|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 26
"I am afraid your habits are those of a flirt," said Winterbourne gravely.
"Of course they are," she cried, giving him her little smiling stare again.
"I'm a fearful, frightful flirt! Did you ever hear of a nice girl that
was not? But I suppose you will tell me now that I am not a nice girl."
"You're a very nice girl; but I wish you would flirt with me,
and me only," said Winterbourne.
"Ah! thank you--thank you very much; you are the last man I should
think of flirting with. As I have had the pleasure of informing you,
you are too stiff."
"You say that too often," said Winterbourne.
Daisy gave a delighted laugh. "If I could have the sweet hope of making
you angry, I should say it again."
"Don't do that; when I am angry I'm stiffer than ever.
But if you won't flirt with me, do cease, at least, to flirt
with your friend at the piano; they don't understand that sort
of thing here."
"I thought they understood nothing else!" exclaimed Daisy.
"Not in young unmarried women."
"It seems to me much more proper in young unmarried women than in old
married ones," Daisy declared.
"Well," said Winterbourne, "when you deal with natives you must go
by the custom of the place. Flirting is a purely American custom;
it doesn't exist here. So when you show yourself in public with
Mr. Giovanelli, and without your mother--"
"Gracious! poor Mother!" interposed Daisy.
"Though you may be flirting, Mr. Giovanelli is not;
he means something else."
"He isn't preaching, at any rate," said Daisy with vivacity.
"And if you want very much to know, we are neither of us flirting;
we are too good friends for that: we are very intimate friends."
"Ah!" rejoined Winterbourne, "if you are in love with each other,
it is another affair."
She had allowed him up to this point to talk so frankly that
he had no expectation of shocking her by this ejaculation;
but she immediately got up, blushing visibly, and leaving
him to exclaim mentally that little American flirts were
the queerest creatures in the world. "Mr. Giovanelli,
at least," she said, giving her interlocutor a single glance,
"never says such very disagreeable things to me."
Winterbourne was bewildered; he stood, staring. Mr. Giovanelli
had finished singing. He left the piano and came over to Daisy.
"Won't you come into the other room and have some tea?" he asked,
bending before her with his ornamental smile.
Daisy turned to Winterbourne, beginning to smile again. He was still
more perplexed, for this inconsequent smile made nothing clear,
though it seemed to prove, indeed, that she had a sweetness and
softness that reverted instinctively to the pardon of offenses.
"It has never occurred to Mr. Winterbourne to offer me any tea,"
she said with her little tormenting manner.
"I have offered you advice," Winterbourne rejoined.
"I prefer weak tea!" cried Daisy, and she went off with the
brilliant Giovanelli. She sat with him in the adjoining room,
in the embrasure of the window, for the rest of the evening.
There was an interesting performance at the piano, but neither
of these young people gave heed to it. When Daisy came to take
leave of Mrs. Walker, this lady conscientiously repaired
the weakness of which she had been guilty at the moment of
the young girl's arrival. She turned her back straight upon
Miss Miller and left her to depart with what grace she might.
Winterbourne was standing near the door; he saw it all.
Daisy turned very pale and looked at her mother, but Mrs. Miller
was humbly unconscious of any violation of the usual social forms.
She appeared, indeed, to have felt an incongruous impulse
to draw attention to her own striking observance of them.
"Good night, Mrs. Walker," she said; "we've had a beautiful evening.
You see, if I let Daisy come to parties without me,
I don't want her to go away without me." Daisy turned away,
looking with a pale, grave face at the circle near the door;
Winterbourne saw that, for the first moment, she was
too much shocked and puzzled even for indignation.
He on his side was greatly touched.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|