- Strether sits down with Maria Gostrey and tells her that Sarah and her crew (including Waymarsh) are leaving Paris. Good riddance. He also mentions that the artist Bilham is going with them so he can be with Mamie, which we all pretty much saw coming.
- Jim Pocock is the only one among them who doesn't seem to have a partner, since his wife Sarah and Waymarsh are spending all their time together. But Strether says that Jim's the type who will appreciate the break from his wife.
- We also find out that Jim has been paying visits to Madame de Vionnet on his own, which Sarah would kill him for if she ever found out.
- Strether wishes—kind of spitefully—that Madame de Vionnet would go to Switzerland as Jim's date, just to show Sarah that she can't run away from the hard truth that the Newsomes aren't so great. That's harsh, man.
- Maria asks Strether what the odds are of him ever leaving Paris, and he says he's not sure.
- Finally (and we mean FINALLY), Maria comes out and says she wants Strether to stay in Paris… for her.
- Strether, though, can only answer this by asking Maria why she disappeared for two months when he first came to Paris, especially if she cares about him so much. She answers that it was good for him and that he never would have learned to stick up for himself. He's always relied on a woman to tell him what to do, and now he's his own man.
- Strether admits that he missed Maria badly while she was gone. He also tells her that things between him and Mrs. Newsome are pretty much kaput.
- Maria asks Strether what he wants to get out of the whole situation, and Strether can only answer that what he wants is something he can't even begin to understand. It's just too big a question. Which is super vague and philosophical and shows that this book is not ready to wrap up anytime soon.
- Strether tells Maria that he has had his final meeting with Sarah Pocock, and instead of breaking things off with her, he has asked her (and Mrs. Newsome) for another delay. He'd like to make his final decision in another month.
- Which seems silly because isn't he done with them already? But on the other hand it's because he wants things back on his terms. Anyway, we're not quite sure how Sarah reacted to this.
- Strether feels sad for Sarah Pocock (in spite of some of his spiteful comments). He feels that he has gone out of his way to meet her halfway on a lot of things, but she hasn't been willing to give an inch because of her prejudices.
- This is basically because it was always an ultimatum with her: either Mrs. Newsome is the greatest thing since GOD, or Strether can find himself another fiancée. The younger, more spineless Strether would have totally caved at this demand, but the new Strether sure as heck won't.
- Maria warns him that he might still break and go running back. It's obvious she doesn't want to see this happen, but she's not sure if Strether has been totally tested yet.
- Maria closes the conversation by saying that Chad and Madame de Vionnet have both left town, probably to get away from Strether for a while. Strether isn't particularly hurt by this, but it's enough to make you wonder if everything is going to work out with his new-found besties if he chooses Paris over Woollett.