e
knitted his brows in perplexity "But I do think that the very strength
of Salome gives relief to Haxard--gives him greater importance."

"It _may_ be so, dramatically. But theatrically, it detracts from him.
Haxard must be the central figure in the eye of the audience from first
to last."

Maxwell mused for a moment of discouragement. They were always coming
back to that; very likely Godolphin was right; but Maxwell did not know
just how to subdue the character of Salome so as to make her less
interesting. "Do you think that was what gave you bad houses in
Chicago--the double interest, or the weakened interest in Haxard?"

"I think so," said Godolphin.

"Were the houses bad--comparatively?"

Godolphin took a little note-book out of his breast-pocket. "Here are my
dates. I opened the first night, the tenth of November, with Haxard, but
we papered the house thoroughly, and we made a good show to the public
and the press. There were four hundred and fifty dollars in it. The next
night there were three hundred; the next night, two eighty; Wednesday
matinee, less than two hundred. That night we put on 'Virginius,' and
played to eight hundred dollars; Thursday night, with the 'Lady of
Lyons,' we had eleven hundred; Friday night, we gave the 'Lady' to
twelve hundred; Saturday afternoon with the same piece, we took in
eleven hundred and fifty; Saturday night, with 'Ingomar,' we had
fifteen hundred dollars in the house, and a hundred people standing."
Maxwell listened with a drooping head; he was bitterly mortified. "But
it was too late then," said Godolphin, with a sigh, as he shut his hook.

"Do you mean," demanded Maxwell, "that my piece had crippled you so
that--that--"

"I didn't say that, Mr. Maxwell. I never meant to let you see the
figures. But you asked me."

"Oh, you're quite right," said Maxwell. He thought how he had blamed the
actor, in his impatience with him, for not playing his piece
oftener--and called him fool and thought him knave for not doing it all
the time, as Godolphin had so lavishly promised to do. He caught at a
straw to save himself from sinking with shame. "But the houses, were
they so bad everywhere?"

Godolphin checked himself in a movement to take out his note-book again;
Maxwell had given him such an imploring glance. "They were pretty poor
everywhere. But it's been a bad season with a good many people."

"No, no," cried Maxwell. "You did very well with the other plays,
Godolphin.