his play. Some of them seemed to want it
less than others; some wanted it less immediately than others; some did
not want it after reading; some refused it without reading it; some had
their arrangements made for an indefinite time, others in the present
uncertain state of affairs could not make any arrangements; some said it
was an American play; others that it was un-American in its pessimistic
spirit; some found it too literary; others, lacking in imagination. They
were nearly all so kind that at first Maxwell was guilty of the folly of
trying to persuade them against the reasons they gave; when he realized
that these reasons were also excuses, he set his teeth and accepted them
in silence.

For a number of days Louise suffered in momentary expectation of a reply
from L. Sterne. She thought it would come by district messenger the day
she wrote; and for several days afterwards she had the letters brought
to her first, so that she could read them, and not disturb Maxwell with
them at his work, if it were not necessary. He willingly agreed to that;
he saw that it helped to pass the irksome time for her. She did not mean
to conceal any answer she should have from L. Sterne, but she meant when
the answer came to prepare her husband for it in such sort that he would
understand her motive, and though he condemned it, would easily forgive
her. But the days went and no letter from L. Sterne came, and after a
season of lively indignation at his rudeness, Louise began to forget him
a little, though she still kept her surveillance of the mail.

It was always on her conscience, in the meantime, to give some of the
first moments of her recovery to going with Maxwell and thanking Mrs.
Harley for the kindness she had shown her in her accident. She was the
more strenuous in this intention because the duty was so distasteful,
and she insisted upon Maxwell's company, though he argued that he had
already done enough himself in thanking her preserver, because she
wished to punish a certain reluctance of her own in having him go. She
promised herself that she would do everything that was right by the
creature; and perhaps she repaired to her presence in rather
overwhelming virtue. If this was so, Mrs. Harley showed herself equal to
the demand upon her, and was overwhelming in her kind. She not only made
nothing of what she had done for Louise, but she made nothing of Louise,
and contrived with a few well-directed strokes to give her dist