"That's because you have, I verily believe, no imagination.
You've other qualities.
But no imagination, don't you see? at all."
"I dare say. I do see."
It was an idea in which Chad showed interest.
"But haven't you yourself rather too much?"
"Oh RATHER—!"
So that after an instant, under this reproach and as if it were at last a fact really to escape from, Strether made his move for departure.
II
One of the features of the restless afternoon passed by him after Mrs. Pocock's visit was an hour spent, shortly before dinner, with Maria Gostrey, whom of late, in spite of so sustained a call on his attention from other quarters, he had by no means neglected. And that he was still not neglecting her will appear from the fact that he was with her again at the same hour on the very morrow—with no less fine a consciousness moreover of being able to hold her ear.
It continued inveterately to occur, for that matter, that whenever he had taken one of his greater turns he came back to where she so faithfully awaited him.
None of these excursions had on the whole been livelier than the pair of incidents—the fruit of the short interval since his previous visit—on which he had now to report to her.
He had seen Chad Newsome late the night before, and he had had that morning, as a sequel to this conversation, a second interview with Sarah.
"But they're all off," he said, "at last."
It puzzled her a moment.
"All?—Mr. Newsome with them?"
"Ah not yet!
Sarah and Jim and Mamie.
But Waymarsh with them—for Sarah.
It's too beautiful," Strether continued;
"I find I don't get over that—it's always a fresh joy.
But it's a fresh joy too," he added, "that—well, what do you think? Little Bilham also goes.
But he of course goes for Mamie."
Miss Gostrey wondered. "'For' her?
Do you mean they're already engaged?"
"Well," said Strether, "say then for ME.
He'll do anything for me; just as I will, for that matter—anything I can—for him.
Or for Mamie either. SHE'LL do anything for me."
Miss Gostrey gave a comprehensive sigh.
"The way you reduce people to subjection!"
"It's certainly, on one side, wonderful.
But it's quite equalled, on another, by the way I don't.
I haven't reduced Sarah, since yesterday; though I've succeeded in seeing her again, as I'll presently tell you.
The others however are really all right.
Mamie, by that blessed law of ours, absolutely must have a young man."
"But what must poor Mr. Bilham have?
Do you mean they'll MARRY for you?"
"I mean that, by the same blessed law, it won't matter a grain if they don't—I shan't have in the least to worry."
She saw as usual what he meant.
"And Mr. Jim?—who goes for him?"
"Oh," Strether had to admit, "I couldn't manage THAT.
He's thrown, as usual, on the world; the world which, after all, by his account—for he has prodigious adventures—seems very good to him.
He fortunately—'over here,' as he says—finds the world everywhere; and his most prodigious adventure of all," he went on, "has been of course of the last few days."
Miss Gostrey, already knowing, instantly made the connexion.
"He has seen Marie de Vionnet again?"
"He went, all by himself, the day after Chad's party—didn't I tell you?—to tea with her.
By her invitation—all alone."
"Quite like yourself!" Maria smiled.
"Oh but he's more wonderful about her than I am!"
And then as his friend showed how she could believe it, filling it out, fitting it on to old memories of the wonderful woman: "What I should have liked to manage would have been HER going."