them from the critics. ANTONIA, whatever her faults
as a writer, was not one of the order whose Muse is the Public Taste. She
did at least draw her inspiration from herself, and there was much to be
feared in her work, if a sale was the object. Otherwise Redworth's highly
critical perusal led him flatly to admire. This was like her, and that
was like her, and here and there a phrase gave him the very play of her
mouth, the flash of her eyes. Could he possibly wish, or bear, to, have
anything altered? But she had reason to desire an extended sale of the
work. Her aim, in the teeth of her independent style, was at the means of
independence--a feminine method of attempting to conciliate contraries;
and after despatching the last sheets to the printer, he meditated upon
the several ways which might serve to, assist her; the main way running
thus in his mind:--We have a work of genius. Genius is good for the
public. What is good for the public should be recommended by the critics.
It should be. How then to come at them to, get it done? As he was not a
member of the honourable literary craft, and regarded its arcana
altogether externally, it may be confessed of him that he deemed the
Incorruptible corruptible;--not, of course, with filthy coin slid into
sticky palms. Critics are human, and exceedingly, beyond the common lot,
when touched; and they are excited by mysterious hints of loftiness in
authorship; by rumours of veiled loveliness; whispers, of a general
anticipation; and also Editors can jog them. Redworth was rising to be a
Railway King of a period soon to glitter with rails, iron in the
concrete, golden in the visionary. He had already his Court, much against
his will. The powerful magnetic attractions of those who can help the
world to fortune, was exercised by him in spite of his disgust of
sycophants. He dropped words to right and left of a coming work by
ANTONIA. And who was ANTONIA?--Ah! there hung the riddle.--An exalted
personage?--So much so that he dared not name her even in confidence to
ladies; he named the publishers. To men he said he was at liberty to
speak of her only as the most beautiful woman of her time. His courtiers
of both sexes were recommended to read the new story, THE PRINCESS
EGERIA.

Oddly, one great lady of his Court had heard a forthcoming work of this
title spoken of by Percy Dacier, not a man to read silly fiction, unless
there was meaning behind the lines: that is, rich scandal of th