Make it then impossible." She continued to think.

"Is it really an 'order' from you ?--that I shall take the job?
WILL you give yourself up ?" Poor Strether heaved his sigh.

"If I only could! But that's the deuce of it--that I never can.

No--I can't." She wasn't, however, discouraged.

"But you want to at least ?" "Oh unspeakably!" "Ah then, if you'll try!"-- and she took over the job, as she had called it, on the spot.