The responsibility was too much for me.

I gained time, and when I came back the need of a test had blown over." Strether thought of it serenely.

"Yes; when you came back little Bilham had shown me what's expected of a gentleman.

Little Bilham had lied like one." "And like what you believed him ?" "Well," said Strether, "it was but a technical lie--he classed the attachment as virtuous.

That was a view for which there was much to be said--and the virtue came out for me hugely There was of course a great deal of it.