CD-ROM Edition. William Dean Howells (March 1, 1837  May 11, 1920) was an American realist author and literary critic. Excerpt: Campbell, looking up from his magazine, in affected surprise: "Where's your cook? You don't mean to say she was the wrong woman?" Roberts, gloomily: "She wasn't the right one." Campbell: "How do you know? What did you say to her?" Roberts: "I asked her if she had an appointment to meet a gentleman here." Campbell: "You _did_? And what did she say?" Roberts: "She said 'No!' very sharply. She seemed to take it in dudgeon; she fired up." Campbell: "I should think so. Sounded like an improper advertisement." Roberts, in great distress: _"Don't_, Willis, for Heaven's sake!" Campbell: "Why, you must see it had a very clandestine look. How did you get out of it?" Roberts: "I didn't. I got into it further. I told her my wife had made an appointment for me to meet a cook here that she'd engaged--" Campbell: "You added insult to injury. Go on!"