plendid.Ican'thelpfeelingI'mwastingmytimewhenIreadmostnovels,butIneverfeelthatwithMarieCorelli."
"Noonewouldthinkshewasawoman,"saidtheVicar.
Towhichthecurateanswered:"Legenien'apasdesexe."
Theothers,beingnoscholars,didnotquiteunderstandtheremark,buttheylookedintelligent.
"Ialwaysthinkit'ssodisgracefulthewaythenewspaperssneerather,"saidMrs.Jackson."And,I'msure,merelybecauseshe'sawoman."
"Andbecauseshehasgenius,mydear,"putintheVicar."Somemindsaresocontemptiblysmallthattheyaresimplycrushedbygreatness.Itrequiresaneagletolookatthesun."
Andtheexcellentpeoplelookedatoneanotherwithacertainself-satisfaction,fortheyhadthefearlessgazeofthekingofbirdsinfaceofthatbrilliantorb.
"Thecriticsarewillingtodoanythingformoney.MissCorellihassaidherselfthatthereisavileconspiracytoblackenher,andformypartIamquitepreparedtobelieveit.They'reallafraidofherbecauseshedarestoshowthemup."
"Besides,mostofthecriticsareunsuccessfulnovelists,"addedMr.Dryland,"andtheyareasenviousastheycanbe."
"Itmakesoneboilwithindignation,"criedMary,"tothinkthatpeoplecanbesoutterlybase.Thosewhorevileherarenotworthytounloosethelatchetofhershoes."
"Itdoesonegoodtohearsuchwhole-heartedadmiration,"repliedthecurate,beaming."Butyoumustrememberthatgeniushasalwaysbeenpersecuted.LookatKeatsandShelley.ThecriticsabusedthemjustastheyabuseMarieCorelli.EvenShakespearewasslandered.ButtimehasvindicatedourimmortalWilliamtimewillvindicateasbrightlyourgentleMarie."
"IwonderhowmanyofusherecouldgetthroughHamletwithoutyawning!"meditativelysaidtheVicar.
"Iseeyourpoint!"criedMr.Dryland,openinghiseyes."Whilewecouldallreadthe'SorrowsofSatan'withoutabreak.I'vereaditthreetimes,andeachperusalleavesmemoreastounded.MissCorellihasherrevengeinherownhandwhatcanshecareforthepettysnarlingofcriticswhenthewreathofimmortal