New-York tribune., 1884-01-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AN ANGLo.AMERICAN NOvEL.

This ANONYMOUS novel reminds us of the familiar
device of the actor who carries off "A dull part by
making up for it in imitation of some Wen-AhoNh
parsonage. There may be nothing bright IN MS
lines and nothing amusing in his business nut nc
coutrlycs To entertain the public by copy ING llo
dress the manner and the features OF some no'ao'e
man of the day Just so The MlilohaHe' ""'"
has the slightest possible claim 10 attention "s "
story keeps the attention of the reader engaged 10y
. series of sketches of real men, dashed on Win
nouch skill to be recognizable enough malice to be
Sntercstnr and enough VacUcncSS to plque Specuia-
ton although between the characters of these per-
sons and their actions in the tale there Is no relation
Of fitness or probability The scene of the novel Is
laid prucirally in England hut the most important
of the dramdts persona are Americans, and The
Millionaire has been accepted in some quarters as
n portrait of Nj. Jay Could. 1t Is not at all un'
likely that the author did intend TO exhibit the
famous Ncw-York fnancicr in the disguise OF Mr.
Dexter File but the resemblance is slight and
superficial:
In the plcasantcst street of Now York, which by
common consent is now held TO be Fifth-ave.-
although much might he said for the plctuIcSSb.o
ncighborhOod of the Battery long since deserted ny
the world of faShion-in Ffth-aNe. there stooua F d
house which attracted no particular attchton f NH m
the passerby, but 70 which VSltoTs ca there were
parts of the United States. Ana yCt ,neio ,l 49, 49,
seldom any signs of gayety OF even oi 'i1 oiVS .!i.;S
hustle of life, about tho place. Socl'I lii tb
IrilIiont conipaQes of wealthy New lOrkers were
rarely seen to stop before the doori tne 5ooimS
focinr tho street were gOrgeouSly hued up,
aitbo19ch they seemed to be almost uninhabited NJ
night-when, by an odd chance. most OF tne ecu
pants visitors were IN me haol 4I G 'a fant windows
and Inv day the heavy velvet curtains were scIuom
drawn aside. AT the end OF a long passage icdulIE
from the street door few steps descended 10 PACK
Ioom which presented a great contrast IN Its ap-
pearance to an the rest of the house. lhere were
no handsome carpets, no mirrors, 10 IICIu2?,
a,,Inif n1 mn A
was fhe private sanctuary of the famous Mt IIeAI
Ter File whose exploits in the field OF hnance hHd
frequently astOnished the world, and whose nanlo
was better known on every exchange III EoIope
than that of the Emperor OF Russia or the master OF
the Turkish leglons; ,o,-, ,o.,, t,l
I'm the middle of this room stood large desk, inll
of drawers; aud a still larger iron safe cOnplcteI[
filled mp corner. Near the sale HiilJr d .i pi
ivory knobs were inserted in the wall, ana the
clicking of telegraphlc instrument was heard be,
hind n curtain which was drawn across one eng vi
the chamber Behind that curtain there was alSo a
fable et which a shorthand writer was seated
eyerv evening till the last OF the visitors ad ahch
his departure; but no one who entered the mouse
had the slightest suspicion OF his existence lie qua
his work in silence and the words wmGH were @ taheh
down were known to no one but hlmselL ana MS en-
ploycr. One Of the knobs in the wall opened up
iclephOnic communication with Albany, Wliclc ~ ~
everybody is aware, the lcgis alton Tor tho great
State of New-York is carried on another com
municated with Boston, and thlrd Win inlauol,
pha-for great capitalists lived IN those cities, ana
MIR Dexter File had important relations win tne
chief of them The ticking behind the curtain
td Se 4 Vi itb an &tlantic cable and this cable was
practically the private property OF Mt tle. II en-
nblrd him to ascertain the exact state OF auaIs III
every market in Europe at any moment, ana some,
fines TO communicate to his agents IN LONDON ana
Paris information which caused no slgn1 RefMtapa M sa
fop in those markets. especially as regards the Sc
Curities Of Mr.. Files native land. III had cost
fortune lay this cable, but 1t had eaTnSd Ihuch
larger one in various way ana Dexter ne Knew
nrrfcctIv well that il would be easy enough TO get
lid of il whenever IL had fully served his purpose.
In the iron safe were records of transactions IN
staggered q
Most men even of large ideas, are content 10 dea
with thousands or with tens OF th0uSandsi DeXIer
IiIe's dealings were frequently with millions. Ihe
formation OF gigantic combinations destined 10
produce results more or less important wherever
stock exchange existed; the organization oi an I'M
nense sueculatiOn in which the principal railroads
of the entire American continent would be aHectedi
the cOntrivance OF scheme Dy WhISl SUM- P9Puldi
enterprise would be exposed, or dlScrtdlted pro-
icct rendered suddenly popular-such was tile ma
lure of the work which Mr. Dexter flle carried on
in this room. This work absorbed al MS lI"uRhlS'
lie did not drink he did not smoke books ne never
read; he was utterly indifferent To the temptations
of the usual pleasures of life. IL was useless 10 ask
hin, ont 10 dinner for he would not go; one dc
scrpton of food was the same TO nun as another.
His dinner generally over IN ten minutes lie
had no animo,tlc> and very few friendships. \"
woman had ever been seen inside his house except
of course his domestlcs, and they seldom came Ia
his way Yet although Dexter File had 80 leW
associates he would not have known what was
meant if any body had told mn that lac lea soi'uI
T,nv men NJ various times had declared 10
thc knife against Mr.. File and had gone forth with
the determination to make an end OF hm and ms
career. They soon found that they might as Wen
ba, foucht .,sinst the stars. Sooner OF later they
frd from the field in diSmay, defeated, ana mocl
iikrlv r,Iurd NO one knew even the least oI Files
plans; for hc had no cOuhdantS, ana never talked
about his affairs to anyone under alN cIcuul-
stances which surrounded hn. lie was heN,'
troubled with those weak moments Whlch come To
others. when no watch Is set upon the lousn'i ana
when condolences given 10 be allttN"Id ne
traycl. Mi Filc'o belief wac that no man was To De
trustcd->tili less amy woman. His tdcitmmi! was
one great secret of lis power; II lddc men lear l}
and L also made them trust liln. II was Wtii
known that whatever might happen, Dexter me
Iyouli d, .cln>e nothing Congressional committees,
one after another, had summoned Nun before thtu'
- ,ltL,rr1 h.1n,yy,r.l all their questions they
never found out what they wanted to know lie
was perfectly frank aud straightforward 10 all ap-
pearance. only he told them nothing. lHe secrets
which committees tired To explore were locked up
in his own breast; ana no one NhotHeI H'cu" u
foe had ever been able to find the Key.
After this introduction it is surprising to find
Dexter File pcryade the story as sort of beneyo-
lent and romantic American Monte Crsto, who goes
TO England for the purpose of solving the dllhcultcS
of OF her people buys estates IN the most eNtIaoIdi-
nary manner. gives away fortunes, and starles the
lew, and conveyanccrs of London by drawing tre-
mcndous checks on-hand with truly god-like
composurc The most generous, most grasplng,
most conscientious most unprIncipled most delicate
and most vulgar of men, he is bundle OF ridiculous
impoSsibilitics, only saved from beng tlIcSome by
the authors persistent re-introducton Of little per-
sona traits as if to say, Yes gentle reader tins IS
the man; don't you see himf' OF course 1t is
primitive and clumsy sort of art which resorts to
This method of labelling pictures. The language Of
Mr. Dexter File sometimes supcrtne and sometimes
grossly ungrammatcal, is of that nondescrpt
variety spoken by no race of men yet discovered
which il peases the typical English tourist and
novelist to call American. Reckon" guess" and
"gumpton.' it is hardly necessary to say, profusely
adorn his conversation. You are backward IN
your political nstitoOtions, allow he remarks to
Lady Tresham. but could stand them for a hitch
I mean for a time" He is not supposed to be an