But I've my idea that it
will be, very quietly, at Chad's own place."
"She'll come to him there alone?"
They looked at each other a moment. "He has known her from a child.
Besides," said Strether with emphasis, "Mamie's remarkable. She's
splendid."
She wondered. "Do you mean she expects to bring it off?"
"Getting hold of him? No--I think not."
"She doesn't want him enough?--or doesn't believe in her power?"
On which as he said nothing she continued: "She finds she doesn't
care for him?"
"No--I think she finds she does. But that's what I mean by so
describing her. It's IF she does that she's splendid. But we'll
see," he wound up, "where she comes out."
"You seem to show me sufficiently," Miss Gostrey laughed, "where
she goes in! But is her childhood's friend," she asked, "permitting
himself recklessly to flirt with her?"
"No--not that. Chad's also splendid. They're ALL splendid!" he
declared with a sudden strange sound of wistfulness and envy.
"They're at least HAPPY."
"Happy?"--it appeared, with their various difficulties, to surprise
her.
"Well--I seem to myself among them the only one who isn't."
She demurred. "With your constant tribute to the ideal?"
He had a laugh at his tribute to the ideal, but he explained after
a moment his impression.
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