No indeed; he gave it out, as the young man sat down beside him, that if, at the worst, he had been overturned at all, he had been overturned into the upper air, the sublimer element with which he had an affinity and in which he might be trusted a while to float.

It wasn't a descent to earth to say after an instant and in sustained response to the reference: "You're quite sure her husband's living ?" "Oh dear, yes." "Ah then--!" "Ah then what ?" Strether had after all to think.

"Well, I'm sorry for them." But it didn't for the moment matter more than that.

He assured his young friend he was quite content.

They wouldn't stir; were all right as they were.