Miss Corelli has suffered in a peculiar way from the deficiencies of the law of copyright which allows perfect protection to a mechanical patent, but which gives an author no adequate protection over rights such as the dramatization of a book. “The Sorrows of Satan,” as everybody knows, was dramatized, and this is how it came about: In the year of the publication of “The Sorrows of Satan,” 1895, Mr. George Eric Mackay introduced to his stepsister a lady of his acquaintance, a sculptress, who, so he said, was anxious to make a study of his head. This lady, in her turn, introduced Captain Woodgate, who expressed his enthusiastic admiration for “The Sorrows of Satan” to Miss Corelli, and said it would make a very fine play, and followed up his praise by asking whether he might try his hand at dramatizing it, as he had already had some experience in the writing of plays. Miss Corelli replied that she had not thought of it at all as a play, but that she had no objection to his trying, on condition that nothing was produced without her authorization and permission. Captain Woodgate readily consented to this, but the whole subject was talked of so casually that (so Miss Corelli declares) she did not think he really meant to undertake it.

Miss Corelli was very ill at the time, and went to Scotland for her health. During her absence, Captain Woodgate went to work, and called in the assistance of Mr. Paul Berton. Between them they wrote a play, and “The Grosvenor Syndicate” was formed for the purposes of its production.

Miss Corelli was then invited to hear the play read in the Shaftesbury Theatre green-room. Miss Evelyn Millard, selected to play the part of “Lady Sibyl,” was present. After the first act had been read by Mr. Paul Berton, Miss Corelli informs us that she very decidedly expressed her objection to it, and said that it would never do. Mr. Eric Mackay, who was also present, said that, on the contrary, he thought it “admirable.” Miss Corelli, hearing this, remained silent while the second act was proceeded with by Mr. Berton, to her increasing distaste. Her feelings in the matter (so Miss Corelli declares) met with complete sympathy from Miss Evelyn Millard, who, rising from her place, begged Miss Corelli to give her a few words in private. Miss Corelli followed her out of the room, and Miss Millard then said: “My dear Miss Corelli, I was ready and glad to think of playing your character of ‘Lady Sibyl Elton’ in ‘The Sorrows of Satan,’ but I cannot possibly consent to act in this.”

Miss Corelli thanked Miss Millard very heartily for her plain speaking and her decision, and then, informing the joint authors that she would have nothing whatever to do with the play, the meeting at the Shaftesbury broke up. Mr. Lewis Waller, who had been selected for the part of “Lucio Rimânez,” wrote a letter to Miss Corelli in which he cordially sympathized with her on the treatment her work had received.

“The Grosvenor Syndicate” paid her five hundred pounds for the use of her name, but this sum she offered to promptly return if they would as promptly withdraw the play. Upon this the shareholders met together at the office of Miss Corelli’s lawyer to discuss the matter, and Miss Corelli again proposed to give them back at once the five hundred pounds, and to write a play on her book herself. It may be added that, if she had been allowed to do this, Mr. Beerbohm Tree would have been ready and glad to consider the part of Prince Lucio. She said to those who had invested their money in the syndicate: “Gentlemen, if you will withdraw this work, I will guarantee to write you a play which shall be a success.” They, however, after consideration, refused, saying that shares were issued and they could not go back. Miss Corelli, therefore, withdrew her “authorization” altogether, and only allowed the simple use of her name on the programmes to this effect: “Dramatized from the novel of that name by Marie Corelli.” The play was therefore produced for the first time at the Shaftesbury Theatre on the evening of January 9th, 1897, in the presence of H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge and suite, the Duke, audibly expressing agreement with Miss Corelli’s views of the work. She herself was not present. She was lying ill in bed, suffering acute pain, having that very day gone through a trying ordeal of surgical examination by Sir John Williams, who had bluntly informed her that she had not, perhaps, six months to live unless she went through a grave operation. It will be owned that this was a singular situation for any author, as she herself says, “to have the work of her brain dealt with in a way to which she took obvious exception, and herself threatened with death both on the same day.”

The play of The Sorrows of Satan was produced, Mr. Lewis Waller playing the part of Lucio. Miss Millard remained staunch to her opinion, and wrote to Miss Corelli, saying how sincerely sorry she was that the play had been brought out, notwithstanding the protest. Since that time several dramatic versions of the book have been played, including Mr. C. W. Somerset’s version, which Miss Corelli has described as a combination of her novel and the late George Augustus Sala’s “Margaret Foster.” Mr. Somerset is himself the author of this production, and we are told that he informed Miss Corelli that he put the two books together in this work “to strengthen both!”

Miss Corelli would much like to put a stop to the various stage renderings of “The Sorrows of Satan” if the law would give her the power to do so; and she would greatly like to see the law altered so as to give her and other authors such power. As it is, she now, to secure her titles, whenever she writes a book, has a play, bearing the title of her book, produced before a paying audience.

In order to secure such dramatic copyright, authors have to pay to have their “sham” play performed before a “sham” audience with “sham” actors! And the law compels it!

CHAPTER X
“THE MIGHTY ATOM” AND “BOY”

Marie Corelli never writes without a purpose—never solely to excite or entertain the reader who regards books as pleasant things provided for his regalement just as ices, pantomimes, and balloon ascents are.