. Were they charming or were they only
strange? He mightn't talk politics, yet he suspected a Pole or two. The upshot
was the question at the back of his head from the moment his friend had joined
him. »Have Madame de Vionnet and her daughter arrived?«
    »I haven't seen them yet, but Miss Gostrey has come. She's in the pavilion
looking at objects. One can see she's a collector,« little Bilham added without
offence.
    »Oh yes, she's a collector, and I knew she was to come. Is Madame de Vionnet
a collector?« Strether went on.
    »Rather, I believe; almost celebrated.« The young man met, on it, a little,
his friend's eyes. »I happen to know - from Chad, whom I saw last night - that
they've come back; but only yesterday. He wasn't sure - up to the last. This,
accordingly,« little Bilham went on, »will be - if they are here - their first
appearance after their return.«
    Strether, very quickly, turned these things over. »Chad told you last night?
To me, on our way here, he said nothing about it.«
    »But did you ask him?«
    Strether did him the justice. »I dare say not.«
    »Well,« said little Bilham, »you're not a person to whom ifs easy to tell
things you don't want to know. Though it is easy, I admit - it's quite
beautiful,« he benevolently added, »when you do want to.«
    Strether looked at him with an indulgence that matched his intelligence. »Is
that the deep reasoning on which - about these ladies - you've been yourself so
silent?«
    Little Bilham considered the depth of his reasoning. »I haven't been silent.
I spoke of them to you the other day, the day we sat together after Chad's
tea-party.«
    Strether came round to it. »They then are the virtuous attachment?«
    »I can only tell you that it's what they pass for. But isn't that enough?
What more than a vain appearance does the wisest of us know? I commend you,« the
young man declared with a pleasant emphasis, »the vain appearance.«
    Strether looked more widely round, and what he saw, from face to face,
deepened the effect of his young friend's words.
