ws you up pretty close."

Strether's candour was never very far off. "Oh it has occurred to you
that I'm literally running away from Mrs. Newsome?"

"Well, I haven't KNOWN but what you are. You're a very attractive man,
Strether. You've seen for yourself," said Waymarsh "what that lady
downstairs makes of it. Unless indeed," he rambled on with an effect
between the ironic and the anxious, "it's you who are after HER. IS
Mrs. Newsome OVER here?" He spoke as with a droll dread of her.

It made his friend--though rather dimly--smile. "Dear no she's safe,
thank goodness--as I think I more and more feel--at home. She thought
of coming, but she gave it up. I've come in a manner instead of her;
and come to that extent--for you're right in your inference--on her
business. So you see there IS plenty of connexion."

Waymarsh continued to see at least all there was. "Involving
accordingly the particular one I've referred to?"

Strether took another turn about the room, giving a twitch to his
companion's blanket and finally gaining the door. His feeling was that
of a nurse who had earned personal rest by having made everything
straight. "Involving more things than I can think of breaking ground
on now. But don't be afraid--you shall have them from me: you'll
probably find yourself having quite as much of them as you can do with.
I shall--if we keep together--very much depend on your impression of
some of them."

Waymarsh's acknowledgement of this tribute was characteristically
indirect. "You mean to say you don't believe we WILL keep together?"

"I only glance at the danger," Strether paternally said, "because when
I hear you wail to go back I seem to see you open up such possibilities
of folly."

Waymarsh took it--silent a little--like a large snubbed child "What are
you going to do with me?"

It was the very question Strether himself had put to Miss Gostrey, and
he wondered if he had sounded like that. But HE at least could be more
definite. "I'm going to take you right down to London."

"Oh I've been down to London!" Waymarsh more softly moaned. "I've no
use, Strether, for anything down there."

"Well," said Strether, good-humouredly, "I guess you've some use for
me."

"So I've got to go?"

"Oh you've got to go further yet."

"Well," Waymarsh sighed, "do your damnedest! Only you WILL tell me
before you lead me on all the way--?"

Our friend had again so lost himself, both for amusement and f