Part 27 (1/2)

”You see,” said the manager, putting the letter back in its envelope, ”it's Miss Havisham. I saw some signs of what was coming at the rehearsals, but I didn't think it would take such peremptory shape.”

”Why, but he was here only a few hours ago, praising her to the skies,”

said Louise; and she hoped that she was keeping secret the guilty joy she felt; but probably it was not unknown to her husband.

”Oh, of course,” said Grayson, with a laugh, ”that was G.o.dolphin's way.

He may have felt all that he said; or he may have been trying to find out what Mr. Maxwell thought, and whether he could count upon him in a move against her.”

”We said nothing,” cried Louise, and she blessed heaven that she could truly say so, ”which could possibly be distorted into that.”

”I didn't suppose you had,” said the manager. ”But now we have got to act. We have got to do one of two things, and G.o.dolphin knows it; we have got to let Miss Havisham go, or we have got to let him go. For my part I would much rather let him go. She is a finer artist every way, and she is more important to the success of the piece. But it would be more difficult to replace him than it would be to replace her, and he knows it. We could get Miss Pettrell at once for Salome, and we should have to look about for a Haxard. Still, I am disposed to drop G.o.dolphin, if Mr. Maxwell feels as I do.”

He looked at Maxwell; but Louise lowered her eyes, and would not influence her husband by so much as a glance. It seemed to her that he was a long time answering.

”I am satisfied with G.o.dolphin's Haxard much better than I am with Miss Havisham's Salome, strong as it is. On the artistic side alone, I should prefer to keep G.o.dolphin and let her go, if it could be done justly. Then, I know that G.o.dolphin has made sacrifices and borne losses on account of the play, and I think that he has a right to a share in its success, if it has a chance of succeeding. He's jealous of Miss Havisham, of course; I could see that from the first minute; but he's earned the first place, and I'm not surprised he wants to keep it. I shouldn't like to lose it if I were he. I should say that we ought to make any concession he asks in that way.”

”Very well,” said Grayson. ”He will ask to have our agreement with Mrs.

Harley broken; and we can say that we were compelled to break it. I feel as you do, that he has some right on his side. She's a devilish provoking woman--excuse me, Mrs. Maxwell!--and I've seen her trying to take the centre from G.o.dolphin ever since the rehearsals began; but I don't like to be driven by him; still, there are worse things than being driven. In any case we have to accept the inevitable, and it's only a question of which inevitable we accept. Good-night. I will see G.o.dolphin at once. Good-night, Mrs. Maxwell. We shall expect you to do what you can in consoling your fair neighbor and reconciling _her_ to the inevitable.” Louise did not know whether this was ironical or not, and she did not at all like the laugh from Maxwell which greeted the suggestion.

”_I_ shall have to reconcile Sterne, and I don't believe that will be half so easy.”

The manager's words were gloomy, but there was an imaginable relief in his tone and a final cheerfulness in his manner. He left the Maxwells to a certain embarra.s.sment in each other's presence. Louise was the first to break the silence that weighed upon them both.

”Brice, did you decide that way to please me?”