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 MARIE CORELLI

The Writer and the Woman

CHAPTER I

THE HEROINE OF THE STORY

"Keep a brave heart. You are steadily rising. People recognize that you are an artist working with love, not a machine producing novels against bank-notes, with no interest in its work. But keep a good heart, little lady. It is the way with people of imagination and keen sensibility to have their moments of depression I believe you will emerge out of all this with your brave little spirit, and I shall rejoice to see you successful, because I believe you will not be spoilt by success."

Thus wrote George Bentley, the publisher, to Marie Corelli on November 15th, 1888. At that time only three of her books had appeared—"A Romance of Two Worlds," "Vendetta," and "Thelma"—and she was engaged upon the latter