My books are
realistic and radical. They teach the doctrine of the universal
level, that no man can be above other men. They have made poverty,
perhaps not exactly popular, but at least romantic. My villains
are always rich and my heroes poor. The people like this; but it is
rather a strain to believe it and keep on believing it. If my work
is to hold the public it must have illustrations--moving pictures,
you know! Something in character! Nobody else can do that as well
as I can. It will be better than many advertisements. I am going
to become a virtuous peasant, a son of the soil, a primitive."
His wife laughed, with a slight nervous tremor in her voice. She
knew her husband's temperament, to be sure, but she never knew just
how far it would carry him.
"I think you must be a little crazy, Nicholas," she said.
"Thank you, Alexandra," he answered, "thank you for the temperate
flattery. Evidently you have heard the old proverb about genius
and madness. But why not make the compliment complete and say
'absolutely crazy'?"
"Well," she replied, "because I do not understand just what you
propose to do.
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