Daisy Miller by Henry James. Part 5.
Watch on KineScope.
Chapter FIVE
Introducing Mr Giovanelli
As they walked, Daisy told Winterbourne all about her experiences in Rome. ‘We have very beautiful rooms at the hotel,’ she said. ‘We’ll stay here all winter, unless we die of the fever, and in that case we’ll stay even longer! I’m enjoying Rome very much. I know lots of charming people here…’ She talked like this for some time, then she turned to him and asked, ‘Why didn’t you come to visit me?’
‘I’ve already told you,’ Winterbourne replied. ‘I’ve only just got off the train.’
‘You must have stayed on the train a long time after it stopped!’ said Daisy, with a little laugh. ‘Anyway, you’ve had time to go and visit Mrs Walker.’
‘I know Mrs Walker from Geneva-‘
‘I know. She told me. Well, you know me from Vevey. That’s just as good. So you ought to have come to visit me.’
When they reached the Pincio, Daisy saw Mr Giovanelli. He was standing by a tree, looking at the women in their carriages. He was a handsome little man, very elegantly dressed, with a flower in his buttonhole.
‘Are you going to speak to that man?’ asked Winterbourne.
‘Of course!’ said Daisy.
‘Then I’m staying with you.’
Daisy stopped and looked at him for a moment in silence, but the expression on her face was still serene. ‘I don’t like the way you say that,’ she said with a smile, ‘I never allow gentlemen to tell me what to do.’
‘I think you’ve made a mistake,’ Winterbourne replied. ‘You should sometimes listen to a gentleman – the right one.’
She looked at him again, more seriously this time, with her pretty eyes, then she laughed and said, ‘I do nothing but listen to gentlemen! Is Mr Giovanelli the right one?’
Just then, Giovanelli saw them and walked up to them. He had a brilliant smile and intelligent eyes.
‘No, he isn’t the right one,’ said Winterbourne.
Daisy introduced Giovanelli to Winterbourne, and they walked along, one gentleman on each side of Daisy. Mr Giovanelli spoke English very well. He made pleasant conversation with Winterbourne and Daisy. He was disappointed that Daisy had not come alone, but he did not show his disappointment. ‘He’s not a gentleman,’ thought Winterbourne. ‘He’s a good imitation of one, but a nice girl ought to know the difference!’ But was Miss Daisy Miller a nice girl? That was the question. She had no delicacy, and yet she did not seem impatient for Winterbourne to go: she did not seem to want to be alone with her lover. She was a strange combination of audacity and innocence.
Fifteen minutes later, Winterbourne noticed Mrs Walker sitting in her carriage at the side of the road. She waved to him. He left Miss Miller with Mr Giovanelli and went to Mrs Walker, who looked agitated. ‘This is terrible!’ said Mrs Walker. ‘That girl mustn’t do this kind of thing. She mustn’t walk here with you two men. Fifty people have noticed her!’
‘Is it really that important?’ asked Winterbourne. ‘She’s very innocent.’
‘She’s very crazy!’ cried Mrs Walker. ‘And her mother is an absolute fool! When you left, I thought that, since her mother won’t warn her, I should, so I came here to find her. Tell her I want to speak to her.’
‘I don’t think it’s a good idea,’ said Winterbourne, ‘but you can try.’
When Winterbourne gave Daisy this message, the young lady walked serenely to Mrs Walker’s carriage with Mr Giovanelli at her side.
‘Mrs Walker, this is Mr Giovanelli,’ said Daisy prettily.
Mrs Walker nodded to the Italian then turned to Daisy and said, ‘Will you get in the carriage and drive with me?’
‘No, thank you,’ said Daisy. ‘I’m perfectly happy as I am.’ And she smiled at her two gentlemen.
‘You may be perfectly happy, dear child, but it isn’t the custom here for a young lady to walk alone with gentlemen.’
‘Well, it ought to be!’ said Daisy. ‘I love walking!’
‘You should walk with your mother, dear,’ said Mrs Walker.
‘My mother never goes for a walk. And I’m not five years old!’
‘You’re old enough to be more reasonable,’ said Mrs Walker. ‘You’re old enough, my dear Miss Miller, to cause a scandal.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Daisy, smiling intensely.
‘Come into my carriage, and I’ll explain it to you,’ Mrs Walker replied.
Daisy looked at Giovanelli then at Winterbourne. ‘I don’t think I want to know what you mean!’ She blushed, and Winterbourne thought she was extremely pretty. She looked at Winterbourne and said, ‘Do you think that – to save my reputation – I should get into the carriage?’
Winterbourne blushed a little and hesitated. It seemed so strange to hear her talk that way of her ‘reputation’. He wanted to give the reply that was best for Daisy herself. He felt that it was in Daisy’s best interest to hear the truth, and the truth, Winterbourne thought, was that she should do what Mrs Walker had asked her to do. He looked at her exquisite prettiness and then said, very gently, ‘I think you should get into the carriage’.
Daisy gave a violent laugh. ‘How ridiculous! If this is improper, Mrs Walker, then I am improper. Goodbye!’ Then she turned and walked away with Mr Giovanelli.
Mrs Walker watched her go with tears in her eyes. ‘Get in the carriage,’ she said to Winterbourne.
‘I think I should accompany Miss Miller.’
‘If you don’t get into this carriage, I’ll never speak to you again!’ cried Mrs Walker.
Winterbourne said goodbye to Daisy and Giovanelli and got into the carriage. ‘That wasn’t very clever of you,’ he said.
‘I’m not trying to be clever; I’m trying to be honest,’ replied Mrs Walker. ‘She’s causing a great scandal. Italian men come to see her at her hotel late at night, when her mother has already gone to bed.’
‘She’s just unsophisticated,’ said Winterbourne impatiently.
‘She has no natural delicacy,’ replied Mrs Walker. ‘You must stop seeing her, stop flirting with her: leave her alone!’
‘I can’t do that. I like her very much.’
‘Then you should want to protect her from scandal.’ Winterbourne got out of the carriage and said goodbye to Mrs Walker. He saw Daisy and Giovanelli standing by the wall, looking at the beautiful Villa Borghese. Giovanelli took Daisy’s parasol and opened it. He rested the parasol on her shoulder so that both their heads were hidden behind it. Winterbourne hesitated a moment, then he turned and walked away, towards his aunt’s house.