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