Macready, who was in desperately low financial circumstances at this time, tried by every means conceivable to avoid playing the part; he dodged, he shuffled, he tried every evasion that occurred to him, but it never occurred to Browning to see what he meant.

He pushed off the part upon Phelps, and Browning was contented; he resumed it, and Browning was only discontented on behalf of Phelps.

The two had a quarrel; they were both headstrong, passionate men, but the quarrel dealt entirely with the unfortunate condition of Phelps.

Browning beat down his own hat over his eyes; Macready flung Browning's manuscript with a slap upon the floor.

But all the time it never occurred to the poet that Macready's conduct was dictated by anything so crude and simple as a desire for money.