Page:Marie Corelli - the writer and the woman (IA mariecorelliwrit00coat).pdf/59

 shilling series. However, the manuscript never went westwards—a matter which good Mr. Arrowsmith has excellent cause to regret—for, in the interim, as a kind of test of its merit or demerit, Miss Corelli sent it to Bentley's. The "readers" attached to that house advised its summary rejection. Moved by curiosity to inspect a work which his several advisers took the trouble to condemn in such singularly adverse terms, Mr. George Bentley decided to read the manuscript himself, and the consequence of his unprejudiced and impartial inspection was approval and acceptance.

Letters were exchanged, terms proposed and agreed upon. "I am glad that all is arranged," wrote Mr. Bentley; "nothing now remains but to try to make a success of your first venture. The work has the merit of originality, and its style writing will, I think, commend it."

A later letter from him says: "I expect our rather 'thick' public will be slow in appreciating the 'Romance,' but if it once takes, it may go off well."

These extracts are interesting as showing the view taken by a veteran publisher—one who had been dealing with books and authors since early manhood—of a work by an absolutely unknown writer. His opinion of Miss Corelli's powers is