He's still showing Jim round."
She visibly wondered. "Then how about Jim?"
Strether took a turn before he answered. "Hasn't he given you Jim?
Hasn't he before this 'done' him for you?" He was a little at a
loss. "Doesn't he tell you things?"
She hesitated. "No"--and their eyes once more gave and took.
"Not as you do. You somehow make me see them--or at least feel them.
And I haven't asked too much," she added; "I've of late wanted so
not to worry him."
"Ah for that, so have I," he said with encouraging assent; so that--
as if she had answered everything--they were briefly sociable on it.
It threw him back on his other thought, with which he took another
turn; stopping again, however, presently with something of a glow.
"You see Jim's really immense. I think it will be Jim who'll do it."
She wondered. "Get hold of him?"
"No--just the other thing. Counteract Sarah's spell." And he
showed now, our friend, how far he had worked it out. "Jim's
intensely cynical."
"Oh dear Jim!" Madame de Vionnet vaguely smiled.
"Yes, literally--dear Jim! He's awful. What HE wants, heaven
forgive him, is to help us."
"You mean"--she was eager--"help ME?"
"Well, Chad and me in the first place. But he throws you in too,
though without as yet seeing you much.
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