The Ambassadors Henry James (novel24 txt) š
- Author: Henry James
Book online Ā«The Ambassadors Henry James (novel24 txt) šĀ». Author Henry James
When he had reported on Sarahās visit, which he did very fully, Chad answered his question with perfect candour. āI positively referred her to youā ātold her she must absolutely see you. This was last night, and it all took place in ten minutes. It was our first free talkā āreally the first time she had tackled me. She knew I also knew what her line had been with yourself; knew moreover how little you had been doing to make anything difficult for her. So I spoke for you franklyā āassured her you were all at her service. I assured her I was too,ā the young man continued; āand I pointed out how she could perfectly, at any time, have got at me. Her difficulty has been simply her not finding the moment she fancied.ā
āHer difficulty,ā Strether returned, āhas been simply that she finds sheās afraid of you. Sheās not afraid of me, Sarah, one little scrap; and it was just because she has seen how I can fidget when I give my mind to it that she has felt her best chance, rightly enough to be in making me as uneasy as possible. I think sheās at bottom as pleased to have you put it on me as you yourself can possibly be to put it.ā
āBut what in the world, my dear man,ā Chad enquired in objection to this luminosity, āhave I done to make Sally afraid?ā
āYouāve been āwonderful, wonderful,ā as we sayā āwe poor people who watch the play from the pit; and thatās what has, admirably, made her. Made her all the more effectually that she could see you didnāt set about it on purposeā āI mean set about affecting her as with fear.ā
Chad cast a pleasant backward glance over his possibilities of motive. āIāve only wanted to be kind and friendly, to be decent and attentiveā āand I still only want to be.ā
Strether smiled at his comfortable clearness. āWell, there can certainly be no way for it better than by my taking the onus. It reduces your personal friction and your personal offence to almost nothing.ā
Ah but Chad, with his completer conception of the friendly, wouldnāt quite have this! They had remained on the balcony, where, after their day of great and premature heat, the midnight air was delicious; and they leaned back in turn against the balustrade, all in harmony with the chairs and the flowerpots, the cigarettes and the starlight. āThe onus isnāt really yoursā āafter our agreeing so to wait together and judge together. That was all my answer to Sally,ā Chad pursuedā āāthat we have been, that we are, just judging together.ā
āIām not afraid of the burden,ā Strether explained; āI havenāt come in the least that you should take it off me. Iāve come very much, it seems to me, to double up my fore legs in the manner of the camel when he gets down on his knees to make his back convenient. But Iāve supposed you all this while to have been doing a lot of special and private judgingā āabout which I havenāt troubled you; and Iāve only wished to have your conclusion first from you. I donāt ask more than that; Iām quite ready to take it as it has come.ā
Chad turned up his face to the sky with a slow puff of his smoke. āWell, Iāve seen.ā
Strether waited a little. āIāve left you wholly alone; havenāt, I think I may say, since the first hour or twoā āwhen I merely preached patienceā āso much as breathed on you.ā
āOh youāve been awfully good!ā
āWeāve both been good thenā āweāve played the game. Weāve given them the most liberal conditions.ā
āAh,ā said Chad, āsplendid conditions! It was open to them, open to themāā āhe seemed to make it
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