t!o or three years ago,

sat in the garden of the 'rois )ouronnes, loo$ing about him, rather idly, atsome of the graceful obects " have mentioned. "t !as a beautiful summer

morning, and in !hatever fashion the young American loo$ed at things, theymust have seemed to him charming. He had come from /eneva the day

before by the little steamer, to see his aunt, !ho !as staying at the hotel--

/eneva having been for a long time his place of residence. 2ut his aunt hada headache-- his aunt had almost al!ays a headache--and no! she !as shut

up in her room, smelling camphor, so that he !as at liberty to !ander about.He !as some seven-and-t!enty years of age0 !hen his friends spo$e of him,

they usually said that he !as at /eneva studying. %hen his enemies spo$eof him, they said--but, after all, he had no enemies0 he !as an extremely

amiable fello!, and universally li$ed. %hat " should say is, simply, that!hen certain persons spo$e of him they affirmed that the reason of his

spending so much time at /eneva !as that he !as extremely devoted to a

lady !ho lived there--a foreign lady--a person older than himself. ery fe!Americans--indeed, " thin$ none--had ever seen this lady, about !hom there!ere some singular stories. 2ut %interbourne had an old attachment for the

little metropolis of )alvinism0 he had been put to school there as a boy, andhe had after!ard gone to college there--circumstances !hich had led to his

forming a great many youthful friendships. 6any of these he had $ept, andthey !ere a source of great satisfaction to him.

After $noc$ing at his aunt9s door and learning that she !as indisposed, hehad ta$en a !al$ about the to!n, and then he had come in to his brea$fast.

He had no! finished his brea$fast0 but he !as drin$ing a small cup ofcoffee, !hich had been served to him on a little table in the garden by one of


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the !aiters !ho loo$ed li$e an attache. At last he finished his coffee and lit acigarette. 5resently a small boy came !al$ing along the path--an urchin of

nine or ten. 'he child, !ho !as diminutive for his years, had an agedexpression of countenance, a pale complexion, and sharp little features. He

!as dressed in $nic$erboc$ers, !ith red stoc$ings, !hich displayed his poorlittle spindle-shan$s0 he also !ore a brilliant red cravat. He carried in his

hand a long alpenstoc$, the sharp point of !hich he thrust into everythingthat he approached--the flo!erbeds, the garden benches, the trains of the

ladies9 dresses. "n front of %interbourne he paused, loo$ing at him !ith apair of bright, penetrating little eyes.

%ill you give me a lump of sugar: he as$ed in a sharp, hard little voice-- avoice immature and yet, someho!, not young.

%interbourne glanced at the small table near him, on !hich his coffeeservice rested, and sa! that several morsels of sugar remained. es, you

may ta$e one, he ans!ered0 but " don9t thin$ sugar is good for little boys.

'his little boy stepped for!ard and carefully selected three of the coveted

fragments, t!o of !hich he buried in the poc$et of his $nic$erboc$ers,depositing the other as promptly in another place. He po$ed his alpenstoc$,

lance-fashion, into %interbourne9s bench and tried to crac$ the lump ofsugar !ith his teeth.

*h, bla(es0 it9s har-r-d; he exclaimed, pronouncing the adective in apeculiar manner.

%interbourne had immediately perceived that he might have the honor ofclaiming him as a fello! countryman. 'a$e care you don9t hurt your teeth,

he said, paternally.

" haven9t got any teeth to hurt. 'hey have all come out. " have only gotseven teeth. 6y mother counted them last night, and one came out right

after!ard. &he said she9d slap me if any more came out. " can9t help it. "t9s

this old Europe. "t9s the climate that ma$es them come out. "n America theydidn9t come out. "t9s these hotels.

%interbourne !as much amused. "f you eat three lumps of sugar, your

mother !ill certainly slap you, he said.

&he9s got to give me some candy, then, reoined his young interlocutor. "

can9t get any candy here--any American candy. American candy9s the bestcandy.

And are American little boys the best little boys: as$ed %interbourne.


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" don9t $no!. "9m an American boy, said the child.

" see you are one of the best; laughed %interbourne.

Are you an American man: pursued this vivacious infant. And then, on%interbourne9s affirmative reply--American men are the best, he declared.

His companion than$ed him for the compliment, and the child, !ho had no!got astride of his alpenstoc$, stood loo$ing about him, !hile he attac$ed a

second lump of sugar. %interbourne !ondered if he himself had been li$ethis in his infancy, for he had been brought to Europe at about this age.

Here comes my sister; cried the child in a moment. &he9s an American

girl.

%interbourne loo$ed along the path and sa! a beautiful young lady

advancing. American girls are the best girls, he said cheerfully to hisyoung companion.

6y sister ain9t the best; the child declared. &he9s al!ays blo!ing at me.

" imagine that is your fault, not hers, said %interbourne. 'he young lady

mean!hile had dra!n near. &he !as dressed in !hite muslin, !ith a hundredfrills and flounces, and $nots of pale-colored ribbon. &he !as bareheaded,

but she balanced in her hand a large parasol, !ith a deep border ofembroidery0 and she !as stri$ingly, admirably pretty. Ho! pretty they are;

thought %interbourne, straightening himself in his seat, as if he !ereprepared to rise.

'he young lady paused in front of his bench, near the parapet of the garden,!hich overloo$ed the la$e. 'he little boy had no! converted his alpenstoc$

into a vaulting pole, by the aid of !hich he !as springing about in the graveland $ic$ing it up not a little.

4andolph, said the young lady, !hat A4E you doing:

"9m going up the Alps, replied 4andolph. 'his is the !ay; And he gaveanother little ump, scattering the pebbles about %interbourne9s ears.

'hat9s the !ay they come do!n, said %interbourne.

He9s an American man; cried 4andolph, in his little hard voice.

'he young lady gave no heed to this announcement, but loo$ed straight at

her brother. %ell, " guess you had better be uiet, she simply observed.


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"t seemed to %interbourne that he had been in a manner presented. He gotup and stepped slo!ly to!ard the young girl, thro!ing a!ay his cigarette.

'his little boy and " have made acuaintance, he said, !ith great civility."n /eneva, as he had been perfectly a!are, a young man !as not at liberty

to spea$ to a young unmarried lady except under certain rarely occurringconditions0 but here at evey, !hat conditions could be better than these:-- a

pretty American girl coming and standing in front of you in a garden. 'hispretty American girl, ho!ever, on hearing %interbourne9s observation,

simply glanced at him0 she then turned her head and loo$ed over the parapet,at the la$e and the opposite mountains. He !ondered !hether he had gone

too far, but he decided that he must advance farther, rather than retreat.%hile he !as thin$ing of something else to say, the young lady turned to the

little boy again.

" should li$e to $no! !here you got that pole, she said.

" bought it, responded 4andolph.

ou don9t mean to say you9re going to ta$e it to "taly:

es, " am going to ta$e it to "taly, the child declared.

'he young girl glanced over the front of her dress and smoothed out a $notor t!o of ribbon. 'hen she rested her eyes upon the prospect again. %ell, "

guess you had better leave it some!here, she said after a moment.

Are you going to "taly: %interbourne inuired in a tone of great respect.

'he young lady glanced at him again. es, sir, she replied. And she saidnothing more.

Are you--a-- going over the &implon: %interbourne pursued, a littleembarrassed.

" don9t $no!, she said. " suppose it9s some mountain. 4andolph, !hatmountain are !e going over:

/oing !here: the child demanded.

'o "taly, %interbourne explained.

" don9t $no!, said 4andolph. " don9t !ant to go to "taly. " !ant to go to

America.

*h, "taly is a beautiful place; reoined the young man.


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)an you get candy there: 4andolph loudly inuired.

" hope not, said his sister. " guess you have had enough candy, and

mother thin$s so too.

" haven9t had any for ever so long--for a hundred !ee$s; cried the boy, still

umping about.

'he young lady inspected her flounces and smoothed her ribbons again0 and

%interbourne presently ris$ed an observation upon the beauty of the vie!.He !as ceasing to be embarrassed, for he had begun to perceive that she !as

not in the least embarrassed herself. 'here had not been the slightestalteration in her charming complexion0 she !as evidently neither offended

nor flattered. "f she loo$ed another !ay !hen he spo$e to her, and seemed

not particularly to hear him, this !as simply her habit, her manner. et, as hetal$ed a little more and pointed out some of the obects of interest in thevie!, !ith !hich she appeared uite unacuainted, she gradually gave him

more of the benefit of her glance0 and then he sa! that this glance !asperfectly direct and unshrin$ing. "t !as not, ho!ever, !hat !ould have been

called an immodest glance, for the young girl9s eyes !ere singularly honestand fresh. 'hey !ere !onderfully pretty eyes0 and, indeed, %interbourne

had not seen for a long time anything prettier than his fair country!oman9svarious features--her complexion, her nose, her ears, her teeth. He had a

great relish for feminine beauty0 he !as addicted to observing and analy(ing

it0 and as regards this young lady9s face he made several observations. "t !asnot at all insipid, but it !as not exactly expressive0 and though it !aseminently delicate, %interbourne mentally accused it--very forgivingly--of a

!ant of finish. He thought it very possible that 6aster 4andolph9s sister !asa couette0 he !as sure she had a spirit of her o!n0 but in her bright, s!eet,

superficial little visage there !as no moc$ery, no irony. 2efore long itbecame obvious that she !as much disposed to!ard conversation. &he told

him that they !ere going to 4ome for the !inter--she and her mother and4andolph. &he as$ed him if he !as a real American0 she shouldn9t have

ta$en him for one0 he seemed more li$e a /erman--this !as said after a littlehesitation-- especially !hen he spo$e. %interbourne, laughing, ans!ered

that he had met /ermans !ho spo$e li$e Americans, but that he had not, sofar as he remembered, met an American !ho spo$e li$e a /erman. 'hen he

as$ed her if she should not be more comfortable in sitting upon the bench!hich he had ust uitted. &he ans!ered that she li$ed standing up and

!al$ing about0 but she presently sat do!n. &he told him she !as from +e!or$ &tate--if you $no! !here that is. %interbourne learned more about

her by catching hold of her small, slippery brother and ma$ing him stand afe! minutes by his side.

'ell me your name, my boy, he said.


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4andolph ). 6iller, said the boy sharply. And "9ll tell you her name0 andhe leveled his alpenstoc$ at his sister.

ou had better !ait till you are as$ed; said this young lady calmly.

" should li$e very much to $no! your name, said %interbourne.

Her name is aisy 6iller; cried the child. 2ut that isn9t her real name0that isn9t her name on her cards.

"t9s a pity you haven9t got one of my cards; said 6iss 6iller.

Her real name is Annie 5. 6iller, the boy !ent on.

As$ him H"& name, said his sister, indicating %interbourne.

2ut on this point 4andolph seemed perfectly indifferent0 he continued tosupply information !ith regard to his o!n family. 6y father9s name is E(ra

2. 6iller, he announced. 6y father ain9t in Europe0 my father9s in a betterplace than Europe0.

%interbourne imagined for a moment that this !as the manner in !hich thechild had been taught to intimate that 6r. 6iller had been removed to the

sphere of celestial re!ard. 2ut 4andolph immediately added, 6y father9s in

&chenectady. He9s got a big business. 6y father9s rich, you bet;

%ell; eaculated 6iss 6iller, lo!ering her parasol and loo$ing at theembroidered border. %interbourne presently released the child, !ho

departed, dragging his alpenstoc$ along the path. He doesn9t li$e Europe,said the young girl. He !ants to go bac$.

'o &chenectady, you mean:

es0 he !ants to go right home. He hasn9t got any boys here. 'here is one

boy here, but he al!ays goes round !ith a teacher0 they !on9t let him play.

And your brother hasn9t any teacher: %interbourne inuired.

6other thought of getting him one, to travel round !ith us. 'here !as a

lady told her of a very good teacher0 an American lady--perhaps you $no!her--6rs. &anders. " thin$ she came from 2oston. &he told her of this

teacher, and !e thought of getting him to travel round !ith us. 2ut4andolph said he didn9t !ant a teacher traveling round !ith us. He said he

!ouldn9t have lessons !hen he !as in the cars. And !e A4E in the cars

about half the time. 'here !as an English lady !e met in the cars--" thin$her name !as 6iss #eatherstone0 perhaps you $no! her. &he !anted to


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$no! !hy " didn9t give 4andolph lessons--give him 9instruction,9 she calledit. " guess he could give me more instruction than " could give him. He9s

very smart.

es, said %interbourne0 he seems very smart.

6other9s going to get a teacher for him as soon as !e get to "taly. )an youget good teachers in "taly:

ery good, " should thin$, said %interbourne.

*r else she9s going to find some school. He ought to learn some more. He9sonly nine. He9s going to college. And in this !ay 6iss 6iller continued to

converse upon the affairs of her family and upon other topics. &he sat there

!ith her extremely pretty hands, ornamented !ith very brilliant rings, foldedin her lap, and !ith her pretty eyes no! resting upon those of %interbourne,

no! !andering over the garden, the people !ho passed by, and the beautifulvie!. &he tal$ed to %interbourne as if she had $no!n him a long time. He

found it very pleasant. "t !as many years since he had heard a young girltal$ so much. "t might have been said of this un$no!n young lady, !ho had

come and sat do!n beside him upon a bench, that she chattered. &he !asvery uiet0 she sat in a charming, tranuil attitude0 but her lips and her eyes

!ere constantly moving. &he had a soft, slender, agreeable voice, and hertone !as decidedly sociable. &he gave %interbourne a history of her

movements and intentions and those of her mother and brother, in Europe,and enumerated, in particular, the various hotels at !hich they had stopped.

'hat English lady in the cars, she said--6iss #eatherstone-- as$ed me if!e didn9t all live in hotels in America. " told her " had never been in so many

hotels in my life as since " came to Europe. " have never seen so many--it9snothing but hotels. 2ut 6iss 6iller did not ma$e this remar$ !ith a

uerulous accent0 she appeared to be in the best humor !ith everything. &hedeclared that the hotels !ere very good, !hen once you got used to their

!ays, and that Europe !as perfectly s!eet. &he !as not disappointed--not abit. 5erhaps it !as because she had heard so much about it before. &he had

ever so many intimate friends that had been there ever so many times. Andthen she had had ever so many dresses and things from 5aris. %henever she

put on a 5aris dress she felt as if she !ere in Europe.

"t !as a $ind of a !ishing cap, said %interbourne.

es, said 6iss 6iller !ithout examining this analogy0 it al!ays made me!ish " !as here. 2ut " needn9t have done that for dresses. " am sure they send

all the pretty ones to America0 you see the most frightful things here. 'he

only thing " don9t li$e, she proceeded, is the society. 'here isn9t anysociety0 or, if there is, " don9t $no! !here it $eeps itself. o you: " suppose


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there is some society some!here, but " haven9t seen anything of it. "9m veryfond of society, and " have al!ays had a great deal of it. " don9t mean only in

&chenectady, but in +e! or$. " used to go to +e! or$ every !inter. "n+e! or$ " had lots of society.


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es, formerly, more than once, said %interbourne. ou too, " suppose,have seen it:

+o0 !e haven9t been there. " !ant to go there dreadfully. *f course " meanto go there. " !ouldn9t go a!ay from here !ithout having seen that old

castle.

"t9s a very pretty excursion, said %interbourne, and very easy to ma$e.

ou can drive, you $no!, or you can go by the little steamer.

ou can go in the cars, said 6iss 6iller.

es0 you can go in the cars, %interbourne assented.

*ur courier says they ta$e you right up to the castle, the young girlcontinued. %e !ere going last !ee$, but my mother gave out. &he suffers

dreadfully from dyspepsia. &he said she couldn9t go. 4andolph !ouldn9t goeither0 he says he doesn9t thin$ much of old castles. 2ut " guess !e9ll go this

!ee$, if !e can get 4andolph.

our brother is not interested in ancient monuments: %interbourne

inuired, smiling.

He says he don9t care much about old castles. He9s only nine. He !ants to

stay at the hotel. 6other9s afraid to leave him alone, and the courier !on9tstay !ith him0 so !e haven9t been to many places. 2ut it !ill be too bad if

!e don9t go up there. And 6iss 6iller pointed again at the )hateau de)hillon.

" should thin$ it might be arranged, said %interbourne. )ouldn9t you getsome one to stay for the afternoon !ith 4andolph:

6iss 6iller loo$ed at him a moment, and then, very placidly, " !ish *=!ould stay !ith him; she said.

%interbourne hesitated a moment. " should much rather go to )hillon !ith

you.

%ith me: as$ed the young girl !ith the same placidity.

&he didn9t rise, blushing, as a young girl at /eneva !ould have done0 andyet %interbourne, conscious that he had been very bold, thought it possible

she !as offended. %ith your mother, he ans!ered very respectfully.

2ut it seemed that both his audacity and his respect !ere lost upon 6issaisy 6iller. " guess my mother !on9t go, after all, she said. &he don9t


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li$e to ride round in the afternoon. 2ut did you really mean !hat you saidust no!--that you !ould li$e to go up there:

6ost earnestly, %interbourne declared.

'hen !e may arrange it. "f mother !ill stay !ith 4andolph, " guess

Eugenio !ill.

Eugenio: the young man inuired.

Eugenio9s our courier. He doesn9t li$e to stay !ith 4andolph0 he9s the most

fastidious man " ever sa!. 2ut he9s a splendid courier. " guess he9ll stay athome !ith 4andolph if mother does, and then !e can go to the castle.

%interbourne reflected for an instant as lucidly as possible-- !e couldonly mean 6iss aisy 6iller and himself. 'his program seemed almost too

agreeable for credence0 he felt as if he ought to $iss the young lady9s hand.5ossibly he !ould have done so and uite spoiled the proect, but at this

moment another person, presumably Eugenio, appeared. A tall, handsomeman, !ith superb !his$ers, !earing a velvet morning coat and a brilliant

!atch chain, approached 6iss 6iller, loo$ing sharply at her companion.*h, Eugenio; said 6iss 6iller !ith the friendliest accent.

Eugenio had loo$ed at %interbourne from head to foot0 he no! bo!ed

gravely to the young lady. " have the honor to inform mademoiselle thatluncheon is upon the table.

6iss 6iller slo!ly rose. &ee here, Eugenio; she said0 "9m going to that

old castle, any!ay.

'o the )hateau de )hillon, mademoiselle: the courier inuired.

6ademoiselle has made arrangements: he added in a tone !hich struc$%interbourne as very impertinent.

Eugenio9s tone apparently thre!, even to 6iss 6iller9s o!n apprehension, aslightly ironical light upon the young girl9s situation. &he turned to

%interbourne, blushing a little--a very little. ou !on9t bac$ out: she said.

" shall not be happy till !e go; he protested.

And you are staying in this hotel: she !ent on. And you are really an

American:

'he courier stood loo$ing at %interbourne offensively. 'he young man, at

least, thought his manner of loo$ing an offense to 6iss 6iller0 it conveyedan imputation that she pic$ed up acuaintances. " shall have the honor of


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presenting to you a person !ho !ill tell you all about me, he said, smilingand referring to his aunt.

*h, !ell, !e9ll go some day, said 6iss 6iller. And she gave him a smileand turned a!ay. &he put up her parasol and !al$ed bac$ to the inn beside

Eugenio. %interbourne stood loo$ing after her0 and as she moved a!ay,dra!ing her muslin furbelo!s over the gravel, said to himself that she had

the tournure of a princess.

He had, ho!ever, engaged to do more than proved feasible, in promising to

present his aunt, 6rs. )ostello, to 6iss aisy 6iller. As soon as the formerlady had got better of her headache, he !aited upon her in her apartment0

and, after the proper inuiries in regard to her health, he as$ed her if she hadobserved in the hotel an American family--a mamma, a daughter, and a little

boy.

And a courier: said 6rs. )ostello. *h yes, " have observed them. &een

them--heard them--and $ept out of their !ay. 6rs. )ostello !as a !ido!!ith a fortune0 a person of much distinction, !ho freuently intimated that,

if she !ere not so dreadfully liable to sic$ headaches, she !ould probablyhave left a deeper impress upon her time. &he had a long, pale face, a high

nose, and a great deal of very stri$ing !hite hair, !hich she !ore in largepuffs and rouleaux over the top of her head. &he had t!o sons married in

+e! or$ and another !ho !as no! in Europe. 'his young man !as

amusing himself at Hamburg, and, though he !as on his travels, !as rarelyperceived to visit any particular city at the moment selected by his motherfor her o!n appearance there. Her nephe!, !ho had come up to evey

expressly to see her, !as therefore more attentive than those !ho, as shesaid, !ere nearer to her. He had imbibed at /eneva the idea that one must

al!ays be attentive to one9s aunt. 6rs. )ostello had not seen him for manyyears, and she !as greatly pleased !ith him, manifesting her approbation by

initiating him into many of the secrets of that social s!ay !hich, as she gavehim to understand, she exerted in the American capital. &he admitted that

she !as very exclusive0 but, if he !ere acuainted !ith +e! or$, he !ouldsee that one had to be. And her picture of the minutely hierarchical

constitution of the society of that city, !hich she presented to him in manydifferent lights, !as, to %interbourne9s imagination, almost oppressively

stri$ing.

He immediately perceived, from her tone, that 6iss aisy 6iller9s place in

the social scale !as lo!. " am afraid you don9t approve of them, he said.

'hey are very common, 6rs. )ostello declared. 'hey are the sort of

Americans that one does one9s duty by not--not accepting.


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Ah, you don9t accept them: said the young man.

" can9t, my dear #rederic$. " !ould if " could, but " can9t.

'he young girl is very pretty, said %interbourne in a moment.

*f course she9s pretty. 2ut she is very common.

" see !hat you mean, of course, said %interbourne after another pause.

&he has that charming loo$ that they all have, his aunt resumed. " can9tthin$ !here they pic$ it up0 and she dresses in perfection--no, you don9t

$no! ho! !ell she dresses. " can9t thin$ !here they get their taste.

2ut, my dear aunt, she is not, after all, a )omanche savage.

&he is a young lady, said 6rs. )ostello, !ho has an intimacy !ith hermamma9s courier.

An intimacy !ith the courier: the young man demanded.

*h, the mother is ust as bad; 'hey treat the courier li$e a familiar friend--li$e a gentleman. " shouldn9t !onder if he dines !ith them. ery li$ely they

have never seen a man !ith such good manners, such fine clothes, so li$e a

gentleman. He probably corresponds to the young lady9s idea of a count. Hesits !ith them in the garden in the evening. " thin$ he smo$es.

%interbourne listened !ith interest to these disclosures0 they helped him to

ma$e up his mind about 6iss aisy. Evidently she !as rather !ild. %ell,he said, " am not a courier, and yet she !as very charming to me.

ou had better have said at first, said 6rs. )ostello !ith dignity, that youhad made her acuaintance.

%e simply met in the garden, and !e tal$ed a bit.

'out bonnement; And pray !hat did you say:

" said " should ta$e the liberty of introducing her to my admirable aunt.

" am much obliged to you.

"t !as to guarantee my respectability, said %interbourne.

And pray !ho is to guarantee hers:


14/54

Ah, you are cruel; said the young man. &he9s a very nice young girl.

ou don9t say that as if you believed it, 6rs. )ostello observed.

&he is completely uncultivated, %interbourne !ent on. 2ut she is!onderfully pretty, and, in short, she is very nice. 'o prove that " believe it, "

am going to ta$e her to the )hateau de )hillon.

ou t!o are going off there together: " should say it proved ust the

contrary. Ho! long had you $no!n her, may " as$, !hen this interestingproect !as formed: ou haven9t been t!enty-four hours in the house.

" have $no!n her half an hour; said %interbourne, smiling.

ear me; cried 6rs. )ostello. %hat a dreadful girl;

Her nephe! !as silent for some moments. ou really thin$, then, he

began earnestly, and !ith a desire for trust!orthy information--you reallythin$ that-- 2ut he paused again.

'hin$ !hat, sir: said his aunt.

'hat she is the sort of young lady !ho expects a man, sooner or later, to

carry her off:

" haven9t the least idea !hat such young ladies expect a man to do. 2ut "really thin$ that you had better not meddle !ith little American girls that areuncultivated, as you call them. ou have lived too long out of the country.

ou !ill be sure to ma$e some great mista$e. ou are too innocent.

6y dear aunt, " am not so innocent, said %interbourne, smiling andcurling his mustache.

ou are guilty too, then;

%interbourne continued to curl his mustache meditatively. ou !on9t let

the poor girl $no! you then: he as$ed at last.

"s it literally true that she is going to the )hateau de )hillon !ith you:

" thin$ that she fully intends it.

'hen, my dear #rederic$, said 6rs. )ostello, " must decline the honor ofher acuaintance. " am an old !oman, but " am not too old, than$ Heaven, to

be shoc$ed;


15/54

2ut don9t they all do these things--the young girls in America:%interbourne inuired.

6rs. )ostello stared a moment. " should li$e to see my granddaughters dothem; she declared grimly.

'his seemed to thro! some light upon the matter, for %interbourneremembered to have heard that his pretty cousins in +e! or$ !ere

tremendous flirts. "f, therefore, 6iss aisy 6iller exceeded the liberalmargin allo!ed to these young ladies, it !as probable that anything might be

expected of her. %interbourne !as impatient to see her again, and he !asvexed !ith himself that, by instinct, he should not appreciate her ustly.

Section 2

hough he !as impatient to see her, he hardly $ne! !hat he should say to her

about his aunt9s refusal to become acuainted !ith her0 but he discovered,promptly enough, that !ith 6iss aisy 6iller there !as no great need of

!al$ing on tiptoe. He found her that evening in the garden, !andering aboutin the !arm starlight li$e an indolent sylph, and s!inging to and fro the

largest fan he had ever beheld. "t !as ten o9cloc$. He had dined !ith hisaunt, had been sitting !ith her since dinner, and had ust ta$en leave of her

till the morro!. 6iss aisy 6iller seemed very glad to see him0 shedeclared it !as the longest evening she had ever passed.

Have you been all alone: he as$ed.

" have been !al$ing round !ith mother. 2ut mother gets tired !al$ing

round, she ans!ered.

Has she gone to bed:

+o0 she doesn9t li$e to go to bed, said the young girl. &he doesn9t sleep--not three hours. &he says she doesn9t $no! ho! she lives. &he9s dreadfully

nervous. " guess she sleeps more than she thin$s. &he9s gone some!hereafter 4andolph0 she !ants to try to get him to go to bed. He doesn9t li$e to

go to bed.


16/54

eleven. "t appeared that 4andolph9s vigil !as in fact triumphantlyprolonged, for %interbourne strolled about !ith the young girl for some

time !ithout meeting her mother. " have been loo$ing round for that ladyyou !ant to introduce me to, his companion resumed. &he9s your aunt.

'hen, on %interbourne9s admitting the fact and expressing some curiosity asto ho! she had learned it, she said she had heard all about 6rs. )ostello

from the chambermaid. &he !as very uiet and very comme il faut0 she!ore !hite puffs0 she spo$e to no one, and she never dined at the table

d9hote. Every t!o days she had a headache. " thin$ that9s a lovelydescription, headache and all; said 6iss aisy, chattering along in her thin,

gay voice. " !ant to $no! her ever so much. " $no! ust !hat *=4 aunt!ould be0 " $no! " should li$e her. &he !ould be very exclusive. " li$e a

lady to be exclusive0 "9m dying to be exclusive myself. %ell, !e A4Eexclusive, mother and ". %e don9t spea$ to everyone--or they don9t spea$ to

us. " suppose it9s about the same thing. Any!ay, " shall be ever so glad to$no! your aunt.

%interbourne !as embarrassed. &he !ould be most happy, he said0 but "am afraid those headaches !ill interfere.

'he young girl loo$ed at him through the dus$. 2ut " suppose she doesn9thave a headache every day, she said sympathetically.

%interbourne !as silent a moment. &he tells me she does, he ans!ered at

last, not $no!ing !hat to say.

6iss aisy 6iller stopped and stood loo$ing at him. Her prettiness !as stillvisible in the dar$ness0 she !as opening and closing her enormous fan. &he

doesn9t !ant to $no! me; she said suddenly. %hy don9t you say so: ouneedn9t be afraid. "9m not afraid; And she gave a little laugh.

%interbourne fancied there !as a tremor in her voice0 he !as touched,shoc$ed, mortified by it. 6y dear young lady, he protested, she $no!s no

one. "t9s her !retched health.

'he young girl !al$ed on a fe! steps, laughing still. ou needn9t be

afraid, she repeated. %hy should she !ant to $no! me: 'hen she pausedagain0 she !as close to the parapet of the garden, and in front of her !as the

starlit la$e. 'here !as a vague sheen upon its surface, and in the distance!ere dimly seen mountain forms. aisy 6iller loo$ed out upon the

mysterious prospect and then she gave another little laugh. /racious; she "&exclusive; she said. %interbourne !ondered !hether she !as seriously

!ounded, and for a moment almost !ished that her sense of inury might be

such as to ma$e it becoming in him to attempt to reassure and comfort her.He had a pleasant sense that she !ould be very approachable for consolatory


17/54

purposes. He felt then, for the instant, uite ready to sacrifice his aunt,conversationally0 to admit that she !as a proud, rude !oman, and to declare

that they needn9t mind her. 2ut before he had time to commit himself to thisperilous mixture of gallantry and impiety, the young lady, resuming her

!al$, gave an exclamation in uite another tone. %ell, here9s 6other; "guess she hasn9t got 4andolph to go to bed. 'he figure of a lady appeared at

a distance, very indistinct in the dar$ness, and advancing !ith a slo! and!avering movement. &uddenly it seemed to pause.

Are you sure it is your mother: )an you distinguish her in this thic$ dus$:%interbourne as$ed.

%ell; cried 6iss aisy 6iller !ith a laugh0 " guess " $no! my o!nmother. And !hen she has got on my sha!l, too; &he is al!ays !earing my

things.

'he lady in uestion, ceasing to advance, hovered vaguely about the spot at

!hich she had chec$ed her steps.

" am afraid your mother doesn9t see you, said %interbourne. *r perhaps,

he added, thin$ing, !ith 6iss 6iller, the o$e permissible--perhaps shefeels guilty about your sha!l.

*h, it9s a fearful old thing; the young girl replied serenely. " told her she

could !ear it. &he !on9t come here because she sees you.

Ah, then, said %interbourne, " had better leave you.

*h, no0 come on; urged 6iss aisy 6iller.

"9m afraid your mother doesn9t approve of my !al$ing !ith you.

6iss 6iller gave him a serious glance. "t isn9t for me0 it9s for you--that is,it9s for HE4. %ell, " don9t $no! !ho it9s for; 2ut mother doesn9t li$e any of

my gentlemen friends. &he9s right do!n timid. &he al!ays ma$es a fuss if "introduce a gentleman. 2ut " * introduce them--almost al!ays. "f " didn9t

introduce my gentlemen friends to 6other, the young girl added in her littlesoft, flat monotone, " shouldn9t thin$ " !as natural.

'o introduce me, said %interbourne, you must $no! my name. And heproceeded to pronounce it.

*h, dear, " can9t say all that; said his companion !ith a laugh. 2ut by this

time they had come up to 6rs. 6iller, !ho, as they dre! near, !al$ed to the

parapet of the garden and leaned upon it, loo$ing intently at the la$e andturning her bac$ to them. 6other; said the young girl in a tone of decision.


18/54

=pon this the elder lady turned round. 6r. %interbourne, said 6iss aisy6iller, introducing the young man very fran$ly and prettily. )ommon, she

!as, as 6rs. )ostello had pronounced her0 yet it !as a !onder to%interbourne that, !ith her commonness, she had a singularly delicate

grace.

Her mother !as a small, spare, light person, !ith a !andering eye, a very

exiguous nose, and a large forehead, decorated !ith a certain amount of thin,much fri((led hair.


19/54

" guess he doesn9t sleep much, aisy reoined.

" !ish he !ould; said her mother. "t seems as if he couldn9t.

" thin$ he9s real tiresome, aisy pursued.

'hen, for some moments, there !as silence. %ell, aisy 6iller, said the

elder lady, presently, " shouldn9t thin$ you9d !ant to tal$ against your o!nbrother;

%ell, he "& tiresome, 6other, said aisy, uite !ithout the asperity of a

retort.

He9s only nine, urged 6rs. 6iller.

%ell, he !ouldn9t go to that castle, said the young girl. "9m going there!ith 6r. %interbourne.

'o this announcement, very placidly made, aisy9s mamma offered noresponse. %interbourne too$ for granted that she deeply disapproved of the

proected excursion0 but he said to himself that she !as a simple, easilymanaged person, and that a fe! deferential protestations !ould ta$e the

edge from her displeasure. es, he began0 your daughter has $indlyallo!ed me the honor of being her guide.

6rs. 6iller9s !andering eyes attached themselves, !ith a sort of appealingair, to aisy, !ho, ho!ever, strolled a fe! steps farther, gently humming to

herself. " presume you !ill go in the cars, said her mother.

es, or in the boat, said %interbourne.

%ell, of course, " don9t $no!, 6rs. 6iller reoined. " have never been to

that castle.

"t is a pity you shouldn9t go, said %interbourne, beginning to feelreassured as to her opposition. And yet he !as uite prepared to find that, asa matter of course, she meant to accompany her daughter.

%e9ve been thin$ing ever so much about going, she pursued0 but it seemsas if !e couldn9t. *f course aisy--she !ants to go round. 2ut there9s a lady

here--" don9t $no! her name-- she says she shouldn9t thin$ !e9d !ant to goto see castles HE4E0 she should thin$ !e9d !ant to !ait till !e got to "taly.

"t seems as if there !ould be so many there, continued 6rs. 6iller !ith anair of increasing confidence. *f course !e only !ant to see the principal

ones. %e visited several in England, she presently added.


20/54

Ah yes; in England there are beautiful castles, said %interbourne. 2ut)hillon here, is very !ell !orth seeing.

%ell, if aisy feels up to it-- said 6rs. 6iller, in a tone impregnated !itha sense of the magnitude of the enterprise. "t seems as if there !as nothing

she !ouldn9t underta$e.

*h, " thin$ she9ll enoy it; %interbourne declared. And he desired more

and more to ma$e it a certainty that he !as to have the privilege of a tete-a-tete !ith the young lady, !ho !as still strolling along in front of them, softly

vocali(ing. ou are not disposed, madam, he inuired, to underta$e ityourself:

aisy9s mother loo$ed at him an instant as$ance, and then !al$ed for!ard in

silence. 'hen--" guess she had better go alone, she said simply.%interbourne observed to himself that this !as a very different type ofmaternity from that of the vigilant matrons !ho massed themselves in the

forefront of social intercourse in the dar$ old city at the other end of thela$e. 2ut his meditations !ere interrupted by hearing his name very

distinctly pronounced by 6rs. 6iller9s unprotected daughter.

6r. %interbourne; murmured aisy.

6ademoiselle; said the young man.

on9t you !ant to ta$e me out in a boat:

At present: he as$ed.

*f course; said aisy.

%ell, Annie 6iller; exclaimed her mother.

" beg you, madam, to let her go, said %interbourne ardently0 for he had

never yet enoyed the sensation of guiding through the summer starlight as$iff freighted !ith a fresh and beautiful young girl.

" shouldn9t thin$ she9d !ant to, said her mother. " should thin$ she9d rathergo indoors.

"9m sure 6r. %interbourne !ants to ta$e me, aisy declared. He9s soa!fully devoted;

" !ill ro! you over to )hillon in the starlight.

" don9t believe it; said aisy.


21/54

%ell; eaculated the elder lady again.

ou haven9t spo$en to me for half an hour, her daughter !ent on.

" have been having some very pleasant conversation !ith your mother,said %interbourne.

%ell, " !ant you to ta$e me out in a boat; aisy repeated. 'hey had allstopped, and she had turned round and !as loo$ing at %interbourne. Her

face !ore a charming smile, her pretty eyes !ere gleaming, she !ass!inging her great fan about. +o0 it9s impossible to be prettier than that,

thought %interbourne.

'here are half a do(en boats moored at that landing place, he said,

pointing to certain steps !hich descended from the garden to the la$e. "fyou !ill do me the honor to accept my arm, !e !ill go and select one of

them.

aisy stood there smiling0 she thre! bac$ her head and gave a little, lightlaugh. " li$e a gentleman to be formal; she declared.

" assure you it9s a formal offer.

" !as bound " !ould ma$e you say something, aisy !ent on.

ou see, it9s not very difficult, said %interbourne. 2ut " am afraid you arechaffing me.

" thin$ not, sir, remar$ed 6rs. 6iller very gently.

o, then, let me give you a ro!, he said to the young girl.

"t9s uite lovely, the !ay you say that; cried aisy.

"t !ill be still more lovely to do it.

es, it !ould be lovely; said aisy. 2ut she made no movement to

accompany him0 she only stood there laughing.

" should thin$ you had better find out !hat time it is, interposed her

mother.

"t is eleven o9cloc$, madam, said a voice, !ith a foreign accent, out of theneighboring dar$ness0 and %interbourne, turning, perceived the florid

personage !ho !as in attendance upon the t!o ladies. He had apparentlyust approached.


22/54

*h, Eugenio, said aisy, " am going out in a boat;

Eugenio bo!ed. At eleven o9cloc$, mademoiselle:

" am going !ith 6r. %interbourne--this very minute.

o tell her she can9t, said 6rs. 6iller to the courier.

" thin$ you had better not go out in a boat, mademoiselle, Eugenio

declared.

%interbourne !ished to Heaven this pretty girl !ere not so familiar !ith her

courier0 but he said nothing.

" suppose you don9t thin$ it9s proper; aisy exclaimed. Eugenio doesn9t

thin$ anything9s proper.

" am at your service, said %interbourne.

oes mademoiselle propose to go alone: as$ed Eugenio of 6rs. 6iller.

*h, no0 !ith this gentleman; ans!ered aisy9s mamma.

'he courier loo$ed for a moment at %interbourne--the latter thought he !as

smiling--and then, solemnly, !ith a bo!, As mademoiselle pleases; hesaid.

*h, " hoped you !ould ma$e a fuss; said aisy. " don9t care to go no!.

" myself shall ma$e a fuss if you don9t go, said %interbourne.

'hat9s all " !ant--a little fuss; And the young girl began to laugh again.

6r. 4andolph has gone to bed; the courier announced frigidly.

*h, aisy0 no! !e can go; said 6rs. 6iller.

aisy turned a!ay from %interbourne, loo$ing at him, smiling and fanningherself. /ood night, she said0 " hope you are disappointed, or disgusted,

or something;

He loo$ed at her, ta$ing the hand she offered him. " am pu((led, he

ans!ered.

%ell, " hope it !on9t $eep you a!a$e; she said very smartly0 and, under

the escort of the privileged Eugenio, the t!o ladies passed to!ard the house.


23/54

%interbourne stood loo$ing after them0 he !as indeed pu((led. He lingeredbeside the la$e for a uarter of an hour, turning over the mystery of the

young girl9s sudden familiarities and caprices. 2ut the only very definiteconclusion he came to !as that he should enoy deucedly going off !ith

her some!here.

'!o days after!ard he !ent off !ith her to the )astle of )hillon. He !aited

for her in the large hall of the hotel, !here the couriers, the servants, theforeign tourists, !ere lounging about and staring. "t !as not the place he

should have chosen, but she had appointed it. &he came tripping do!nstairs,buttoning her long gloves, suee(ing her folded parasol against her pretty

figure, dressed in the perfection of a soberly elegant traveling costume.%interbourne !as a man of imagination and, as our ancestors used to say,

sensibility0 as he loo$ed at her dress and, on the great staircase, her little

rapid, confiding step, he felt as if there !ere something romantic goingfor!ard. He could have believed he !as going to elope !ith her. He passedout !ith her among all the idle people that !ere assembled there0 they !ere

all loo$ing at her very hard0 she had begun to chatter as soon as she oinedhim. %interbourne9s preference had been that they should be conveyed to

)hillon in a carriage0 but she expressed a lively !ish to go in the littlesteamer0 she declared that she had a passion for steamboats. 'here !as

al!ays such a lovely bree(e upon the !ater, and you sa! such lots ofpeople. 'he sail !as not long, but %interbourne9s companion found time tosay a great many things. 'o the young man himself their little excursion !as

so much of an escapade--an adventure-- that, even allo!ing for her habitualsense of freedom, he had some expectation of seeing her regard it in the

same !ay. 2ut it must be confessed that, in this particular, he !asdisappointed. aisy 6iller !as extremely animated, she !as in charming

spirits0 but she !as apparently not at all excited0 she !as not fluttered0 sheavoided neither his eyes nor those of anyone else0 she blushed neither !hen

she loo$ed at him nor !hen she felt that people !ere loo$ing at her. 5eoplecontinued to loo$ at her a great deal, and %interbourne too$ much

satisfaction in his pretty companion9s distinguished air. He had been a little

afraid that she !ould tal$ loud, laugh overmuch, and even, perhaps, desire tomove about the boat a good deal. 2ut he uite forgot his fears0 he satsmiling, !ith his eyes upon her face, !hile, !ithout moving from her place,

she delivered herself of a great number of original reflections. "t !as themost charming garrulity he had ever heard. he had assented to the idea that

she !as common0 but !as she so, after all, or !as he simply getting usedto her commonness: Her conversation !as chiefly of !hat metaphysicians

term the obective cast, but every no! and then it too$ a subective turn.

%hat on EA4'H are you so grave about: she suddenly demanded, fixing

her agreeable eyes upon %interbourne9s.


24/54

Am " grave: he as$ed. " had an idea " !as grinning from ear to ear.

ou loo$ as if you !ere ta$ing me to a funeral. "f that9s a grin, your ears are

very near together.

&hould you li$e me to dance a hornpipe on the dec$:

5ray do, and "9ll carry round your hat. "t !ill pay the expenses of ourourney.

" never !as better pleased in my life, murmured %interbourne.

&he loo$ed at him a moment and then burst into a little laugh. " li$e toma$e you say those things; ou9re a ueer mixture;

"n the castle, after they had landed, the subective element decidedlyprevailed. aisy tripped about the vaulted chambers, rustled her s$irts in the

cor$scre! staircases, flirted bac$ !ith a pretty little cry and a shudder fromthe edge of the oubliettes, and turned a singularly !ell-shaped ear to

everything that %interbourne told her about the place. 2ut he sa! that shecared very little for feudal antiuities and that the dus$y traditions of )hillon

made but a slight impression upon her. 'hey had the good fortune to havebeen able to !al$ about !ithout other companionship than that of the

custodian0 and %interbourne arranged !ith this functionary that they should

not be hurried-- that they should linger and pause !herever they chose. 'hecustodian interpreted the bargain generously--%interbourne, on his side, had

been generous--and ended by leaving them uite to themselves. 6iss

6iller9s observations !ere not remar$able for logical consistency0 foranything she !anted to say she !as sure to find a pretext. &he found a great

many pretexts in the rugged embrasures of )hillon for as$ing %interbournesudden uestions about himself--his family, his previous history, his tastes,

his habits, his intentions--and for supplying information upon correspondingpoints in her o!n personality. *f her o!n tastes, habits, and intentions 6iss

6iller !as prepared to give the most definite, and indeed the most favorable

account.

%ell, " hope you $no! enough; she said to her companion, after he hadtold her the history of the unhappy 2onivard. " never sa! a man that $ne!

so much; 'he history of 2onivard had evidently, as they say, gone into oneear and out of the other. 2ut aisy !ent on to say that she !ished

%interbourne !ould travel !ith them and go round !ith them0 they might$no! something, in that case. on9t you !ant to come and teach

4andolph: she as$ed. %interbourne said that nothing could possibly please

him so much, but that he unfortunately other occupations. *theroccupations: " don9t believe it; said 6iss aisy. %hat do you mean: ou


25/54

are not in business. 'he young man admitted that he !as not in business0but he had engagements !hich, even !ithin a day or t!o, !ould force him

to go bac$ to /eneva. *h, bother; she said0 " don9t believe it; and shebegan to tal$ about something else. 2ut a fe! moments later, !hen he !as

pointing out to her the pretty design of an antiue fireplace, she bro$e outirrelevantly, ou don9t mean to say you are going bac$ to /eneva:

"t is a melancholy fact that " shall have to return to /eneva tomorro!.

%ell, 6r. %interbourne, said aisy, " thin$ you9re horrid;

*h, don9t say such dreadful things; said %interbourne--ust at the last;

'he last; cried the young girl0 " call it the first. " have half a mind to leave

you here and go straight bac$ to the hotel alone. And for the next tenminutes she did nothing but call him horrid. 5oor %interbourne !as fairly

be!ildered0 no young lady had as yet done him the honor to be so agitatedby the announcement of his movements. His companion, after this, ceased to

pay any attention to the curiosities of )hillon or the beauties of the la$e0 sheopened fire upon the mysterious charmer in /eneva !hom she appeared to

have instantly ta$en it for granted that he !as hurrying bac$ to see. Ho! did6iss aisy 6iller $no! that there !as a charmer in /eneva: %interbourne,

!ho denied the existence of such a person, !as uite unable to discover, andhe !as divided bet!een ama(ement at the rapidity of her induction and

amusement at the fran$ness of her persiflage. &he seemed to him, in all this,an extraordinary mixture of innocence and crudity. oes she never allo!

you more than three days at a time: as$ed aisy ironically. oesn9t shegive you a vacation in summer: 'here9s no one so hard !or$ed but they can

get leave to go off some!here at this season. " suppose, if you stay anotherday, she9ll come after you in the boat. o !ait over till #riday, and " !ill go

do!n to the landing to see her arrive; %interbourne began to thin$ he hadbeen !rong to feel disappointed in the temper in !hich the young lady had

embar$ed. "f he had missed the personal accent, the personal accent !asno! ma$ing its appearance. "t sounded very distinctly, at last, in her telling

him she !ould stop teasing him if he !ould promise her solemnly to comedo!n to 4ome in the !inter.

'hat9s not a difficult promise to ma$e, said %interbourne. 6y aunt hasta$en an apartment in 4ome for the !inter and has already as$ed me to

come and see her.

" don9t !ant you to come for your aunt, said aisy0 " !ant you to come

for me. And this !as the only allusion that the young man !as ever to hear

her ma$e to his invidious $ins!oman. He declared that, at any rate, he!ould certainly come. After this aisy stopped teasing. %interbourne too$ a


26/54

carriage, and they drove bac$ to evey in the dus$0 the young girl !as veryuiet.

"n the evening %interbourne mentioned to 6rs. )ostello that he had spentthe afternoon at )hillon !ith 6iss aisy 6iller.

'he Americans--of the courier: as$ed this lady.

Ah, happily, said %interbourne, the courier stayed at home.

&he !ent !ith you all alone:

All alone.

6rs. )ostello sniffed a little at her smelling bottle. And that, she

exclaimed, is the young person !hom you !anted me to $no!;

PART II

Section I

interbourne, !ho had returned to /eneva the day after his excursion to)hillon, !ent to 4ome to!ard the end of January. His aunt had been

established there for several !ee$s, and he had received a couple of lettersfrom her. 'hose people you !ere so devoted to last summer at evey have

turned up here, courier and all, she !rote. 'hey seem to have madeseveral acuaintances, but the courier continues to be the most intime. 'he

young lady, ho!ever, is also very intimate !ith some third-rate "talians,!ith !hom she rac$ets about in a !ay that ma$es much tal$. 2ring me that

pretty novel of )herbulie(9s--5aule 6ere-- and don9t come later than the>?rd.

"n the natural course of events, %interbourne, on arriving in 4ome, !ould

presently have ascertained 6rs. 6iller9s address at the American ban$er9sand have gone to pay his compliments to 6iss aisy. After !hat happenedat evey, " thin$ " may certainly call upon them, he said to 6rs. )ostello.

"f, after !hat happens--at evey and every!here--you desire to $eep up theacuaintance, you are very !elcome. *f course a man may $no! everyone.

6en are !elcome to the privilege;

5ray !hat is it that happens--here, for instance: %interbourne demanded.

'he girl goes about alone !ith her foreigners. As to !hat happens further,you must apply else!here for information. &he has pic$ed up half a do(en of


27/54

the regular 4oman fortune hunters, and she ta$es them about to people9shouses. %hen she comes to a party she brings !ith her a gentleman !ith a

good deal of manner and a !onderful mustache.

And !here is the mother:

" haven9t the least idea. 'hey are very dreadful people.

%interbourne meditated a moment. 'hey are very ignorant-- very innocent

only. epend upon it they are not bad.

'hey are hopelessly vulgar, said 6rs. )ostello. %hether or no beinghopelessly vulgar is being 9bad9 is a uestion for the metaphysicians. 'hey

are bad enough to disli$e, at any rate0 and for this short life that is uite

enough.

'he ne!s that aisy 6iller !as surrounded by half a do(en !onderfulmustaches chec$ed %interbourne9s impulse to go straight!ay to see her. He

had, perhaps, not definitely flattered himself that he had made anineffaceable impression upon her heart, but he !as annoyed at hearing of a

state of affairs so little in harmony !ith an image that had lately flitted inand out of his o!n meditations0 the image of a very pretty girl loo$ing out of

an old 4oman !indo! and as$ing herself urgently !hen 6r. %interbourne!ould arrive. "f, ho!ever, he determined to !ait a little before reminding

6iss 6iller of his claims to her consideration, he !ent very soon to callupon t!o or three other friends. *ne of these friends !as an American lady!ho had spent several !inters at /eneva, !here she had placed her children

at school. &he !as a very accomplished !oman, and she lived in the ia/regoriana. %interbourne found her in a little crimson dra!ing room on a

third floor0 the room !as filled !ith southern sunshine. He had not beenthere ten minutes !hen the servant came in, announcing 6adame 6ila;

'his announcement !as presently follo!ed by the entrance of little4andolph 6iller, !ho stopped in the middle of the room and stood staring at

%interbourne. An instant later his pretty sister crossed the threshold0 andthen, after a considerable interval, 6rs. 6iller slo!ly advanced.

" $no! you; said 4andolph.

"9m sure you $no! a great many things, exclaimed %interbourne, ta$inghim by the hand. Ho! is your education coming on:

aisy !as exchanging greetings very prettily !ith her hostess, but !hen sheheard %interbourne9s voice she uic$ly turned her head. %ell, " declare;

she said.


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" told you " should come, you $no!, %interbourne reoined, smiling.

%ell, " didn9t believe it, said 6iss aisy.

" am much obliged to you, laughed the young man.

ou might have come to see me; said aisy.

" arrived only yesterday.

" don9t believe tte that; the young girl declared.

%interbourne turned !ith a protesting smile to her mother, but this lady

evaded his glance, and, seating herself, fixed her eyes upon her son. %e9vegot a bigger place than this, said 4andolph. "t9s all gold on the !alls.

6rs. 6iller turned uneasily in her chair. " told you if " !ere to bring you,you !ould say something; she murmured.

" told *=; 4andolph exclaimed. " tell *=, sir; he added ocosely,giving %interbourne a thump on the $nee. "t "& bigger, too;

aisy had entered upon a lively conversation !ith her hostess0 %interbourne

udged it becoming to address a fe! !ords to her mother. " hope you have

been !ell since !e parted at evey, he said.

6rs. 6iller no! certainly loo$ed at him--at his chin. +ot very !ell, sir,she ans!ered.

&he9s got the dyspepsia, said 4andolph. "9ve got it too. #ather9s got it. "9vegot it most;

'his announcement, instead of embarrassing 6rs. 6iller, seemed to relieveher. " suffer from the liver, she said. " thin$ it9s this climate0 it9s less

bracing than &chenectady, especially in the !inter season. " don9t $no!!hether you $no! !e reside at &chenectady. " !as saying to aisy that "

certainly hadn9t found any one li$e r. avis, and " didn9t believe " should.*h, at &chenectady he stands first0 they thin$ everything of him. He has so

much to do, and yet there !as nothing he !ouldn9t do for me. He said henever sa! anything li$e my dyspepsia, but he !as bound to cure it. "9m sure

there !as nothing he !ouldn9t try. He !as ust going to try something ne!!hen !e came off. 6r. 6iller !anted aisy to see Europe for herself. 2ut "

!rote to 6r. 6iller that it seems as if " couldn9t get on !ithout r. avis. At&chenectady he stands at the very top0 and there9s a great deal of sic$ness

there, too. "t affects my sleep.


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%interbourne had a good deal of pathological gossip !ith r. avis9spatient, during !hich aisy chattered unremittingly to her o!n companion.

'he young man as$ed 6rs. 6iller ho! she !as pleased !ith 4ome. %ell, "must say " am disappointed, she ans!ered. %e had heard so much about it0

" suppose !e had heard too much. 2ut !e couldn9t help that. %e had beenled to expect something different.

Ah, !ait a little, and you !ill become very fond of it, said %interbourne.

" hate it !orse and !orse every day; cried 4andolph.

ou are li$e the infant Hannibal, said %interbourne.

+o, " ain9t; 4andolph declared at a venture.

ou are not much li$e an infant, said his mother. 2ut !e have seen

places, she resumed, that " should put a long !ay before 4ome. And inreply to %interbourne9s interrogation, 'here9s @urich, she concluded, "

thin$ @urich is lovely0 and !e hadn9t heard half so much about it.

'he best place !e9ve seen is the )ity of 4ichmond; said 4andolph.

He means the ship, his mother explained. %e crossed in that ship.4andolph had a good time on the )ity of 4ichmond.

"t9s the best place "9ve seen, the child repeated. *nly it !as turned the!rong !ay.

%ell, !e9ve got to turn the right !ay some time, said 6rs. 6iller !ith alittle laugh. %interbourne expressed the hope that her daughter at least

found some gratification in 4ome, and she declared that aisy !as uitecarried a!ay. "t9s on account of the society--the society9s splendid. &he goes

round every!here0 she has made a great number of acuaintances. *f courseshe goes round more than " do. " must say they have been very sociable0 they

have ta$en her right in. And then she $no!s a great many gentlemen. *h,she thin$s there9s nothing li$e 4ome. *f course, it9s a great deal pleasanter

for a young lady if she $no!s plenty of gentlemen.

2y this time aisy had turned her attention again to %interbourne. "9ve

been telling 6rs. %al$er ho! mean you !ere; the young girl announced.

And !hat is the evidence you have offered: as$ed %interbourne, ratherannoyed at 6iss 6iller9s !ant of appreciation of the (eal of an admirer !ho

on his !ay do!n to 4ome had stopped neither at 2ologna nor at #lorence,

simply because of a certain sentimental impatience. He remembered that acynical compatriot had once told him that American !omen--the pretty


30/54

ones, and this gave a largeness to the axiom-- !ere at once the most exactingin the !orld and the least endo!ed !ith a sense of indebtedness.

%hy, you !ere a!fully mean at evey, said aisy. ou !ouldn9t doanything. ou !ouldn9t stay there !hen " as$ed you.

6y dearest young lady, cried %interbourne, !ith elouence, have " comeall the !ay to 4ome to encounter your reproaches:

Just hear him say that; said aisy to her hostess, giving a t!ist to a bo!on this lady9s dress. id you ever hear anything so uaint:

&o uaint, my dear: murmured 6rs. %al$er in the tone of a partisan of

%interbourne.

%ell, " don9t $no!, said aisy, fingering 6rs. %al$er9s ribbons. 6rs.

%al$er, " !ant to tell you something.

6other-r, interposed 4andolph, !ith his rough ends to his !ords, " tell

you you9ve got to go. Eugenio9ll raise--something;

"9m not afraid of Eugenio, said aisy !ith a toss of her head.


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%interbourne; He $no!s plenty of "talians, but he !ants to $no! someAmericans. He thin$s ever so much of Americans. He9s tremendously clever.

He9s perfectly lovely;

"t !as settled that this brilliant personage should be brought to 6rs. %al$er9s

party, and then 6rs. 6iller prepared to ta$e her leave. " guess !e9ll go bac$to the hotel, she said.

ou may go bac$ to the hotel, 6other, but "9m going to ta$e a !al$, saidaisy.

&he9s going to !al$ !ith 6r. /iovanelli, 4andolph proclaimed.

" am going to the 5incio, said aisy, smiling.

Alone, my dear--at this hour: 6rs. %al$er as$ed. 'he afternoon !as

dra!ing to a close--it !as the hour for the throng of carriages and ofcontemplative pedestrians. " don9t thin$ it9s safe, my dear, said 6rs.

%al$er.

+either do ", suboined 6rs. 6iller. ou9ll get the fever, as sure as you

live. 4emember !hat r. avis told you;

/ive her some medicine before she goes, said 4andolph.

'he company had risen to its feet0 aisy, still sho!ing her pretty teeth, bentover and $issed her hostess. 6rs. %al$er, you are too perfect, she said.

"9m not going alone0 " am going to meet a friend.

our friend !on9t $eep you from getting the fever, 6rs. 6iller observed.

"s it 6r. /iovanelli: as$ed the hostess.

%interbourne !as !atching the young girl0 at this uestion his attention

uic$ened. &he stood there, smiling and smoothing her bonnet ribbons0 sheglanced at %interbourne. 'hen, !hile she glanced and smiled, she ans!ered,!ithout a shade of hesitation, 6r. /iovanelli--the beautiful /iovanelli.

6y dear young friend, said 6rs. %al$er, ta$ing her hand pleadingly,don9t !al$ off to the 5incio at this hour to meet a beautiful "talian.

%ell, he spea$s English, said 6rs. 6iller.

/racious me; aisy exclaimed, " don9t to do anything improper. 'here9s

an easy !ay to settle it. &he continued to glance at %interbourne. 'he


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5incio is only a hundred yards distant0 and if 6r. %interbourne !ere aspolite as he pretends, he !ould offer to !al$ !ith me;

%interbourne9s politeness hastened to affirm itself, and the young girl gavehim gracious leave to accompany her. 'hey passed do!nstairs before her

mother, and at the door %interbourne perceived 6rs. 6iller9s carriagedra!n up, !ith the ornamental courier !hose acuaintance he had made at

evey seated !ithin. /oodbye, Eugenio; cried aisy0 "9m going to ta$e a!al$. 'he distance from the ia /regoriana to the beautiful garden at the

other end of the 5incian Hill is, in fact, rapidly traversed. As the day !assplendid, ho!ever, and the concourse of vehicles, !al$ers, and loungers

numerous, the young Americans found their progress much delayed. 'hisfact !as highly agreeable to %interbourne, in spite of his consciousness of

his singular situation. 'he slo!-moving, idly ga(ing 4oman cro!d besto!ed

much attention upon the extremely pretty young foreign lady !ho !aspassing through it upon his arm0 and he !ondered !hat on earth had been inaisy9s mind !hen she proposed to expose herself, unattended, to its

appreciation. His o!n mission, to her sense, apparently, !as to consign herto the hands of 6r. /iovanelli0 but %interbourne, at once annoyed and

gratified, resolved that he !ould do no such thing.

%hy haven9t you been to see me: as$ed aisy. ou can9t get out of that.

" have had the honor of telling you that " have only ust stepped out of the

train.

ou must have stayed in the train a good !hile after it stopped; cried theyoung girl !ith her little laugh. " suppose you !ere asleep. ou have had

time to go to see 6rs. %al$er.

" $ne! 6rs. %al$er-- %interbourne began to explain.

" $no! !here you $ne! her. ou $ne! her at /eneva. &he told me so.

%ell, you $ne! me at evey. 'hat9s ust as good. &o you ought to have

come. &he as$ed him no other uestion than this0 she began to prattle abouther o!n affairs. %e9ve got splendid rooms at the hotel0 Eugenio says they9re

the best rooms in 4ome. %e are going to stay all !inter, if !e don9t die ofthe fever0 and " guess !e9ll stay then. "t9s a great deal nicer than " thought0 "

thought it !ould be fearfully uiet0 " !as sure it !ould be a!fully po$y. "!as sure !e should be going round all the time !ith one of those dreadful

old men that explain about the pictures and things. 2ut !e only had about a!ee$ of that, and no! "9m enoying myself. " $no! ever so many people,

and they are all so charming. 'he society9s extremely select. 'here are all

$inds--English, and /ermans, and "talians. " thin$ " li$e the English best. "li$e their style of conversation. 2ut there are some lovely Americans. " never


33/54

sa! anything so hospitable. 'here9s something or other every day. 'here9snot much dancing0 but " must say " never thought dancing !as everything. "

!as al!ays fond of conversation. " guess " shall have plenty at 6rs.%al$er9s, her rooms are so small. %hen they had passed the gate of the

5incian /ardens, 6iss 6iller began to !onder !here 6r. /iovanelli mightbe. %e had better go straight to that place in front, she said, !here you

loo$ at the vie!.

" certainly shall not help you to find him, %interbourne declared.

'hen " shall find him !ithout you, cried 6iss aisy.

ou certainly !on9t leave me; cried %interbourne.

&he burst into her little laugh. Are you afraid you9ll get lost-- or run over:2ut there9s /iovanelli, leaning against that tree. He9s staring at the !omen in

the carriages3 did you ever see anything so cool:

%interbourne perceived at some distance a little man standing !ith foldedarms nursing his cane. He had a handsome face, an artfully poised hat, a

glass in one eye, and a nosegay in his buttonhole. %interbourne loo$ed athim a moment and then said, o you mean to spea$ to that man:

o " mean to spea$ to him: %hy, you don9t suppose " mean to

communicate by signs:

5ray understand, then, said %interbourne, that " intend to remain !ithyou.

aisy stopped and loo$ed at him, !ithout a sign of troubled consciousnessin her face, !ith nothing but the presence of her charming eyes and her

happy dimples. %ell, she9s a cool one; thought the young man.

" don9t li$e the !ay you say that, said aisy. "t9s too imperious.

" beg your pardon if " say it !rong. 'he main point is to give you an idea of

my meaning.

'he young girl loo$ed at him more gravely, but !ith eyes that !ere prettier

than ever. " have never allo!ed a gentleman to dictate to me, or to interfere!ith anything " do.

" thin$ you have made a mista$e, said %interbourne. ou shouldsometimes listen to a gentleman--the right one.


34/54

aisy began to laugh again. " do nothing but listen to gentlemen; sheexclaimed. 'ell me if 6r. /iovanelli is the right one:

'he gentleman !ith the nosegay in his bosom had no! perceived our t!ofriends, and !as approaching the young girl !ith obseuious rapidity. He

bo!ed to %interbourne as !ell as to the latter9s companion0 he had abrilliant smile, an intelligent eye0 %interbourne thought him not a bad-

loo$ing fello!. 2ut he nevertheless said to aisy, +o, he9s not the rightone.

aisy evidently had a natural talent for performing introductions0 shementioned the name of each of her companions to the other. &he strolled

alone !ith one of them on each side of her0 6r. /iovanelli, !ho spo$eEnglish very cleverly--%interbourne after!ard learned that he had practiced

the idiom upon a great many American heiresses-- addressed her a great dealof very polite nonsense0 he !as extremely urbane, and the young American,

!ho said nothing, reflected upon that profundity of "talian cleverness !hichenables people to appear more gracious in proportion as they are more

acutely disappointed. /iovanelli, of course, had counted upon somethingmore intimate0 he had not bargained for a party of three. 2ut he $ept his

temper in a manner !hich suggested far-stretching intentions. %interbourneflattered himself that he had ta$en his measure. He is not a gentleman, said

the young American0 he is only a clever imitation of one. He is a musicmaster, or a penny-a-liner, or a third-rate artist. n his good loo$s; 6r.

/iovanelli had certainly a very pretty face0 but %interbourne felt a superiorindignation at his o!n lovely fello! country!oman9s not $no!ing the

difference bet!een a spurious gentleman and a real one. /iovanellichattered and ested and made himself !onderfully agreeable. "t !as true

that, if he !as an imitation, the imitation !as brilliant. +evertheless,%interbourne said to himself, a nice girl ought to $no!; And then he came

bac$ to the uestion !hether this !as, in fact, a nice girl. %ould a nice girl,even allo!ing for her being a little American flirt, ma$e a rende(vous !ith a

presumably lo!-lived foreigner: 'he rende(vous in this case, indeed, had

been in broad daylight and in the most cro!ded corner of 4ome, but !as itnot impossible to regard the choice of these circumstances as a proof of

extreme cynicism: &ingular though it may seem, %interbourne !as vexedthat the young girl, in oining her amoroso, should not appear more

impatient of his o!n company, and he !as vexed because of his inclination."t !as impossible to regard her as a perfectly !ell-conducted young lady0

she !as !anting in a certain indispensable delicacy. "t !ould thereforesimplify matters greatly to be able to treat her as the obect of one of those

sentiments !hich are called by romancers la!less passions. 'hat sheshould seem to !ish to get rid of him !ould help him to thin$ more lightly

of her, and to be able to thin$ more lightly of her !ould ma$e her much less


35/54

perplexing. 2ut aisy, on this occasion, continued to present herself as aninscrutable combination of audacity and innocence.

&he had been !al$ing some uarter of an hour, attended by her t!ocavaliers, and responding in a tone of very childish gaiety, as it seemed to

%interbourne, to the pretty speeches of 6r. /iovanelli, !hen a carriage thathad detached itself from the revolving train dre! up beside the path. At the

same moment %interbourne perceived that his friend 6rs. %al$er--the lady!hose house he had lately left-- !as seated in the vehicle and !as

bec$oning to him.


36/54

" am glad you admire it, said this lady, smiling s!eetly. %ill you get inand let me put it over you:

*h, no, than$ you, said aisy. " shall admire it much more as " see youdriving round !ith it.

o get in and drive !ith me; said 6rs. %al$er.

'hat !ould be charming, but it9s so enchanting ust as " am; and aisy

gave a brilliant glance at the gentlemen on either side of her.

"t may be enchanting, dear child, but it is not the custom here, urged 6rs.%al$er, leaning for!ard in her victoria, !ith her hands devoutly clasped.

%ell, it ought to be, then; said aisy. "f " didn9t !al$ " should expire.

ou should !al$ !ith your mother, dear, cried the lady from /eneva,

losing patience.

%ith my mother dear; exclaimed the young girl. %interbourne sa! that

she scented interference. 6y mother never !al$ed ten steps in her life. Andthen, you $no!, she added !ith a laugh, " am more than five years old.

ou are old enough to be more reasonable. ou are old enough, dear 6iss

6iller, to be tal$ed about.

aisy loo$ed at 6rs. %al$er, smiling intensely. 'al$ed about: %hat do youmean:

)ome into my carriage, and " !ill tell you.

aisy turned her uic$ened glance again from one of the gentlemen besideher to the other. 6r. /iovanelli !as bo!ing to and fro, rubbing do!n his

gloves and laughing very agreeably0 %interbourne thought it a most

unpleasant scene. " don9t thin$ " !ant to $no! !hat you mean, said aisypresently. " don9t thin$ " should li$e it.

%interbourne !ished that 6rs. %al$er !ould tuc$ in her carriage rug and

drive a!ay, but this lady did not enoy being defied, as she after!ard toldhim. &hould you prefer being thought a very rec$less girl: she demanded.

/racious; exclaimed aisy. &he loo$ed again at 6r. /iovanelli, then sheturned to %interbourne. 'here !as a little pin$ flush in her chee$0 she !as

tremendously pretty. oes 6r. %interbourne thin$, she as$ed slo!ly,

smiling, thro!ing bac$ her head, and glancing at him from head to foot,that, to save my reputation, " ought to get into the carriage:


37/54

%interbourne colored0 for an instant he hesitated greatly. "t seemed sostrange to hear her spea$ that !ay of her reputation. 2ut he himself, in

fact, must spea$ in accordance !ith gallantry. 'he finest gallantry, here, !assimply to tell her the truth0 and the truth, for %interbourne, as the fe!

indications " have been able to give have made him $no!n to the reader, !asthat aisy 6iller should ta$e 6rs. %al$er9s advice. He loo$ed at her

exuisite prettiness, and then he said, very gently, " thin$ you should getinto the carriage.

aisy gave a violent laugh. " never heard anything so stiff; "f this isimproper, 6rs. %al$er, she pursued, then " am all improper, and you must

give me up. /oodbye0 " hope you9ll have a lovely ride; and, !ith 6r./iovanelli, !ho made a triumphantly obseuious salute, she turned a!ay.

6rs. %al$er sat loo$ing after her, and there !ere tears in 6rs. %al$er9seyes. /et in here, sir, she said to %interbourne, indicating the place beside

her. 'he young man ans!ered that he felt bound to accompany 6iss 6iller,!hereupon 6rs. %al$er declared that if he refused her this favor she !ould

never spea$ to him again. &he !as evidently in earnest. %interbourneovertoo$ aisy and her companion, and, offering the young girl his hand,

told her that 6rs. %al$er had made an imperious claim upon his society. Heexpected that in ans!er she !ould say something rather free, something to

commit herself still further to that rec$lessness from !hich 6rs. %al$erhad so charitably endeavored to dissuade her. 2ut she only shoo$ his hand,

hardly loo$ing at him, !hile 6r. /iovanelli bade him fare!ell !ith a tooemphatic flourish of the hat.

%interbourne !as not in the best possible humor as he too$ his seat in 6rs.%al$er9s victoria. 'hat !as not clever of you, he said candidly, !hile the

vehicle mingled again !ith the throng of carriages.

"n such a case, his companion ans!ered, " don9t !ish to be clever0 " !ish

to be EA4+E&';

%ell, your earnestness has only offended her and put her off.

"t has happened very !ell, said 6rs. %al$er. "f she is so perfectlydetermined to compromise herself, the sooner one $no!s it the better0 one

can act accordingly.

" suspect she meant no harm, %interbourne reoined.

&o " thought a month ago. 2ut she has been going too far.

%hat has she been doing:


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Everything that is not done here. #lirting !ith any man she could pic$ up0sitting in corners !ith mysterious "talians0 dancing all the evening !ith the

same partners0 receiving visits at eleven o9cloc$ at night. Her mother goesa!ay !hen visitors come.

2ut her brother, said %interbourne, laughing, sits up till midnight.

He must be edified by !hat he sees. "9m told that at their hotel everyone is

tal$ing about her, and that a smile goes round among all the servants !hen agentleman comes and as$s for 6iss 6iller.

'he servants be hanged; said %interbourne angrily. 'he poor girl9s onlyfault, he presently added, is that she is very uncultivated.

&he is naturally indelicate, 6rs. %al$er declared.

'a$e that example this morning. Ho! long had you $no!n her at evey:

A couple of days.

#ancy, then, her ma$ing it a personal matter that you should have left theplace;

%interbourne !as silent for some moments0 then he said, " suspect, 6rs.

%al$er, that you and " have lived too long at /eneva; And he added areuest that she should inform him !ith !hat particular design she had madehim enter her carriage.

" !ished to beg you to cease your relations !ith 6iss 6iller-- not to flirt!ith her--to give her no further opportunity to expose herself--to let her

alone, in short.

"9m afraid " can9t do that, said %interbourne. " li$e her extremely.

All the more reason that you shouldn9t help her to ma$e a scandal.

'here shall be nothing scandalous in my attentions to her.

'here certainly !ill be in the !ay she ta$es them. 2ut " have said !hat "

had on my conscience, 6rs. %al$er pursued. "f you !ish to reoin theyoung lady " !ill put you do!n. Here, by the !ay, you have a chance.

'he carriage !as traversing that part of the 5incian /arden that overhangsthe !all of 4ome and overloo$s the beautiful illa 2orghese. "t is bordered

by a large parapet, near !hich there are several seats. *ne of the seats at adistance !as occupied by a gentleman and a lady, to!ard !hom 6rs.


39/54

%al$er gave a toss of her head. At the same moment these persons rose and!al$ed to!ard the parapet. %interbourne had as$ed the coachman to stop0

he no! descended from the carriage. His companion loo$ed at him amoment in silence0 then, !hile he raised his hat, she drove maestically

a!ay. %interbourne stood there0 he had turned his eyes to!ard aisy andher cavalier. 'hey evidently sa! no one0 they !ere too deeply occupied !ith

each other. %hen they reached the lo! garden !all, they stood a momentloo$ing off at the great flat-topped pine clusters of the illa 2orghese0 then

/iovanelli seated himself, familiarly, upon the broad ledge of the !all. 'he!estern sun in the opposite s$y sent out a brilliant shaft through a couple of

cloud bars, !hereupon aisy9s companion too$ her parasol out of her handsand opened it. &he came a little nearer, and he held the parasol over her0

then, still holding it, he let it rest upon her shoulder, so that both of theirheads !ere hidden from %interbourne. 'his young man lingered a moment,

then he began to !al$. 2ut he !al$ed--not to!ard the couple !ith theparasol0 to!ard the residence of his aunt, 6rs. )ostello.

Section 2

e flattered himself on the follo!ing day that there !as no smiling among theservants !hen he, at least, as$ed for 6rs. 6iller at her hotel. 'his lady and

her daughter, ho!ever, !ere not at home0 and on the next day after,repeating his visit, %interbourne again had the misfortune not to find them.

6rs. %al$er9s party too$ place on the evening of the third day, and, in spiteof the frigidity of his last intervie! !ith the hostess, %interbourne !as

among the guests. 6rs. %al$er !as one of those American ladies !ho, !hileresiding abroad, ma$e a point, in their o!n phrase, of studying European

society, and she had on this occasion collected several specimens of herdiversely born fello! mortals to serve, as it !ere, as textboo$s. %hen

%interbourne arrived, aisy 6iller !as not there, but in a fe! moments hesa! her mother come in alone, very shyly and ruefully. 6rs. 6iller9s hair

above her exposed-loo$ing temples !as more fri((led than ever. As she

approached 6rs. %al$er, %interbourne also dre! near.

ou see, "9ve come all alone, said poor 6rs. 6iller. "9m so frightened0 "don9t $no! !hat to do. "t9s the first time "9ve ever been to a party alone,

especially in this country. " !anted to bring 4andolph or Eugenio, orsomeone, but aisy ust pushed me off by myself. " ain9t used to going round

alone.

And does not your daughter intend to favor us !ith her society: demanded

6rs. %al$er impressively.


40/54

%ell, aisy9s all dressed, said 6rs. 6iller !ith that accent of thedispassionate, if not of the philosophic, historian !ith !hich she al!ays

recorded the current incidents of her daughter9s career. &he got dressed onpurpose before dinner. 2ut she9s got a friend of hers there0 that gentleman--

the "talian--that she !anted to bring. 'hey9ve got going at the piano0 it seemsas if they couldn9t leave off. 6r. /iovanelli sings splendidly. 2ut " guess

they9ll come before very long, concluded 6rs. 6iller hopefully.

"9m sorry she should come in that !ay, said 6rs. %al$er.

%ell, " told her that there !as no use in her getting dressed before dinner ifshe !as going to !ait three hours, responded aisy9s mamma. " didn9t see

the use of her putting on such a dress as that to sit round !ith 6r./iovanelli.

'his is most horrible; said 6rs. %al$er, turning a!ay and addressingherself to %interbourne. Elle s9affiche. "t9s her revenge for my having

ventured to remonstrate !ith her. %hen she comes, " shall not spea$ to her.

aisy came after eleven o9cloc$0 but she !as not, on such an occasion, a

young lady to !ait to be spo$en to. &he rustled for!ard in radiant loveliness,smiling and chattering, carrying a large bouuet, and attended by 6r.

/iovanelli. Everyone stopped tal$ing and turned and loo$ed at her. &hecame straight to 6rs. %al$er. "9m afraid you thought " never !as coming,

so " sent mother off to tell you. " !anted to ma$e 6r. /iovanelli practicesome things before he came0 you $no! he sings beautifully, and " !ant you

to as$ him to sing. 'his is 6r. /iovanelli0 you $no! " introduced him toyou0 he9s got the most lovely voice, and he $no!s the most charming set of

songs. " made him go over them this evening on purpose0 !e had thegreatest time at the hotel. *f all this aisy delivered herself !ith the

s!eetest, brightest audibleness, loo$ing no! at her hostess and no! roundthe room, !hile she gave a series of little pats, round her shoulders, to the

edges of her dress. "s there anyone " $no!: she as$ed.

" thin$ every one $no!s you; said 6rs. %al$er pregnantly, and she gave a

very cursory greeting to 6r. /iovanelli. 'his gentleman bore himselfgallantly. He smiled and bo!ed and sho!ed his !hite teeth0 he curled his

mustaches and rolled his eyes and performed all the proper functions of ahandsome "talian at an evening party. He sang very prettily half a do(en

songs, though 6rs. %al$er after!ard declared that she had been uiteunable to find out !h

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Daisy Miller Henry James