How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
For what had above all been determined in him as a necessity of the first order was not to lose another hour, nor a fraction of one; was to advance, to overwhelm, with a rush. This was how he would anticipate—by a night-attack, as might be—any forced maturity that a crammed consciousness of Paris was likely to take upon itself to assert on behalf of the boy. (3.2.84)
Strether starts to realize that the longer he stays in Europe (and especially Paris), the more difficult it will be to pull himself out of it to bring Chad home to America. For this reason, he makes a promise to himself to get to Chad as quickly as possible and waste absolutely no time in getting the kid onto a boat bound for Woollett, Massachusetts. Of course, we'll see how long that resolution sticks.
Quote #5
The strolls over Paris to see something or call somewhere were accordingly inevitable and natural, and the late sessions in the wondrous troisieme, the lovely home, when men dropped in and the picture composed more suggestively through the haze of tobacco, of music more or less good and of talk more or less polyglot, were on a principle not to be distinguished from that of the mornings and afternoons. (4.2.44)
As the mention of tobacco suggests, Strether finds his walks around Paris almost addictive. He enjoys them so much, for one, because the place is so different from the boring towns he's used to. But second, he enjoys them because he's totally free to enjoy life on his own terms. And there's no better place to do this than in Paris.
Quote #6
The place itself was a great impression—a small pavilion, clear-faced and sequestered, an effect of polished parquet, of fine white panel and spare sallow gilt, of decoration delicate and rare, in the heart of the Faubourg Saint-Germain and on the edge of a cluster of gardens attached to old noble houses. (5.1.3)
When he first goes to Madame de Vionnet's house, Strether can't help but soak in all of its beautiful details. Madame de Vionnet, you see, is a very wealthy woman. But wealth doesn't mean all that much unless you have a good sense of taste to back it up. And let's just say Madame has got feng shui to share.