creature at all," wailed
Louise.

"How did _I_ know you were suffering?" he retorted. "And how do I know
that I can do anything with Godolphin?"

"Oh, I _know_ you can!" She sprang up with the greatest energy, and ran
into the bedroom to put in order her tumbled hair; she kept talking to
him from there. "I want you to go down and see him the instant you have
had dinner; and don't let him escape you. Tell him he can have the play
on any terms. I believe he is the only one who can make it go. He was
the first to appreciate the idea, and--Frida!" she called into the hall
towards the kitchen, "we will have dinner at once, now, please--he
always talked so intelligently about it; and now if he's where you can
superintend the rehearsals, it will be the greatest success. How in the
world did you find out he was here?"

She came out of her room, in surprising repair, with this question, and
the rest of their talk went on through dinner.

It appeared that Maxwell had heard of Godolphin's presence from Grayson,
whom he met in the street, and who told him that Godolphin had made a
complete failure of his venture. His combination had gone to pieces at
Cleveland, and his company were straggling back to New York as they
could. Godolphin was deeply in debt to them all, and to everybody else;
and yet the manager spoke cordially of him, and with no sort of
disrespect, as if his insolvency were only an affair of the moment,
which he would put right. Louise took the same view of it, and she urged
Maxwell to consider how Godolphin had promptly paid him, and would
always do so.

"Probably I got the pay of some poor devil who needed it worse," said
Maxwell.

She said, "Nonsense! The other actors will take care of all that. They
are so good to each other," and she blamed Maxwell for not going to see
Godolphin at once.

"That was what I did," he answered, "but he wasn't at home. He was to be
at home after dinner."

"Well, that makes it all the more providential," said Louise; her piety
always awoke in view of favorable chances. "You mustn't lose any time.
Better not wait for the coffee."

"I think I'll wait for the coffee," said Maxwell. "It's no use going
there before eight."

"No," she consented. "Where is he stopping?"

"At the Coleman House."

"The Coleman House? Then if that wretch should see you?" She meant the
manager of Mrs. Harley.

"He wouldn't know me, probably," Maxwell returned, scornfully. "But if
you think the