them.

"After all," she breathed, "that look of the eyes may be purely
physical."

"What look?" Maxwell asked, from the depths of his work.

She laughed in perfect content, and said: "Oh, nothing." But when he
finished his letter, and was putting it into the envelope, she asked:
"Did you tell Mr. Grayson that Godolphin had returned the play?"

"No, I didn't. That wasn't necessary at this stage of the proceedings."

"No."

XIV.

During the week that passed before Maxwell heard from the manager
concerning his play, he did another letter for the _Abstract_, and, with
a journalistic acquaintance enlarged through certain Boston men who had
found places on New York papers, familiarized himself with New York ways
and means of getting news. He visited what is called the Coast, a series
of points where the latest intelligence grows in hotel bars and lobbies
of a favorable exposure, and is nurtured by clerks and barkeepers
skilled in its culture, and by inveterate gossips of their acquaintance;
but he found this sort of stuff generally telegraphed on by the
Associated Press before he reached it, and he preferred to make his
letter a lively comment on events, rather than a report of them. The
editor of the _Abstract_ seemed to prefer this, too. He wrote Maxwell
some excellent criticism, and invited him to appeal to the better rather
than the worse curiosity of his readers, to remember that this was the
principle of the _Abstract_ in its home conduct. Maxwell showed the
letter to his wife, and she approved of it all so heartily that she
would have liked to answer it herself. "Of course, Brice," she said,
"it's _you_ he wants, more than your news. Any wretched reporter could
give him that, but you are the one man in the world who can give him
your mind about it."

"Why not say universe?" returned Maxwell, but though he mocked her he
was glad to believe she was right, and he was proud of her faith in him.

In another way this was put to proof more than once during the week, for
Louise seemed fated to meet Mrs. Harley on the common stairs now when
she went out or came in. It was very strange that after living with her
a whole month in the house and not seeing her, she should now be seeing
her so much. Mostly she was alone, but sometimes she was with an elderly
woman, whom Louise decided at one time to be her mother, and at another
time to be a professional companion. The first time she met them
together she was sur