He was disturbed, as it were, only FOR him, and had positively gone away to ease him off, to let him down--if it wasn't indeed rather to screw him up--the more gently.

Seeing him now fairly jaded he had come, with characteristic good humour, all the way to meet him, and what Strether thereupon supremely made out was that he would abound for him to the end in conscientious assurances.

This was what was between them while the visitor remained; so far from having to go over old ground he found his entertainer keen to agree to everything.

It couldn't be put too strongly for him that he'd be a brute.

"Oh rather!--if I should do anything of THAT sort.