[Illustration: "She slipped on her knees, and burst into a passionate fit of weeping."] I hope it will not seem presumptuous to ask my critics to treat this new edition of _Vain Fortune_ as a new book: for it is a new book. The first edition was kindly noticed, but it attracted little attention, and very rightly, for the story as told therein was thin and insipid; and when Messrs. Scribner proposed to print the book in America, I stipulated that I should be allowed to rewrite it. They consented, and I began the story with Emily Watson, making her the principal character instead of Hubert Price. Some months after I received a letter from Madam Couperus, offering to translate the English edit…
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