Henry James

“ 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 her up for the money in it?"
Chad preserved his handsome grimace as well as the rest of his attitude. "You're not altogether kind. What have I done, what am I doing, but cleave to her? The only thing is," he good-humouredly explained, "that I like to 'size-up'—it's pleasant to a fellow's feelings—the bribe I apply my foot to."
"Oh then, if all you want's a kickable surface, the bribe's enormous." ”

“ Chad had risked it jocosely, but Strether remained blank. "Enough? "
"If one should wish to live on one's accumulations?" After which, however, as his friend appeared cold to the joke, the young man as easily dropped it. "Of course I really never forget, night or day, what I owe her. I owe her everthing. I give you my word of honour," he frankly rang out, "that I'm not a bit tired of her." Strether, at this, only gave him a stare: the way youth could express itself was again and again a wonder. ”

“ 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 would 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. ”

“ But there was just one thing for which, before they broke off, Chad seemed disposed slightly to bargain. Strether needn't, as he said, tell him, but he might himself mention that he had been getting some news of the art of advertisement. He came out quite suddenly with this announcement, while Strether wondered if his revived interest were what had taken him, with strange inconsequence, over to London. He appeared at all events to have been looking into the question and had encountered a revelation. Advertising scientifically worked presented itself thus as the great new force. ”

“ It's an art like another, and infinite like all the arts." He went on as if for the joke of it—almost as if his friend's face amused him. "In the hands, naturally, of a master. The right man must take hold. With him to work it—c'est un monde!"
Strether had watched him quite as if, there on the pavement, without a pretext, he had begun to dance a fancy step. "Is what you're thinking of that you yourself, in the case you have in mind, would be the right man?"
Chad had thrown back his light coat and thrust each of his thumbs into an armhole of his waistcoat ”

“ She has never for a moment yet bored me—never been wanting, as the cleverest women sometimes are, in tact. She has never talked about her tact—as even they too sometimes talk; but she has always had it. ”

“ Then there it goes!" He 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 them. "Of course I shall see you to-morrow."
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. "You're restless."
"Ah," returned Chad as they parted, "you're exciting." ”