The San Francisco call., 1897-07-11
A REMARKABLE NOVEL.


has been disappointing one for the re-
viewer. Works of real merit issued SO lar
can be counted on the fingers of one hard
and the majority of notable ones, Ike
Mahan's Life of Nelson" and Nansen's
"Farthest NORTH" were first issued IN
England. In fiction the results have oeen
even more disappointing. The mover, IL
Its variety, which is the standby OF the
American publisher has been mediocre.
An exception to this latter statement
must, however, be made in the case OF
work of fiction issued several weeks ago
by Messrs Henry Holt & Co. OF New
York. 1t is called THE Gadfy, and II is
in many respects the most powerful novel
that we have seen in many moon.
The author of the book is E. l.. Noy-
nlch. Dlligent inquiry has failed to es-
tablish with certainty who Z. L. Noynich
is. We confess we are even unable to
state whether it is the patronymic OF
man or a woman. We can find no trace
of earlier products of his pen. His book
is attired in a modest dress. Plain red
cloth covers, bearing the imprint OF torch.
There is a short preface OF half dozen
lines, stating that the author is much in
debted 10 certain friends of his in Italy
for assistance in getting out the WORK.
That is all. With this brief introduction
the book is launched upon the market.
The Gadfly" is semi political novel,
dealing with the attempted revolt Of
Younger Italy which took place six
decades since. interviewer with this gen.
eral theme, we have tsle OF love and ad-
venture, OF cruel wrong done to the limo.
cent, of the shattering OF the ideals Of
a young life by the act of holy man.
We are shown how, through priest vio-
lating his obligations, two lives were
ruined, and how from a believer was
evolved an atheist, and from a human
being a cynical mons trosity.
The keynote of The Gadfly" is aptly
expressed in the quotation from the New
Testament which appears on the title
page OF the book: What have to do
with Thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth" and
in every chapter is this, the doctrine of
those who sit in the seat OF the scornfui,
promulgated. The authors manner OF
telling his story Is IN accord with the
theme - sharp caustic, bitter - yet in
places not lacking of certain tenderness
OF touch. Some of the situations are
reminiscent of Eugene Sue IN his best
vein. Others again recall Les Misera-
bles, " while the whole, were it dramauzed,
would make a play worthy the aJten-
tion OF Victorien Sardou.
The book opens showing Arthur Rivers
the hero of the tale, and his preceptor
Canon Montanelli, seated at their work in
the theological seminary at Pisa. The
l. i IaI bxrb b;a
pupil, is pre- pairing sermon, assisted by
the boy, who is thus described:
He was a slender little creature, more like
an Italian in a sixteenth century portrai than
a middle class English lad of the thirties
From the long eyebrow and sensitive mouth
to the small hands and feet everything about
him was too much chiseled, oveT-deIicate.
Sitting still he might have been taken for q
very pretty girl masquerading In male attire;
but when he moved his 1.-the agility sugges led
q tame panther without the claws.
To his patron Arthur reveals that he is
secretly engaged in the prosecution of a
revolution among the younger Italian ele-
ment. Montanelli is uneasy, fearful. And
IN the silence of his study he meditates:
1t is the vengeance of God that has fallen
upon me, as il fell upon David. l that have
defled his sanctuary and taken the body of
the Lord into polluted hands-he has been
very patient with me, and now it is come
For thou didst it secretly, but 1 will DO this
thing before all Israel and before the sun; the
child TIL is born unto thee shall surely die"
Arthur is arrested for completely in the
revolutionary plots, but despite the fact
that he is tortured he refuses to disclose
the names of his associates. The Italian
police make many more arrests, inform
ing the victims that one of their leaders
has confessed. This with the object OF Sc
curing more information. Gemma, a
young Anglo-Italian girl, beloved of Ar
thur, hears OF his supposed treachery, and
upon meeting him b=stows upon him
vigorous slap in the face. Humiliated al
most beyond endurance Arthur goes
home, only to be received by his stepsis-
ter, who throws up to him that he
is the offspring of "a Popsh priests
amourettes." Crushed beneath the double
load of infamy Arthur ships as sailor
upon a vessel bound from Leghorn to
Buenos Ayres. These incidents form the
prologue Of the book.
The scene Of he second part is again in
Italy, the time thirteen years later. The
revolutionary movement is still abroad,
but the conspirators have decided to
strengthen their cause by importing a
clever Damphleteer who writes under tho
pseudonym OF The GadAy. AS a satirist
in his particular line. his reputation
extends throughout Europe, and his
writings justify the pen-name he has
adopted. Especially bitter is he when
to churcbmen. To use his own
expression, The sght of a cassock makes
my teeth ache" In addition to his talents
as a pamphleteer. The Gadfy, who calls
himself Rivarez, is very daredevil in all
work of dang erous character. He has
succeeded in landing arms for the in
surgents, and his name is known to the
police of more than one European coun-
try. Here is his description as noted by
Gemma, who, unconscious of his identity,
meets him at party:
His whole person ality was oddly suggestive
OF q black jagusr. The forehead and left
cheek were terribly disfigured by the long
crooked scar of an old saber cut; and she had
already noticed that when he began to stam-
rner III speaking, that side of his face was
affected with a nervous witch
The aatpta raadar will d0uhtless hava