Page:Marie Corelli - the writer and the woman (IA mariecorelliwrit00coat).pdf/146

 that there are many authors who are poor hands at haggling over terms with publishers and editors, and, in such cases, the literary agent proves of great service.

No gentleman of this order, then, came between Miss Corelli and Mr. Bentley after the successful appearance of the "Romance;" terms for future work were arranged to the mutual satisfaction of author and publisher; and book after book, under these genial auspices, was steadily written, each new volume serving still more fully to substantiate the high opinion Mr. Bentley formed of Miss Corelli's abilities after reading her first manuscript.

Shortly after the publication of "The Soul of Lilith" Mr. George Bentley retired from active participation in the business of his firm (which was subsequently incorporated with the house of Macmillan), and Miss Corelli transferred her books to Messrs. Methuen. Hereunder is a list of the novelist's works published by Messrs. Bentley:

"A Romance of Two Worlds,"   Published 1886. "Vendetta,"                      "     1887. "Thelma,"                         "     1888. "Ardath,"                        "     1889. "Wormwood,"                       "     1890. "The Soul of Lilith,"            "     1892.

Portions of some of the many letters written to