dred's other English friend the gentleman, the one
connected with the English newspaper (Susie hung
fire a little over his name) who had been with her
in New York so shortly previous to present advent
ures. He had been named of course in Battersea
Park else he couldn't have been identified; and
Susie had naturally, before she could produce her
own share in the matter as a kind of confession, to
make it plain that her allusion was to Mr. Merton
Densher. This was because Milly had at first a little
air of not knowing whom she meant; and the girl
really kept, as well, a certain control of herself while
she remarked that the case was surprising, the chance
one in a thousand. They knew him, both Maud
and Miss Croy knew him, she gathered too, rather
well, though indeed it was not on any show of inti
macy that he had happened to be mentioned. It had
not been Susie made the point she herself who
brought him in: he had in fact not been brought in
at all, but only referred to as a young journalist
known to Mrs. Lowder and who had lately gone to
their wonderful country Mrs. Lowder always said
"your wonderful country" on behalf of his journal.
But Mrs. Stringham had taken it up with the tips
of her fingers indeed; and that was the confession:
she had, without meaning any harm, recognised Mr.
Densher as an acquaintance of Milly s, though she
had also pulled herself up before getting in too far.
Mrs. Lowder had been struck, clearly it wasn't too
much to say; then she also, it had rather seemed, had

[[203]]

p202 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p203w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p204

v?