“Why, it’s she—simply. It’s her mood. It’s her charm.”
“Of course it’s her charm, but we’re speaking of the difference.” “Well,” Miss Barrace explained, “she’s just brilliant, as we used to say. That’s all. She’s various. She’s fifty women.”
“Ah but only one”—Strether kept it clear—“at a time.”
“Perhaps. But in fifty times—!”
“Oh we shan’t come to that,” our friend declared; and the next moment he had moved in another direction. “Will you answer me a plain question? Will she ever divorce?”
Miss Barrace looked at him through all her tortoise-shell. “Why should she?”
It wasn’t what he had asked for, he signified; but he met it well enough. “To marry Chad.”
“Why should she marry Chad?”
“Because I’m convinced she’s very fond of him. She has done wonders for him.”
“Well then, how could she do more? Marrying a man, or woman either,” Miss Barrace sagely went on, “is never the wonder for any Jack and Jill can bring that off. The wonder is their doing such things without marrying.”