olly imaginary thing, I should, of course, desire to be
believed, and I should, of course, deserve to be believed. But I should
encounter doubt, and I should not be disposed to wonder at it. If I were
annoyed with anybody I should be annoyed with myself for having given
such a handle to the world's ill-nature.

Accepting Miss Corelli's disclaimer, one is still forced to the
conclusion that she has fallen into a serious indiscretion.

In 'The Murder of Delicia' we are made acquainted with another
lady-writer who enjoys all the popularity of Miss Corelli and of 'Mavis
Clare,' who has the genius and the eyes and the stature and the hair
of both. 'As a writer she stood quite apart from the rank and file of
modern fictionists.' 'The public responded to her voice, and clamoured
for her work, and as a natural result of this, all ambitious and
aspiring publishers were her very humble suppliants. Whatsoever
munificent and glittering terms are dreamed of by authors in their
wildest conceptions of a literary El Dorado were hers to command; and
yet she was neither vain nor greedy.' One thanks God piously that yet
she was neither vain nor greedy; but one can't keep the mouth from
watering. Ah! those wildest conceptions of a literary El Dorado!
'Delicia' gets 8,000L. for a book. May it be delicately hinted that this
sum is only approached in the receipts of one living lady-writer, and
that the lady-writer's name is ------? Wild horses shall not drag this
pen further.

Miss Corelli complains, in a preface to this recent work, that 'every
little halfpenny ragamuffin of the press that can get a newspaper corner
in which to hide himself for the convenience of throwing stones,' pelts
every 'brilliant woman' with the word 'unsexed.' Honestly, I don't
remember the reproach being hurled at Mrs. Browning, or George Eliot,
or Mrs. Cowden Clarke, or Charlotte Bronte, or Maria Edgeworth, or Mrs.
Hemans. Miss Corelli tells us that the woman who is 'well-nigh stripped
to man's gaze every night,' and who 'drinks too much wine and brandy,'
is not subjected to this reproach, whilst if another woman 'prefers to
keep her woman's modesty, and execute some great work of art which shall
be as good or even better than anything man can accomplish, she will be
dubbed "unsexed" instantly,' Where has Miss Corelli found the society
of which these amazing things are true? Does anybody else know it?
And where are the better works of art from woman's hand than m