 took me for when you first
came out?«
    Strether felt a little faint, but he coerced his attention. »Oh yes, and
there's no doubt that, with your natural parts, you'd have much in common with
him. Advertising is clearly at this time of day the secret of trade. It's quite
possible it will be open to you - giving the whole of your mind to it - to make
the whole place hum with you. Your mother's appeal is to the whole of your mind,
and that's exactly the strength of her case.«
    Chad's fingers continued to twiddle, but he had something of a drop. »Ah
we've been through my mother's case!«
    »So I thought. Why then do you speak of the matter?«
    »Only because it was part of our original discussion. To wind up where we
began, my interest's purely platonic. There at any rate the fact is - the fact
of the possible. I mean the money in it.«
    »Oh damn the money in it!« said Strether. And then as the young man's fixed
smile seemed to shine out more strange: »Shall you give your friend up for the
money in it?«
    Chad preserved his handsome grimace as well as the rest of his attitude.
»You're not altogether - in your so great solemnity- kind. Haven't I been
drinking you in - showing you all I feel you're worth to me? What have I done,
what am I doing, but cleave to her to the death? The only thing is,« he
good-humouredly explained, »that one can't but have it before one, in the
cleaving - the point where the death comes in. Don't be afraid for that. It's
pleasant to a fellow's feelings,« he developed, »to size-up the bribe he applies
his foot to.«
    »Oh then if all you want's a kickable surface the bribe's enormous.«
    »Good. Then there it goes!« Chad administered his kick with fantastic force
and sent an imaginary object flying. It was accordingly as if they were once
more rid of the question and could come back to what really concerned him. »Of
course I shall see you tomorrow.«
    But Strether scarce heeded the plan proposed for this; he had still the
impression - not the slighter for the simulated kick - of an irrelevant hornpipe
or jig. »
