Page:Marie Corelli - the writer and the woman (IA mariecorelliwrit00coat).pdf/51

 atmosphere of poetry, but pray be careful and do not study too hard."

"Love-Letters of a Violinist" at last made Eric Mackay famous. The book was published in 1885, and it was Marie Corelli who arranged for its production. She had fully convinced herself of the beauty of the poems, and she determined that they should be published as became what she regarded as their great value. She corrected the proofs of the poems, selected the binding, and saw to every detail of the book. The poems were published anonymously, and at once became the talk not only of England, but of America. There was much speculation as to the authorship. Eric Mackay entered fully into the humor of the thing, and made numerous suggestions to his acquaintances as to the probable writer, even putting forth the hint that the late Duke of Edinburgh, an able violinist, might have written them. He must have chuckled hugely at the discussions about this anonymous author; and the whole story was often talked about among his friends. Miss Corelli wrote an introductory notice to a subsequent edition of the "Love-Letters," the introductory note and the initials "G. D."—which she had adopted—causing almost as much discussion as the publication of the "Love-Letters" themselves. "G. D." was meant by her to signify