James: answered for his reapperance
Marius Hancu
What is the meaning of "answer for" in the last sentence? "Guarantee"
or "explain?"
---
[Stether tries to find Chad at this residence. No such luck.]
He went late that evening to the Boulevard Malesherbes, having his
impression that it would be vain to go early, and having also, more
than once in the course of the day, made enquiries of the concierge.
Chad hadn't come in and had left no intimation; he had affairs,
apparently, at this juncture—as it occurred to Strether he so well
might have—that kept him long abroad. Our friend asked once for him at
the hotel in the Rue de Rivoli, but the only contribution offered
there was the fact that every one was out. It was with the idea that
he would have to come home to sleep that Strether went up to his
rooms, from which however he was still absent, though, from the
balcony, a few moments later, his visitor heard eleven o'clock strike.
Chad's servant had by this time answered for his reappearance; he HAD,
the visitor learned, come quickly in to dress for dinner and vanish
again.
Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 309
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
-----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu
the Omrud
> Hello:
>
> What is the meaning of "answer for" in the last sentence? "Guarantee"
> or "explain?"
>
> ---
> [Stether tries to find Chad at this residence. No such luck.]
>
> He went late that evening to the Boulevard Malesherbes, having his
> impression that it would be vain to go early, and having also, more
> than once in the course of the day, made enquiries of the concierge.
> Chad hadn't come in and had left no intimation; he had affairs,
> might have�that kept him long abroad. Our friend asked once for him at
> the hotel in the Rue de Rivoli, but the only contribution offered
> there was the fact that every one was out. It was with the idea that
> he would have to come home to sleep that Strether went up to his
> rooms, from which however he was still absent, though, from the
> balcony, a few moments later, his visitor heard eleven o'clock strike.
> Chad's servant had by this time answered for his reappearance; he HAD,
> the visitor learned, come quickly in to dress for dinner and vanish
> again.
"answer for" normally means "pay the penalty for", but here I think it
must mean "explain".
--
David
Cheryl
> Hello:
>
> What is the meaning of "answer for" in the last sentence? "Guarantee"
> or "explain?"
>
> ---
> [Stether tries to find Chad at this residence. No such luck.]
>
> He went late that evening to the Boulevard Malesherbes, having his
> impression that it would be vain to go early, and having also, more
> than once in the course of the day, made enquiries of the concierge.
> Chad hadn't come in and had left no intimation; he had affairs,
> might have�that kept him long abroad. Our friend asked once for him at
> the hotel in the Rue de Rivoli, but the only contribution offered
> there was the fact that every one was out. It was with the idea that
> he would have to come home to sleep that Strether went up to his
> rooms, from which however he was still absent, though, from the
> balcony, a few moments later, his visitor heard eleven o'clock strike.
> Chad's servant had by this time answered for his reappearance; he HAD,
> the visitor learned, come quickly in to dress for dinner and vanish
> again.
>
> Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 309
> http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
> -----
> --
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu
"Guarantee"
--
Cheryl
Marius Hancu
> > What is the meaning of "answer for" in the last sentence? "Guarantee"
> > or "explain?"
>
> > ---
> > [Stether tries to find Chad at this residence. No such luck.]
>
> > He went late that evening to the Boulevard Malesherbes, having his
> > impression that it would be vain to go early, and having also, more
> > than once in the course of the day, made enquiries of the concierge.
> > Chad hadn't come in and had left no intimation; he had affairs,
> > apparently, at this juncture—as it occurred to Strether he so well
> > might have—that kept him long abroad. Our friend asked once for him at
> > the hotel in the Rue de Rivoli, but the only contribution offered
> > there was the fact that every one was out. It was with the idea that
> > he would have to come home to sleep that Strether went up to his
> > rooms, from which however he was still absent, though, from the
> > balcony, a few moments later, his visitor heard eleven o'clock strike.
> > Chad's servant had by this time answered for his reappearance; he HAD,
> > the visitor learned, come quickly in to dress for dinner and vanish
> > again.
>
>
> "Guarantee"
OK.
Thank you both.
Marius Hancu
CDB
because Stether had asked.
Marius Hancu
Vote registered:-)
Thanks.
Marius Hancu