Summary

On his third night in London, Strether goes to dinner and the theater with Maria Gostrey. He is struck by her manner of dress, quite unlike that of the widow Mrs. Newsome, his fiancée. Strether had never previously dined with a lady before going to the theater as he believed doing so had serious implications.

Strether observes the people around him and determines that all of them can be categorized into types. In Woollett, Massachusetts, the only types were male and female. Here in Europe, there seem to be many more.

The play is about an older woman leading a younger man astray. This reminds Strether of his errand to Europe concerning Chad, Mrs. Newsome’s son, whom Strether is supposed to rescue from the influence of a “wicked woman.” Miss Gostrey asks about Mrs. Newsome. Strether is hard pressed to describe her or her married daughter positively.

Strether tells Miss Gostrey that Chad must return to Woollett to take his place in the family business. When Miss Gostrey inquires into the nature of the family business, Strether is vague and says he will tell her later. Miss Gostrey starts a guessing game to determine what the business is, thinking it must be something embarrassing or vulgar. Miss Gostrey suggests that shame about the family business is the real reason Chad will not come home.

Strether reveals that he is the editor of a magazine and Mrs. Newsome is its financial backer. As for Chad, Miss Gostrey suggests that perhaps Paris has done him some good and refined him. Strether tells her that if Chad comes home, it will mean more money and responsibilites for him. Miss Gostrey sees that this means that Chad will get married to a suitable girl, namely Mamie Pocock (the sister of Jim Pocock, who is married to Chad’s sister). Miss Gostrey asks Strether what he gains by all this; Strether replies that he gains or loses nothing. When he puts Miss Gostrey into a cab, she repeats her question. This time he answers that he will lose everything.

When Strether arrives in Paris, he does not find the letters he had expected. Since he can do nothing without those letters, he and Waymarsh go to the theater. When the letters arrive, Strether feels free to wander around Paris and goes to the Luxembourg Gardens. There he reads his letters, most of which are from Mrs. Newsome. After he reads his letters, he has a sense of freedom. He reflects on his realization of how tired and worthless he felt at home. He thinks of his dead wife and of his son who had died of diphtheria at school. He feels that he had neglected his son and had sent him off to school to die. His life has been one long series of failures. He thinks of the trip to Europe with his young wife and coming back with an expanded mind. He is determined to expand it more. All the hopes of his youth come back to him now in Paris. As he is enjoying the theater, he wonders if he could he take Chad to such entertainment, or if doing so would undermine his authority. He takes rooms on the Right Bank, a more conventional district of Paris. Here he is less likely to accidentally encounter Chad and his lover. Chad has situated himself in the Latin Quarter, an area known for free living and thinking. As Strether walks the streets of the Latin Quarter, he comes to Chad’s apartment building. He looks up at the balconies and sees a young man. He thinks...