How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
'It's not too late for you, on any side, and you don't strike me as in danger of missing the train.' (5.2.14)
Strether feels bad enough about his age. But one thing he feels even more strongly about is making sure that Bilham doesn't make the same mistakes as him. He tells Bilham that he better appreciate his youth while it lasts. The real gist of Strether's comments is that he wishes he knew what he knows now, but only when he was younger.
Quote #5
'All the same don't forget that you're young—blessedly young; be glad of it on the contrary and live up to it. Live all you can; it's a mistake not to.' (5.2.14)
When Bilham says that he's too shy to talk to the ladies, Strether doesn't drop his point about telling Bilham to enjoy his youth. You can really see the envy in Strether's words as he fills Bilham's ears with this stuff. From Bilham's point of view, this is probably sounding like Strether's putting a lot of pressure on him. But the poor old dude (Strether) badly wants someone to enjoy their youth, even if it can't be him.
Quote #6
'I see it now. I haven't done so enough before—and now I'm old; too old at any rate for what I see.' (5.2.14)
Now that Strether's older, he has enough wisdom to know how a young person could live life to its fullest. The bitter irony is that Strether has only learned this after his youth has passed him by.