n his instantly answering this notice. Whether he had already seen
the notice and rashly decided to ignore it, or had not seen it, he might
involve himself with some manager irretrievably before he could be got
at with a demand which seemed specifically framed to describe his play.
She was in despair that there was no means of sending a messenger-boy
after him with any chance of finding him. The light comic reliefs which
the advertiser would have wished to give the dark phases of her mood
were suggested by her reckless energy in whirling herself into her
dressing-gown, and hopping out to Maxwell's desk in the other room,
where she dashed off a note in reply to the advertisement in her
husband's name, and then checked herself with the reflection that she
had no right to sign his name: even in such a cause she must not do
anything wrong. Something must be done, however, right or wrong, and she
decided that a very formal note in the third person would involve the
least moral trespass. She fixed upon these terms, after several
experiments, almost weeping at the time they cost her, when every moment
was precious:

_Mr. Brice Maxwell writes to Mr. L. Sterne and begs to inform him that
he has a play which he believes will meet the requirements of Mr.
Sterne, as stated in his advertisement in the Theatrical Register of
November the tenth. Mr. Maxwell asks the favor of an interview with Mr.
Sterne at any time and place that Mr. Sterne may appoint._

It seemed to her that this violated no law of man or God, or if it did
the exigency was such that the action could be forgiven, if not
justified. She ransacked Maxwell's desk for a special delivery stamp,
and sent the letter out beyond recall; and then it occurred to her that
its opening terms were too much those of a lady addressing a seamstress;
but after a good deal of anguish on this point she comforted herself
with the hope that a man would not know the form, or at least would not
suspect another man of using it offensively.

She passed the time till Maxwell came back, in doubt whether to tell him
what she had done. There was no reason why she should not, except that
he might have seen the advertisement and decided not to answer it for
some reason; but in that case it might be said that he ought to have
spoken to her about it. She told him everything at once, but there were
many things that he did not tell her till long afterwards; it would be a
good thing to let him realize h