Summary
Several nights later, at Mrs. Walker’s party, Winterbourne
attempts to make Daisy see reason about her behavior. He explains
that flirting is “a purely American custom,” one that Italians neither
understand nor accept in young unmarried women. Although
she may be flirting, Giovanelli is not. Daisy readily admits that she
is “a fearful, frightful flirt.” When Winterbourne suggests that
she and Giovanelli might actually be in love with each other, which
would be another matter, she blushes and accuses him of saying “disagreeable things.”
She spends the rest of the evening in another room with Giovanelli.
When the Millers take their leave of Mrs. Walker at the
end of the evening, Mrs. Walker turns her back on Daisy. For the
first time, Winterbourne sees Daisy genuinely shocked and hurt.
He tells Mrs. Walker her gesture was “very cruel,” but Mrs. Walker
is unrepentant: Daisy will never enter her drawing room again.
Winterbourne continues to call on Daisy, whom he finds
always with Giovanelli. Much of Roman society speaks unfavorably
of her now. Since Mrs. Walker’s party, the American colonists have
ceased extending invitations to her.
One day, while strolling through St. Peter’s with his
aunt, Winterbourne points out Daisy walking with “the inevitable
Giovanelli,” whom he has learned is actually a gentleman lawyer.
Mrs. Costello jokes that perhaps the courier introduced Daisy to
Giovanelli and will receive a commission when they wed. Winterbourne says
he doubts that Daisy thinks of marrying Giovanelli, to which his
aunt replies, “You may be sure she thinks of nothing. She goes on
from day to day, from hour to hour as they did in the Golden Age.”
Mrs. Costello says she can imagine nothing more vulgar.
That day, Winterbourne gets a taste of the indignation
that Daisy’s behavior excites. A dozen of the American colonists
walking through St. Peter’s come to confer with Mrs. Costello about
Daisy going “too far.” Winterbourne pities Daisy and finds it difficult
to hear the things being said about her. On another occasion a friend
tells him of having come upon Daisy and Giovanelli sequestered in
a small room at the Doria Palace, where Velasquez’s famous portrait
of Pope Innocent X hangs.
Winterbourne visits Mrs. Miller, hoping to make her see
reason about Daisy’s behavior. Mrs. Miller seems to regard Daisy
and Giovanelli as engaged, though she says Daisy denies it. Winterbourne
gives up on the idea of trying to place Mrs. Miller on her guard.
Meanwhile, he continues to obsess about Daisy’s character. He wonders
if her defiance comes from the knowledge that she is innocent, or
if she actually belongs to the reckless class of women whose reputations
don’t need to be worried over. He wonders if her lack of regard
for convention is a national or a personal trait. Not understanding
Daisy or her motivations makes him angry and uneasy.
