the street below them, of heavy
carriage-wheels and of horses trained to "step." A rumble, a great
shake, a considerable effective clatter, had been apparently succeeded
by a pause at the door of the hotel, which was in turn accompanied by a
due display of diminished prancing and stamping. "You've a visitor,"
Densher laughed, "and it must be at least an ambassador."

"It's only my own carriage; it does that--isn't it wonderful?--every
day. But we find it, Mrs. Stringham and I, in the innocence of our
hearts, very amusing." She had got up, as she spoke, to assure herself
of what she said; and at the end of a few steps they were together on
the balcony and looking down at her waiting chariot, which made indeed
a brave show. "Is it very awful?"

It was to Densher's eyes--save for its absurd heaviness--only
pleasantly pompous. "It seems to me delightfully rococo. But how do I
know? You're mistress of these things, in contact with the highest
wisdom. You occupy a position, moreover, thanks to which your
carriage--well, by this time, in the eye of London, also occupies one."
But she was going out, and he mustn't stand in her way. What had
happened the next minute was first that she had denied she was going
out, so that he might prolong his stay; and second that she had said
she would go out with pleasure if he would like to drive--that in fact
there were always things to do, that there had been a question for her
to-day of several in particular, and that this in short was why the
carriage had been ordered so early. They perceived, as she said these
things, that an enquirer had presented himself, and, coming back, they
found Milly's servant announcing the carriage and prepared to accompany
her. This appeared to have for her the effect of settling the
matter--on the basis, that is, of Densher's happy response. Densher's
happy response, however, had as yet hung fire, the process we have
described in him operating by this time with extreme intensity. The
system of not pulling up, not breaking off, had already brought him
headlong, he seemed to feel, to where they actually stood; and just now
it was, with a vengeance, that he must do either one thing or the
other. He had been waiting for some moments, which probably seemed to
him longer than they were; this was because he was anxiously watching
himself wait. He couldn't keep that up for ever; and since one thing or
the other was what he must do, it was for the other that he pres