Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Mary Russell Mitford, 8 February 1847: 'The "Siecle" has for a feuilleton a new romance of Soulie's called "Saturnin Fichet," which is really not good .. & tiresome to boot. Robert & I began by each of us reading it, but after a little while he left me alone being certain that no good could come of such a work: so, of course, ever since, I have been exclaiming & exclaiming as to the wonderful improvement & increasing beauty & glory of it, .. just to justify myself, & to make him sorry for not having persevered! The truth is, however, that but for obstinacy, I should give up too. Deplorably dull, the story is, .. & there is a crowd of people each more indifferent than each'.