Publisher's Synopsis
Moore was an Irish dramatist, biographer, novelist and poet who worked as a journalist from 1876-92 before finding fame as an author of fiction. He is recognised as one of the great Irish satirists. No one who has not been bankrupt at least twice could afford to be so careful about his dress as Mr. Richmond is," said Josephine. "He admits a solitary bankruptcy," said Amber. "Bankruptcy is the official recognition of genius." "It certainly is the shortest way to distinction," said Josephine. "Bankruptcy's a sort of English Legion of Honour, isn't it?-a kind of bourgeois decoration." "To genius," said Amber, with the nod of one who completes a quotation that some one else has begun. "Mr. Richmond is really very clever." "Now you contradict yourself-a moment ago you said he was a genius-and being a genius is just the opposite to being clever," laughed Josephine. "Is this your syllogism: Geniuses become bankrupt, Mr. Richmond becomes bankrupt, therefore he is a genius?" "Well, that wasn't quite what was in my mind. I suppose that to have the Homeric attribute of nodding scarcely makes one a Homer?"
