It was deep, what he understood, and Strether, for himself, could only so observe it.

He couldn't see as yet how deep.

Might he not all too soon! For there was really too much of their question that Chad had already committed himself to liking.

He liked, to begin with, his prospective stepfather; which was distinctly what had not been on the cards.

His hating him was the untowardness for which Strether had been best prepared; he hadn't expected the boy's actual form to give him more to do than his imputed.