hat he wanted. A lot of actors get round him over there, and they
fill him up with all sorts of stage notions, and what he wants of me is
that I shall empty him of them and yet not put him to shame about them.
But if you keep on in that way you took with him he'll throw me over."

"Well, let him!" cried Mrs. Maxwell. "There are twenty other actors who
would jump at the chance to get such a play."

"Don't you believe it, my dear. Actors don't jump at plays, and
Godolphin is the one man for me. He's young, and has the friendly
regard from the public that a young artist has, and yet he isn't
identified with any part in particular, and he will throw all his force
into creating this, as he calls it."

"I can't bear to have him use that word, Brice. _You_ created it."

"The word doesn't matter. It's merely a technical phrase. I shouldn't
know where to turn if he gave it up."

"Pshaw! You could go to a manager."

"Thank you; I prefer an actor. Now, Louise, you must not be so abrupt
with Godolphin when he comes out with those things."

"I can't help it, dearest. They are insulting to you, and insulting to
common-sense. It's a kindness to let him know how they would strike the
public. I don't pretend to be more than the average public."

"He doesn't feel it a kindness the way you put it."

"Then you don't like me to be sincere with him! Perhaps you don't like
me to be sincere with _you_ about your play?"

"Be as sincere with me as you like. But this--this is a matter of
business, and I'd rather you wouldn't."

"Rather I wouldn't say anything at all?" demanded Louise.

"I didn't say so, and you know I didn't; but if you can't get on without
ruffling Godolphin, why, perhaps--"

"Very well, then, I'll leave the room the next time he comes. That will
be perfectly simple; and it will be perfectly simple to do as most other
people would--not concern myself with the play in any way from this out.
I dare say you would prefer that, too, though I didn't quite expect it
to come to that before our honeymoon was out."

"Oh, now, my dear!"

"You know it's so. But I can do it! I might have expected it from a man
who was so perfectly self-centred and absorbed. But I was such a fool--"
Her tears came and her words stopped.

Maxwell leaned forward with his thin face between his hands. This made
him miserable, personally, but he was not so miserable but his artistic
consciousness could take note of the situation as a very good on