l it; for Chad was in the act of
remarking to him that they of course both counted on him--he himself
and the other earnest person--for cheer and support. It was brave to
Strether to hear him talk as if the line of wisdom they had struck out
was to make things ravishing to the Pococks. No, if Madame de Vionnet
compassed THAT, compassed the ravishment of the Pococks, Madame de
Vionnet would be prodigious. It would be a beautiful plan if it
succeeded, and it all came to the question of Sarah's being really
bribeable. The precedent of his own case helped Strether perhaps but
little to consider she might prove so; it being distinct that her
character would rather make for every possible difference. This idea
of his own bribeability set him apart for himself; with the further
mark in fact that his case was absolutely proved. He liked always,
where Lambert Strether was concerned, to know the worst, and what he
now seemed to know was not only that he was bribeable, but that he had
been effectually bribed. The only difficulty was that he couldn't
quite have said with what. It was as if he had sold himself, but
hadn't somehow got the cash. That, however, was what,
characteristically, WOULD happen to him. It would naturally be his
kind of traffic. While he thought of these things he reminded Chad of
the truth they mustn't lose sight of--the truth that, with all
deference to her susceptibility to new interests, Sarah would have come
out with a high firm definite purpose. "She hasn't come out, you know,
to be bamboozled. We may all be ravishing--nothing perhaps can be more
easy for us; but she hasn't come out to be ravished. She has come out
just simply to take you home."

"Oh well, with HER I'll go," said Chad good-humouredly. "I suppose
you'll allow THAT." And then as for a minute Strether said nothing:
"Or is your idea that when I've seen her I shan't want to go?" As this
question, however, again left his friend silent he presently went on:
"My own idea at any rate is that they shall have while they're here the
best sort of time."

It was at this that Strether spoke. "Ah there you are! I think if you
really wanted to go--!"

"Well?" said Chad to bring it out.

"Well, you wouldn't trouble about our good time. You wouldn't care
what sort of a time we have."

Chad could always take in the easiest way in the world any ingenious
suggestion. "I see. But can I help it? I'm too decent."

"Yes, you're too dec