no adequate
forecast of which, despite his admonitions, she would certainly arrive.
"I've done THIS!"

"Well, this is all right. She likes," Chad comfortably remarked,
"to be liked."

It gave his companion a moment's thought. "And she's sure Mrs. Pocock
WILL--?"

"No, I say that for you. She likes your liking her; it's so much, as
it were," Chad laughed, "to the good. However, she doesn't despair of
Sarah either, and is prepared, on her own side, to go all lengths."

"In the way of appreciation?"

"Yes, and of everything else. In the way of general amiability,
hospitality and welcome. She's under arms," Chad laughed again; "she's
prepared."

Strether took it in; then as if an echo of Miss Barrace were in the
air: "She's wonderful."

"You don't begin to know HOW wonderful!"

There was a depth in it, to Strether's ear, of confirmed luxury--almost
a kind of unconscious insolence of proprietorship; but the effect of
the glimpse was not at this moment to foster speculation: there was
something so conclusive in so much graceful and generous assurance. It
was in fact a fresh evocation; and the evocation had before many
minutes another consequence. "Well, I shall see her oftener now. I
shall see her as much as I like--by your leave; which is what I
hitherto haven't done."

"It has been," said Chad, but without reproach, "only your own fault. I
tried to bring you together, and SHE, my dear fellow--I never saw her
more charming to any man. But you've got your extraordinary ideas."

"Well, I DID have," Strether murmured, while he felt both how they had
possessed him and how they had now lost their authority. He couldn't
have traced the sequence to the end, but it was all because of Mrs.
Pocock. Mrs. Pocock might be because of Mrs. Newsome, but that was
still to be proved. What came over him was the sense of having
stupidly failed to profit where profit would have been precious. It
had been open to him to see so much more of her, and he had but let the
good days pass. Fierce in him almost was the resolve to lose no more
of them, and he whimsically reflected, while at Chad's side he drew
nearer to his destination, that it was after all Sarah who would have
quickened his chance. What her visit of inquisition might achieve in
other directions was as yet all obscure--only not obscure that it would
do supremely much to bring two earnest persons together. He had but to
listen to Chad at this moment to fee