Part 4 (1/2)
continued Mrs. Miller with an air of increasing confidence. ”Of course we only want to see the princ.i.p.al ones. We visited several in England,”
she presently added.
”Ah yes! in England there are beautiful castles,” said Winterbourne.
”But Chillon here, is very well worth seeing.”
”Well, if Daisy feels up to it--” said Mrs. Miller, in a tone impregnated with a sense of the magnitude of the enterprise. ”It seems as if there was nothing she wouldn't undertake.”
”Oh, I think she'll enjoy it!” Winterbourne declared. And he desired more and more to make it a certainty that he was to have the privilege of a tete-a-tete with the young lady, who was still strolling along in front of them, softly vocalizing. ”You are not disposed, madam,” he inquired, ”to undertake it yourself?”
Daisy's mother looked at him an instant askance, and then walked forward in silence. Then--”I guess she had better go alone,” she said simply.
Winterbourne observed to himself that this was a very different type of maternity from that of the vigilant matrons who ma.s.sed themselves in the forefront of social intercourse in the dark old city at the other end of the lake. But his meditations were interrupted by hearing his name very distinctly p.r.o.nounced by Mrs. Miller's unprotected daughter.
”Mr. Winterbourne!” murmured Daisy.
”Mademoiselle!” said the young man.
”Don't you want to take me out in a boat?”
”At present?” he asked.
”Of course!” said Daisy.
”Well, Annie Miller!” exclaimed her mother.
”I beg you, madam, to let her go,” said Winterbourne ardently; for he had never yet enjoyed the sensation of guiding through the summer starlight a skiff freighted with a fresh and beautiful young girl.
”I shouldn't think she'd want to,” said her mother. ”I should think she'd rather go indoors.”
”I'm sure Mr. Winterbourne wants to take me,” Daisy declared. ”He's so awfully devoted!”
”I will row you over to Chillon in the starlight.”
”I don't believe it!” said Daisy.
”Well!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the elder lady again.
”You haven't spoken to me for half an hour,” her daughter went on.
”I have been having some very pleasant conversation with your mother,”
said Winterbourne.
”Well, I want you to take me out in a boat!” Daisy repeated. They had all stopped, and she had turned round and was looking at Winterbourne.
Her face wore a charming smile, her pretty eyes were gleaming, she was swinging her great fan about. No; it's impossible to be prettier than that, thought Winterbourne.
”There are half a dozen boats moored at that landing place,” he said, pointing to certain steps which descended from the garden to the lake.
”If you will do me the honor to accept my arm, we will go and select one of them.”
Daisy stood there smiling; she threw back her head and gave a little, light laugh. ”I like a gentleman to be formal!” she declared.