- Strether heads back to Sarah Pocock's place. He knows that she's been expecting him, but she isn't in her hotel room. Maybe the circus went late? Nah, he's pretty certain that this is some sort of power play to make him wait and to let his anxious thoughts totally eat him alive.
- He bumbles around her room until he realizes that both doors leading out to the balcony are open, and that there's a lady standing out there and staring down at the street. He assumes it's Sarah, but is then surprised to see that it's Mamie Pocock.
- Finally, he clears his throat to let her know that he's there. She turns around suddenly and says that she thought he was Mr. Bilham.
- Wait, thinks Strether. How does Mamie know Chad's artist friend Bilham? And furthermore, why was she staring down into the street so, dare we say, longingly while she was waiting for him?
- They start off by discussing Mamie's recent meeting with Jeanne de Vionnet. Mamie admits that Jeanne is perfect—so perfect, in fact, that no man should ever touch her. Um, okay. So then Strether has to let her know that Jeanne has just gotten engaged.
- Mamie says she already knows this because Jeanne's new fiancé, Monsieur de Montbron (he's got a name!), was at the de Vionnet house when Mamie visited. She says the dude is totally in love with Jeanne, though Jeanne doesn't seem to be so sure. Oh well, they'll get married one way or the other.
- At this moment, Strether has the mean thought that by the time Mamie reaches thirty, she'll be too fat to be pretty. Ouch.
- Mamie keeps talking about Jeanne, saying that the girl's main problem is that she's too desperate to please the people around her. Strether can relate to this.
- Strether takes his leave of Mamie and shakes her hand, leaving her to wait for the arrival of Bilham.