Daisy Miller

Part 2 opens six months later, when Winterbourne is planning to visit his aunt in Rome. She writes to him that the Millers are there and have been causing a stir with their tacky behavior, especially the way that Daisy flirts with and spends time with local Italian men.

When he arrives in Rome, he doesn’t search for Daisy right away because he is a little annoyed that she has been so occupied with other men. He eventually runs into her spontaneously when he is visiting another American woman he knows from Geneva. The Millers come to visit at the same time and Winterbourne speaks with them. Mrs. Miller tells him that Italy has not lived up to their expectations; she and Randolph both insist that Schenectady is better. Daisy, however, has been enjoying herself because she has met so many friendly Italian men.

Daisy asks Mrs. Walker if she can bring a man whom she calls an “intimate friend,” Mr. Giovanelli, to her party that is coming up. Mrs. Walker agrees but is disturbed to find that Mrs. Miller has not even met this man. Daisy announces that she is going for a walk with Mr. Giovanelli that very afternoon and Mrs. Walker protests that it is not safe or proper for her to do so. Mrs. Miller doesn’t seem to understand what Mrs. Walker’s concerns are, but she does bring up “the fever” that has been plaguing Italy and the fact that Daisy could catch it.

Daisy laughs off the women’s concerns and says that if Winterbourne is such a polite gentleman, he should walk with her to the Pincio, where she plans to meet Giovanelli. Winterbourne agrees, but when he sees the very handsome Mr. Giovanelli, he insists on staying with her and accompanying them on their walk. Daisy dislikes Winterbourne’s condescending and paternalistic tone, but she accepts him as a second walking companion. Daisy focuses on Giovanelli while they walk and Mr. Winterbourne thinks to himself that Giovanelli is not a real gentleman but does a good imitation of one; Daisy should be able to tell the difference.

After walking for some time, Mrs. Walker, still upset that Daisy is walking with the two men, comes up beside them in her carriage. She begs Daisy to get in her carriage to save her reputation, but she refuses. Winterbourne gets in with Mrs. Walker and talks to her about Daisy, trying to defend her innocence. Mrs. Walker firmly believes that Daisy is crazy, reckless, and improper. Mr. Winterbourne suggests that she is making too big a fuss over the situation but Mrs. Walker continues to insist that Daisy join her. Daisy argues that leaving Mr. Giovanelli alone is more impolite than walking with him and she continues walking with him. Mrs. Walker is shocked by Daisy’s rude response to her and insists that Winterbourne join her again in her carriage, leaving Daisy alone to walk with Mr. Giovanelli.

Winterbourne does not see Daisy for the next three days, but even after their conflict in the carriage, he still attends Mrs. Walker’s party. At first, only Mrs. Miller is in attendance; she says that Daisy got dressed for the party, but then became preoccupied with playing the piano with Mr. Giovanelli. Daisy told her mother to go ahead to the party and that they would arrive later. Mrs. Walker is, once again, shocked at Mrs. Miller’s casual way of leaving Daisy alone with unfamiliar men. Mrs. Walker believes that Daisy is retaliating against her for scolding her behavior a few days ago and vows not to speak to her when she arrives.

Daisy does eventually show up with Mr. Giovanelli and Mrs. Walker, as promised, brushes her off. Winterbourne tries to explain to Daisy how Mrs. Walker and many others are interpreting her behavior, but she accuses him of being “stiff” and boring. When she leaves the party, Mrs. Walker completely ignores her and declares to Winterbourne that she will never be allowed in her house again. Winterbourne does not approve of her coldness and feels sorry for Daisy, who appears to be hurt.

Winterbourne sees Daisy out with Mr. Giovanelli one day while he is walking with his aunt and he points her out. She accuses him of being preoccupied with her and her relationship with Giovanelli and he insists that he does not think their relationship is inappropriate; they are so public about it that it appears as if they have nothing to hide.

Winterbourne decides to speak with Mrs. Miller, hoping to find out the true nature of Daisy’s relationship with Giovanelli and her own opinion of the couple. Mrs. Miller continues to not see a problem with all of the time Daisy is spending with Mr. Giovanelli, and even seems to hope that they will become engaged. She does not seem aware that Giovanelli is not a “real” gentleman, as Winterbourne perceives, and he decides that talking to her about being more protective of Daisy is pointless.

Some time passes before Winterbourne sees Daisy again; most of his social circle has rejected her so she is not attending the same gatherings that he is. Eventually, he runs into her, walking with Mr. Giovanelli, as usual. She asks if he is lonely because he always seems to be walking by himself. He retorts that not everyone is as lucky as Mr. Giovanelli and they get into an argument about whether all the time she is spending with him is appropriate. Winterbourne warns her that all of the Americans in Rome are judging her and they will start treating her as Mrs. Walker did at her party. She asks him why he doesn’t stand up for her and he responds that he tells people that her mother believes that she is engaged, which is true of Mrs. Miller, but not of Daisy. They part ways and Winterbourne does not see Daisy again for a week.

While he is walking outside late at night, Winterbourne sees Daisy and Mr. Giovanelli walking around the Colosseum. As he watches them together, he finally decides that Daisy is not a person that he should worry over whether to respect—he need not. It is a beautiful evening, but Winterbourne remembers the fever that has been spreading near the area and starts to leave. Daisy spots him though and accuses him of snubbing her. Mr. Winterbourne reminds her of the fever and questions Mr. Giovanelli for bringing her to the Colosseum. Giovanelli replies that he is not worried for himself, and Daisy had insisted on seeing the Colosseum by moonlight. Daisy is defiant and says she doesn’t care if she catches the fever. They hurry back to their carriage and Mr. Winterbourne does not tell anyone that he saw them walking together so late at night.

Several days later, Winterbourne gets news that Daisy is very sick. He rushes to her hotel and speaks to Randolph, who says she is sick because she always went out at night. Winterbourne continues to visit but is not allowed to see Daisy; he gets reports that she is still very sick. One time, he talks to Mrs. Miller, who tells him that Daisy told her to tell Winterbourne that she never was engaged to Giovanelli, who has not come to see Daisy since she’s been ill.

Daisy dies from the fever a week later. When Winterbourne goes to visit her grave, there are more people there to mourn her than he would have expected given the way she had been treated. He sees Mr. Giovanelli, who says that she was so beautiful, friendly, and innocent. Winterbourne asks why he had taken her to the Colosseum that night, knowing how dangerous it was. Giovanelli says that he wasn’t concerned about himself and if Daisy had lived, she wouldn’t have married him anyway.

Winterbourne leaves Rome and visits his aunt in Vevey the next summer. He often thinks about Daisy with regret, feeling he was unfair to her. Nonetheless, he returns to Geneva, where the narrator says that he is either ‘studying hard” or interested in a “very clever foreign lady” there (64).