"Is what Mrs.Newsome had cabled her daughter an injunction to break off short ?" The grand manner indeed at this just raised its head a little.

"I know nothing about Mrs.Newsome's cables." Their eyes met on it with some intensity--during the few seconds of which something happened quite out of proportion to the time.

It happened that Strether, looking thus at his friend, didn't take his answer for truth--and that something more again occurred in consequence of THAT.

Yes--Waymarsh just DID know about Mrs.Newsome's cables: to what other end than that had they dined together at Bignon's?
Strether almost felt for the instant that it was to Mrs.Newsome herself the dinner had been given; and, for that matter, quite felt how she must have known about it and, as he might think, protected and consecrated it.

He had a quick blurred view of daily cables, questions, answers, signals: clear enough was his vision of the expense that, when so wound up, the lady at home was prepared to incur.