Page:Marie Corelli - the writer and the woman (IA mariecorelliwrit00coat).pdf/16

 CHAPTER XII

"THE MASTER CHRISTIAN"

How it was Commenced and Interrupted—The Novelist's Severe Illness—Death of George Eric Mackay—The Literary Dinner and the Critic—Sir Francis Burnand Describes "Boy" as "a Work of Genius"—Mr. Stead and "The Master-Christian"—The Novelist's Views on Roman Catholicism—Miss Corelli's Open Letter to Cardinal Vaughan—The Story of the "Master-Christian"—Cardinal Bonpré at Rouen—Paulism—The Discovery of the Boy Manuel—The Miraculous Healing of the Lame Fabien—The Cardinal and Manuel at Paris—Angela Sovrani—The Abbé Vergniaud, Atheist—A Flower Legend—Manuel and Angela     222

CHAPTER XIII

"THE MASTER CHRISTIAN" (continued)

The Abbé Vergniaud's Sermon and the Attempt on his Life—He Confesses that his Assailant is his Son—The Cardinal's Leniency towards the Abbé and his Persecution by the Vatican—Monsignor Moretti—Manuel and the Cardinal at Rome—Manuel's Extraordinary Address to the Pope—"Come and Preach Christ as He Lived and Died"—The Effect of the Boy's Exhortation on the Pope—Other Characters—Angela's Picture—A Poem by Dr. Charles Mackay—The Death of Cardinal Bonpré     246

CHAPTER XIV

"TEMPORAL POWER"

An Unprecedented Sale—A Note on its Title—Reviewed by Three Hundred and Fifty Journals, although not sent out to the Press—Criticisms from Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper and the Review of Reviews—A Reply to Mr. Stead's Suggestion that Certain Royal and other Characters in the Book have Living Counterparts—The Novelist's Emphatic Denial in this Respect—"Carl Perousse, Secretary of