Ella D'Arcy was a celebrated writer of short stories in late-Victorian Britain. Her contributions to various periodicals (including the notorious Yellow Book) were highly regarded for their psychological realism. They were also controversial in their frank assessment of contemporary issues, such as the efficacy of marriage, women's rights, and the relationship between art and life. Some of her best stories (including 'Irremediable', 'White Magic' and 'The Pleasure-Pilgrim') were gathered in this collection, first published in 1895 as part of John Lane's Keynotes series of contemporary fiction.