y will be needed. You'll see me nodding approval
all the way through," Louise returned.

"I have always thought, somehow, that you had the part especially under
your protection. I feel that I'm a very bold woman to attempt it."

In spite of her will to say "Yes, a very bold woman indeed!" Louise
answered: "Then I shall admire your courage, as well as your art."

She was aware of Godolphin fretting at the colloquy he could not
interrupt, and of Mrs. Harley prolonging it wilfully. "I know you are
sincere, and I am going to make you tell me everything you object to in
me when it's over. Will you?"

"Of course," Louise answered, gayly; and now Mrs. Harley turned to
Godolphin again: "_Where_ were you?"

XXIII.

Twice during the rehearsal Maxwell came to Louise and asked her if she
were not tired and would not like to go home; he offered to go out and
put her on a car. But both times she made him the same answer: she was
not tired, and would not go away on any account; the second time she
said, with a certain meaning in her look and voice, that she thought she
could stand it if he could. At the end she went up and made her
compliments to Mrs. Harley. "You must enjoy realizing your ideal of a
character so perfectly," she began.

"Yes? Did you feel that about it?" the actress returned. "It _is_ a
satisfaction. But if one has a strong conception of a part, I don't see
how one can help rendering it strongly. And this Salome, she takes hold
of me so powerfully. Her passion and her will, that won't stop at
anything, seem to pierce through and through me. You can feel that she
wouldn't mind killing a man or two to carry her point."

"That is certainly what _you_ make one feel about her. And you make her
very living, very actual."

"You are very good," said Mrs. Harley. "I am so glad you liked it. I was
dreadfully afraid you wouldn't like it."

"Oh, I couldn't imagine your being afraid of anything," said Louise,
lightly. Her smile was one which the other woman might have known how to
interpret rightly, but her husband alone among men could feel its
peculiar quality. Godolphin beamed with apparent satisfaction in it.

"Wasn't Salome magnificent?" he said; and he magnanimously turned to the
actress. "You will make everybody forget Haxard. You made _me_ forget
him."

"_I_ didn't forget him though," said Mrs. Harley. "I was trying all the
time to play up to him--and to Mrs. Maxwell."

The actor laughed his deep, m