"Back then, after all, thank goodness," Densher
concurred, " on me."

But she spoke again as with the sole vision of
the whole scene she had evoked. " It's a pity, be
cause you'd like him. He's wonderful he's charm
ing." Her companion gave one of the laughs that
marked in him, again, his feeling in her tone, in-
veterately, something that banished the talk of
other women, so far as he knew other women, to
the dull desert of the conventional, and she had al
ready continued. " He would make himself de
lightful to you."

"Even while objecting to me?"

"Well, he likes to please," the girl explained
"personally. He would appreciate you and be
clever with you. It's to me he objects that is as to
my liking you."

"Heaven be praised then," Densher exclaimed,
"that you like me enough for the objection!"

But she met it after an instant with some inconse
quence. " I don t. I offered to give you up, if
necessary, to go to him. But it made no difference,
and that's what I mean," she pursued, " by his de
clining me on any terms. The point is, you see, that
I don't escape."

Densher wondered. " But if you didn't wish to
escape me?"

"I wished to escape Aunt Maud. But he insists
that it's through her and through her only that I
may help him; just as Marian insists that it's

[[79]]

p078 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p079w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p080

v?