- When he meets Madame de Vionnet, Strether is struck by how youthful she seems for a woman with a daughter in her late teens. The woman is wearing a black dress and speaks in odd-sounding, but perfectly grammatical English. So far so good.
- There's no sign yet of the woman's daughter, who's probably hanging out somewhere else in the house. But Strether's got his hands full with the mom, anyway.
- It turns out that de Vionnet is old friends with Maria Gostrey, who seems to know just about everyone in all of Europe.
- The meeting isn't long, but it makes a really good impression on Strether. Afterwards, he goes to sit on a garden bench by himself and to collect his thoughts about what exactly is going on in Chad's life. Not his own, because that would be, like, pagan or something.
- While he's sitting, little Bilham plops down beside him.
- The only thing Strether can say is that it's a shame Madame de Vionnet's husband is still alive, though it's not clear for whose benefit he's saying this. Not the most Christian of sentiments, if you ask us.
- Strether then launches into a passionate speech, telling Bilham that no matter what he does with his life, he needs to enjoy his years of youth. Strether is depressed now to realize just how much he's missing out on by living his dusty, dull life in Woollett.
- Bilham tries to soothe him by saying that he'd like to be just like Strether when he gets older. Aw.
- Strether isn't ready to be consoled so easily, though. He says he'd rather be, at his age, an interesting and famous person like the artist Gloriani.
- At this point, Chad walks up to them with Jeanne de Vionnet, the girl whom he is apparently in love with. Strether is struck by how young and beautiful she is, and feels like poor Woollett and its Mamies just can't compete with a cultured, beautiful French girl like Jeanne.
- Their meeting is brief, but Jeanne takes the opportunity to extend Strether an invitation to come visit her mother at their house. Apparently, the woman has something very important to say to Strether.
- Chad declares that he'll make sure Strether makes it over to the de Vionnet house. He and Jeane walk off together, and now it feels even more like an early-1900s soap opera.