The Ambassadors Henry James (novel24 txt) đ
- Author: Henry James
Book online «The Ambassadors Henry James (novel24 txt) đ». Author Henry James
âTheyâre dying to see you?â Miss Gostrey asked.
âDying. Of course,â said Strether, âtheyâre the virtuous attachment.â He had already told her about thatâ âhad seen her the day after his talk with little Bilham; and they had then threshed out together the bearing of the revelation. She had helped him to put into it the logic in which little Bilham had left it slightly deficient Strether hadnât pressed him as to the object of the preference so unexpectedly described; feeling in the presence of it, with one of his irrepressible scruples, a delicacy from which he had in the quest of the quite other article worked himself sufficiently free. He had held off, as on a small principle of pride, from permitting his young friend to mention a name; wishing to make with this the great point that Chadâs virtuous attachments were none of his business. He had wanted from the first not to think too much of his dignity, but that was no reason for not allowing it any little benefit that might turn up. He had often enough wondered to what degree his interference might pass for interested; so that there was no want of luxury in letting it be seen whenever he could that he didnât interfere. That had of course at the same time not deprived him of the further luxury of much private astonishment; which however he had reduced to some order before communicating his knowledge. When he had done this at last it was with the remark that, surprised as Miss Gostrey might, like himself, at first be, she would probably agree with him on reflection that such an account of the matter did after all fit the confirmed appearances. Nothing certainly, on all the indications, could have been a greater change for him than a virtuous attachment, and since they had been in search of the âwordâ as the French called it, of that change, little Bilhamâs announcementâ âthough so long and so oddly delayedâ âwould serve as well as another. She had assured Strether in fact after a pause that the more she thought of it the more it did serve; and yet her assurance hadnât so weighed with him as that before they parted he hadnât ventured to challenge her sincerity. Didnât she believe the attachment was virtuous?â âhe had made sure of her again with the aid of that question. The tidings he brought her on this second occasion were moreover such as would help him to make surer still.
She showed at first none the less as only amused. âYou say there are two? An attachment to them both then would, I suppose, almost necessarily be innocent.â
Our friend took the point, but he had his clue. âMaynât he be still in the stage of not quite knowing which of them, mother or daughter, he likes best?â
She gave it more thought. âOh it must be the daughterâ âat his age.â
âPossibly. Yet what do we know,â Strether asked, âabout hers? She may be old enough.â
âOld enough for what?â
âWhy to marry Chad. That may be, you know, what they want. And if Chad wants it too, and little Bilham wants it, and even we, at a pinch, could do with itâ âthat is if she doesnât prevent repatriationâ âwhy it may be plain sailing yet.â
It was always the case for him in these counsels that each of his remarks, as it came, seemed to drop into a deeper well. He had at all events to wait a moment to hear the slight splash of this one. âI donât see why if Mr. Newsome wants to marry the young lady he hasnât already done it or hasnât been prepared with some statement to you about it. And if he both wants to marry her and is on good terms with them why isnât he âfreeâ?â
Strether, responsively, wondered indeed. âPerhaps the girl herself doesnât like him.â
âThen why does he speak of them to you as he does?â
Stretherâs mind echoed the question, but also again met it. âPerhaps itâs with the mother heâs on good terms.â
âAs against the daughter?â
âWell, if sheâs trying to persuade the daughter to consent to him, what could make him like the mother more? Only,â Strether threw out, âwhy shouldnât the daughter consent to him?â
âOh,â said Miss Gostrey, âmaynât it be that everyone else isnât quite so struck with him as you?â
âDoesnât regard him you mean as such an âeligibleâ young man? Is that what Iâve come to?â he audibly and rather gravely sought to know. âHowever,â he went on, âhis marriage is what his mother most desiresâ âthat is if it will help. And oughtnât any marriage to help? They must want himââ âhe had already worked it outâ ââto be better off. Almost any girl he may marry will have a direct interest in his taking up his chances. It wonât suit her at least that he shall miss them.â
Miss Gostrey cast about. âNoâ âyou reason well! But of course on the other hand thereâs always dear old Woollett itself.â
âOh yes,â he musedâ ââthereâs always dear old Woollett itself.â
She waited a moment. âThe young
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