 make - make
better, it appears, than other people can, or than other people, at any rate,
do. Mr. Newsome, being a man of ideas, at least in that particular line,«
Strether explained, »put them on it with great effect, and gave the place
altogether, in his time, an immense lift.«
    »It's a place in itself?«
    »Well, quite a number of buildings; almost a little industrial colony. But
above all it's a thing. The article produced.«
    »And what is the article produced?«
    Strether looked about him as in slight reluctance to say; then the curtain,
which he saw about to rise, came to his aid. »I'll tell you next time.« But when
the next time came he only said he'd tell her later on - after they should have
left the theatre; for she had immediately reverted to their topic, and even for
himself the picture of the stage was now overlaid with another image. His
postponements, however, made her wonder - wonder if the article referred to were
anything bad. And she explained that she meant improper or ridiculous or wrong.
But Strether, so far as that went, could satisfy her. »Unmentionable? Oh no, we
constantly talk of it; we are quite familiar and brazen about it. Only, as a
small, trivial, rather ridiculous object of the commonest domestic use, it's
just wanting in - what shall I say? Well, dignity, or the least approach to
distinction. Right here therefore, with everything about us so grand -!« In
short he shrank.
    »It's a false note?«
    »Sadly. It's vulgar.«
    »But surely not vulgarer than this.« Then on his wondering as she herself
had done: »Than everything about us.« She seemed a trifle irritated. »What do
you take this for?«
    »Why for - comparatively - divine!«
    »This dreadful London theatre? It's impossible, if you really want to know.«
    »Oh then,« laughed Strether, »I don't really want to know!«
    It made between them a pause, which she, however, still fascinated by the
mystery of the production at Woollett, presently broke. »Rather ridiculous?
Clothes-pins? Saleratus? Shoe-polish?«
    It brought him round. »No - you don't even burn. I don't think, you know,
you'
