New-York tribune., 1886-11-14


exert her influences. He Is brought to her by cer-
tain Captain Sholto. who to quote the harsn
language of Paul Imminent, acts as her =" tout
because he IL madlv and hopeess;y infatuated WITH
her. al was looking for anything that wonid turn
M that might take her fancy" cries Shoto W
Hyacinth in moment of despairine commence.
" Don't yon understand that Pm always iookins
There was time when went In immensely ioI
illuminated mssafs and another when coi'ec'ou
borribls phost-stories (she wanted TO cultivate q
beIief in phosts all for her. The day saw she was
turning her attention to the rising democracy
began to collect little democrats That's now
collected you."
So the little democrat is brought to the Princess
and she questions him about the Impending
changes in the social order. and the chances that
abe NAV take share in the lifting up OF the oo-
pressed. ais everything that is gathering force
underground. in the dark in the night. in litt'e
hidden rooms. out of sight of governments anu
nolicemen. and idiotic statesmen Heaven save
them!-is all this going to burst forth som" hhe
morning and set the world on fret Or is IL 10
spu uter out aud spend itself in vain conspiracioS'
be dssipated In sterile heroisms ana aoor'i'o ,o-
lated movementsf l want to know 9"oi W. G"
tenirD Thor political talk never goes much deepoi
than this; il is never sustained without frequent
excursions into distant topics; on the womahs
part it never sounds the clear note OF mentai eAa
tatiou while on Hyacnths side. although cohvlc-
ton long remains, it soon becomes PLAIN tnat h'he
ina,ion is busy with something quite unlike the
great upheaval. Mr. James has done few better
things than his narrative of the intercourse De-
tween the great lady and tho jou.neyman BOOK
binder: she leads him into life of which he has
never had glimpse before, and to which ne nts
himself with an inherited adaptability; ana sne
ronses in him devotion to which 1t IS PLAIN that
there must be a tragcal end. For whlie the ffin-
cess ia pursuing her socialistic nth increas-
ing interest Hyacnth under the spell OF tno scene'
TO which she introduces him and still more OF hor
ravishing beauty and commanding CHARM is learn
inc Tn look at civilization with different eyes from
of old. When he thinks of the coming revolution,
be finds himself not pitying the poor who want to
be lifted M but the rich who to be pulled
down All the beautiful things with which the
oppressors have filled the earth his comrades are
sworn to destroy but surely IL was worth wnlle TO
produce them and how are we to be better Tor CIV
ing them to the hamesf He has vowed his lie 10
the cause and he will keep his vow but he can no
longer give it his heart or his faith Ihat is tne
horror of his situation. Two results are newt
able; the Princess loses much OF her interest IN
him when she mas used him up; and he when he
receives the long-expected summons to assassinate
a great parsonage. takes refuge in suicide
Hyacinth's nature we have said. mas some
trace of vulgar element; and this Is seen In MS
intimacv with Milllcont Hennlng. 10 whose COM
panv he retreats occasionally from sweeter
dalliance Thi, young lady is a bold type OF the
London shop-girl handsome. in a large animal
vav loud. .nngrammatical over-dressed, fond Of
men and OF being taken out. knowing in the ways
of the town. crude in all her tastes aud passions
so coarse that Hyacinth's toleration OF her Is
almost an incongruity. She Is wonderfully Hlo-
like but she affects us as big Illustration In
staring colors true as portrait yet rather too per-
vasive as an embellishments. Near the end OF me
story however, Mllicent becomes the central hgure
in scene so fine that for the sake OF 1t we are
ready to forgive her everything. Hyacinth has
been supplanted in tho Princsss's nimble fancy by
a curiosity of a different kind, other than his
friend Paul Muuiment The dreadful summons
has not yet been received, but its shadow is hang
| ing over him. All that has made the world lovely
| seems to be slipping away. He goes to Millicent
| Henning. not as a compensation but as a resource
and they spend Sunday together out oil doors, IN
the course of which the girls capacity for affection
rises to the surface the discovery that the frln-
cess has chucked him over" Millicent keeps
| company" With many young men; but on THIS oc-
| casion she shows. through much slang and coarse
language. strong honest feeling and even GER
tain unsuspected decacy of mind. There is almost
u
we wish that it might have been our last view OF
the flaming barbarian. But when Hyacinth IN
still greater distress seeks her few days later, he
| finds her receiving the attentions of Captain
| Sholto, and turns away.
Millicent is one of group of mastery sde-po
| uraitures which decorate this remarkable novel
Best in point Of workmanship is the quaint figure
of Mr. Vetch, the genteel but shabby old fiddler
who has been something Of a theoretical evellel
and disorganizer in his day. but has been LETT Ia
behind by the new radicals. aud is now little more
than cynical critic of society and scoffer at the
established church u If at moments he was little
ashamed of having accepted this world he coul'
reflect that at all events he continued to repudiat
every of uer" There is something quite tender anC
true In the friendship of Mr.. Vetch for the OLE
dressmaker, and the sincere attachment will
which he follows the not always responsive Hya
cinth to tho close of the young mans life. Poo
Mr. Vetch discovers IIyacinth's entanglement will
the revolutionists, and spares no labor to releas
HIM from it. He waits upon the Princess to bel
her intervention:
"Do YOU want him to commit some atrocity' som
| infamy 7" the old man murm ured. -
any dear sir don't wan him to DO anythn
In all the wide world. have not had the smalles
connection with aDy arrangement OF any KIND
that be may have entered into. DO ne the homo
to trust me.' the Princess went on, with certain
dryness of tone. 9" don't know what have don
to OcprlVe myStu OF yOuI couuuouCo' Aiuop
, Young man a little. too He is gentleman, and h
, | will behave like a gentleman"
: The fiddler rose from mis- chair. smoothing nj
r hat. silently with the cuff of his coat. Ho stoo
there whimsical and piteOus as if the sense tha
he had still something to urge mingled 18th that
his having received bis dismissal and both of then
were tinged with the oddity of another idea
/ "lhats exactly what l am afraid Off be eI
claimed.
, Simple homely. self-sacrfcing Miss Pynsent. th
dressmaker is a perfect companion piece for thi
of hard Mr.
shows sense of natural unabored pathos whic
, be is not over-fond of exhibiting. The French ell
lie. Poupin. is slight bat striking study. draw
} with firm hand; and Paul Munments invali
witch-like sister Is amusing although she remind
us too much of Jenny Wren in "Our Mutui
| Friend" whom, nevertheless, she does not at a
l resemble.