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CHAPTER XII

"THE MASTER CHRISTIAN"

How it was Commenced and Interrupted—The Novelist's
Severe Illness—Death of George Eric Mackay—The
Literary Dinner and the Critic—Sir Francis Burnand
Describes "Boy" as "a Work of Genius"—Mr. Stead
and "The Master-Christian"—The Novelist's Views on
Roman Catholicism—Miss Corelli's Open Letter to
Cardinal Vaughan—The Story of the "Master-Christian"—Cardinal
Bonpré at Rouen—Paulism—The Discovery
of the Boy Manuel—The Miraculous Healing of the
Lame Fabien—The Cardinal and Manuel at Paris—Angela
Sovrani—The Abbé Vergniaud, Atheist—A
Flower Legend—Manuel and Angela 222


CHAPTER XIII

"THE MASTER CHRISTIAN" (continued)

The Abbé Vergniaud's Sermon and the Attempt on his Life—He
Confesses that his Assailant is his Son—The
Cardinal's Leniency towards the Abbé and his Persecution
by the Vatican—Monsignor Moretti—Manuel and the
Cardinal at Rome—Manuel's Extraordinary Address to
the Pope—"Come and Preach Christ as He Lived and
Died"—The Effect of the Boy's Exhortation on the Pope—Other
Characters—Angela's Picture—A Poem by Dr.
Charles Mackay—The Death of Cardinal Bonpré 246


CHAPTER XIV

"TEMPORAL POWER"

An Unprecedented Sale—A Note on its Title—Reviewed by
Three Hundred and Fifty Journals, although not sent out
to the Press—Criticisms from Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper
and the Review of Reviews—A Reply to Mr. Stead's
Suggestion that Certain Royal and other Characters in the
Book have Living Counterparts—The Novelist's Emphatic
Denial in this Respect—"Carl Perousse, Secretary of