odolphin's check came, and although
Maxwell had said that they must not count upon anything from him, except
from hour to hour, his words conveyed a doubt that he felt no more than
Louise. Now his gloomy wisdom was justified by a perfidy which she could
paint in no colors that seemed black enough. Perhaps the want of these
was what kept her mute at first; even when she began to talk she could
only express her disdain by urging her husband to send back Godolphin's
check to him. "We want nothing more to do with such a man. If he felt no
obligation to keep faith with you, it's the same as if he had sent that
money out of charity."

"Yes, I have thought of that," said Maxwell. "But I guess I shall keep
the money. He may regard the whole transaction as child's play; but I
don't, and I never did. I worked very hard on the piece, and at the
rates for space-work, merely, I earned his money and a great deal more.
If I can ever do anything with it, I shall be only too glad to give him
his three hundred dollars again."

She could see that he had already gathered spirit for new endeavor with
the play, and her heart yearned upon him in pride and fondness. "Oh, you
dear! What do you intend to do next?"

"I shall try the managers."

"Brice!" she cried in utter admiration.

He rose and said, as he took up the express package, and gave
Godolphin's letter a contemptuous push with his hand, "You can gather up
this spilt milk. Put it away somewhere; I don't want to see it or think
of it again." He cut open the package, and found the prompt-book, which
he laid aside, while he looked to see if his own copy of the play were
all there.

"You are going to begin at once?" gasped Louise.

"This instant," he said. "It will be slow enough work at the best, and
we mustn't lose time. I shall probably have to go the rounds of all the
managers, but I am not going to stop till I have gone the rounds. I
shall begin with the highest, and I sha'n't stop till I reach the
lowest."

"But when? How? You haven't thought it out."

"Yes, I have. I have been thinking it out ever since I got the play into
Godolphin's hands. I haven't been at peace about him since that day when
he renounced me in Magnolia, and certainly till we got his check there
has been nothing in his performance to restore my confidence. Come, now,
Louise, you mustn't stop me, dear," he said, for she was beginning to
cling about him. "I shall be back for lunch, and then we can talk ov