Henry James

“ We do seem to keep you going. But Sarah, as I see her, must be great."
"She is"—Strether fully assented—"great! Whatever happens, she won't, with these unforgettable days, have lived in vain."
Miss Gostrey had a pause. "You mean she has fallen in love?"
"I mean she wonders if she hasn't—and it serves all her purpose."
"It has, indeed," Maria laughed, "served women's purposes before!"
"Yes—for giving in. But I doubt if the idea—as an idea—has ever up to now answered so well for holding out. That's her tribute to the ideal—we each have our own. ”

“ So far as a direct approach was concerned, Sarah had neglected him, for the week now about to end, with a civil consistency of chill that, giving him a higher idea of her social resource, threw him back on the general reflection that a woman could always be amazing. It indeed helped a little to console him that he felt sure she had for the same period also left Chad's curiosity hanging; though, on the other hand, for his personal relief, Chad could at least go through the various motions—and he made them extraordinarily numerous—of seeing she had a good time. ”

“ And he was quite right," said Strether. "It would certainly have been nicer. Even when a thing's already nice there mostly is some other thing that would have been nicer—or as to which we wonder if it wouldn't. ”

“ If the equilibrium might only prevail! Sarah was out with Waymarsh, Mamie was out with Chad, and Jim was out alone. Later on indeed he himself was booked to Jim; was to take him that evening to the Varieties—which Strether was careful to pronounce as Jim pronounced them.
Miss Gostrey drank it in. "What then to-night do the others do?"
"Well, it has been arranged. Waymarsh takes Sarah to dine at Bignon's."
She wondered. "And what do they do after? They can't come straight home." ”