 will it be?«
    This, in fine, however, she would never tell him. »You shall hear only if
your smash takes place. As that's really out of the question, I won't expose
myself« - a point at which, for reasons of his own, Strether ceased to press.
    He came round, for publicity - it was the easiest thing - to the idea that
his smash was out of the question, and this rendered idle the discussion of what
might follow it. He attached an added importance, as the days elapsed, to the
arrival of the Pococks; he had even a shameful sense of waiting for it
insincerely and incorrectly. He accused himself of making believe to his own
mind that Sarah's presence, her impression, her judgement would simplify and
harmonise; he accused himself of being so afraid of what they might do that he
sought refuge, to beg the whole question, in a vain fury. He had abundantly seen
at home what they were in the habit of doing, and he had not at present the
smallest ground. His clearest vision was when he made out that what he most
desired was an account more full and free of Mrs. Newsome's state of mind than
any he felt he could now expect from herself; that calculation at least went
hand in hand with the sharp consciousness of wishing to prove to himself that he
was not afraid to look his behaviour in the face. If he was by an inexorable
logic to pay for it he was literally impatient to know the cost, and he held
himself ready to pay in instalments. The first instalment would be precisely
this entertainment of Sarah; as a consequence of which, moreover, he should know
vastly better how he stood.
 

                                  Book Eighth

                                       I

Strether rambled alone during these few days, the effect of the incident of the
previous week having been to simplify in a marked fashion his mixed relations
with Waymarsh. Nothing had passed between them in reference to Mrs. Newsome's
summons but that our friend had mentioned to his own the departure of the
deputation actually at sea - giving him thus an opportunity to confess to the
occult intervention he imputed to him. Waymarsh however in the event confessed
to nothing; and though this falsified in some degree Strether's forecast the
latter amusedly saw in it the same depth of good conscience out of which the
dear man's impertinence had originally sprung. He was patient with the dear man
now and delighted to observe how unmistakeably he had put on flesh; he felt his
own holiday so successfully large and free that he was
