ay for ever. Let the Pococks come," Strether
repeated.

"Because it gains you time?"

"Yes--it gains me time."

Chad, as if it still puzzled him, waited a minute. "You don't want to
get back to Mother?"

"Not just yet. I'm not ready."

"You feel," Chad asked in a tone of his own, "the charm of life over
here?"

"Immensely." Strether faced it. "You've helped me so to feel it that
that surely needn't surprise you."

"No, it doesn't surprise me, and I'm delighted. But what, my dear
man," Chad went on with conscious queerness, "does it all lead to for
you?"

The change of position and of relation, for each, was so oddly betrayed
in the question that Chad laughed out as soon as he had uttered
it--which made Strether also laugh. "Well, to my having a certitude
that has been tested--that has passed through the fire. But oh," he
couldn't help breaking out, "if within my first month here you had been
willing to move with me--!"

"Well?" said Chad, while he broke down as for weight of thought.

"Well, we should have been over there by now."

"Ah but you wouldn't have had your fun!"

"I should have had a month of it; and I'm having now, if you want to
know," Strether continued, "enough to last me for the rest of my days."

Chad looked amused and interested, yet still somewhat in the dark;
partly perhaps because Strether's estimate of fun had required of him
from the first a good deal of elucidation. "It wouldn't do if I left
you--?"

"Left me?"--Strether remained blank.

"Only for a month or two--time to go and come. Madame de Vionnet,"
Chad smiled, "would look after you in the interval."

"To go back by yourself, I remaining here?" Again for an instant their
eyes had the question out; after which Strether said: "Grotesque!"

"But I want to see Mother," Chad presently returned. "Remember how
long it is since I've seen Mother."

"Long indeed; and that's exactly why I was originally so keen for
moving you. Hadn't you shown us enough how beautifully you could do
without it?"

"Oh but," said Chad wonderfully, "I'm better now."

There was an easy triumph in it that made his friend laugh out again.
"Oh if you were worse I SHOULD know what to do with you. In that case
I believe I'd have you gagged and strapped down, carried on board
resisting, kicking. How MUCH," Strether asked, "do you want to see
Mother?"

"How much?"--Chad seemed to find it in fact difficult to say.

"How much."

"Why as