The Ambassadors Henry James (novel24 txt) 📖

change in his attitude⁠—in other words a revulsion in favour of the principles of Woollett. She had really prefigured the possibility of a shock that would send him swinging back to Mrs. Newsome. He hadn’t, it was true, week after week, shown signs of receiving it, but the possibility had been none the less in the air. What Maria accordingly had had now to take in was that the shock had descended and that he hadn’t, all the same, swung back. He had grown clear, in a flash, on a point long since settled for herself; but no reapproximation to Mrs. Newsome had occurred in consequence. Madame de Vionnet had by her visit held up the torch to these truths, and what now lingered in poor Maria’s face was the somewhat smoky light of the scene between them. If the light however wasn’t, as we have hinted, the glow of joy, the reasons for this also were perhaps discernible to Strether even through the blur cast over them by his natural modesty. She had held herself for months with a firm hand; she hadn’t interfered on any chance⁠—and chances were specious enough⁠—that she might interfere to her profit. She had turned her back on the dream that Mrs. Newsome’s rupture, their friend’s forfeiture⁠—the engagement, the relation itself, broken beyond all mending⁠—might furnish forth her advantage; and, to stay her hand from promoting these things, she had on private, difficult, but rigid, lines, played strictly fair. She couldn’t therefore but feel that, though, as the end of all, the facts in question had been stoutly confirmed, her ground for personal, for what might have been called interested, elation remained rather vague. Strether might easily have made out that she had been asking herself, in the hours she had just sat through, if there were still for her, or were only not, a fair shade of uncertainty. Let us hasten to add, however, that what he at first made out on this occasion he also at first kept to himself. He only asked what in particular Madame de Vionnet had come for, and as to this his companion was ready.

“She wants tidings of Mr. Newsome, whom she appears not to have seen for some days.”

“Then she hasn’t been away with him again?”

“She seemed to think,” Maria answered, “that he might have gone away with you.”

“And did you tell her I know nothing of him?”

She had her indulgent headshake. “I’ve known nothing of what you know. I could only tell her I’d ask you.”

“Then I’ve not seen him for a week⁠—and of course I’ve wondered.” His wonderment showed at this moment as sharper, but he presently went on. “Still, I dare say I can put my hand on him. Did she strike you,” he asked, “as anxious?”

“She’s always anxious.”

“After all I’ve done for her?” And he had one of the last flickers of his occasional mild mirth. “To think that was just what I came out to prevent!”

She took it up but to reply. “You don’t regard him then as safe?”

“I was just going to ask you how in that respect you regard Madame de Vionnet.”

She looked at him a little. “What woman was ever safe? She told me,” she added⁠—and it was as if at the touch of the connection⁠—“of your extraordinary meeting in the country. After that à quoi se fier?”

“It was, as an accident, in all the possible or impossible chapter,” Strether conceded, “amazing enough. But still, but still⁠—!”

“But still she didn’t mind?”

“She doesn’t mind anything.”

“Well, then, as you don’t either, we may all sink to rest!”

He appeared to agree with her, but he had his reservation. “I do mind Chad’s disappearance.”

“Oh you’ll get him back. But now you know,” she said, “why I went to Mentone.” He had sufficiently let her see that he had by this time gathered things together, but there was nature in her wish to make them clearer still. “I didn’t want you to put it to me.”

“To put it to you⁠—?”

“The question of what you were at last⁠—a week ago⁠—to see for yourself. I didn’t want to have to lie for her. I felt that to be too much for me. A man of course is always expected to do it⁠—to do it, I mean, for a woman; but not a woman for another woman; unless perhaps on the tit-for-tat principle, as an indirect way of protecting herself. I don’t need protection, so that I was free to ‘funk’ you⁠—simply to dodge your test. The responsibility was too much for me. I gained time, and when I came back the need of a test had blown over.”

Strether thought of it serenely. “Yes; when you came back little Bilham had shown me what’s expected of a gentleman. Little Bilham had lied like one.”

“And like what you believed him?”

“Well,” said Strether, “it was but a technical lie⁠—he classed the attachment as virtuous. That was a view for which there was much to be said⁠—and the virtue came out for me hugely There was of course a great deal of it. I got it full in the face, and I haven’t, you see, done with it yet.”

“What I see, what I saw,” Maria returned, “is that you dressed up even the virtue. You were wonderful⁠—you were beautiful, as I’ve had the honour of telling you before; but, if you wish really to know,” she sadly confessed, “I never quite knew where you were. There were moments,” she explained, “when you struck me as grandly cynical; there were others when you struck me as grandly vague.”

Her friend considered. “I had phases. I had flights.”

“Yes, but things must have a basis.”

“A basis seemed to me just what her beauty supplied.”

“Her beauty of person?”

“Well, her beauty of everything. The impression she makes. She has such variety and yet such harmony.”

She considered him with one of her deep returns of indulgence⁠—returns out of all proportion to the irritations they flooded over. “You’re complete.”

“You’re always too personal,” he good-humouredly said; “but that’s precisely how