The herald., 1897-06-27


the diplomacy Of Europe, are sketched
by a strong and sure hand DR.. Doyle
not only handles such events in a mas
terful way, but withal 80 easily that
one feels he has large reserve power
constantly on hand.
The most striking portrayal Is that
which describes some happening at the
camp of Boulogne, unless. possibly, the
reader may deem the picture of Jose
phines domestic life to be more inter-
testing.
But all is excellent. Dr. Doyle never
potters, but goes ahead manfully with
his work. This Is more sketch than a
novel with serious plot but 1t Is re-
markable sketching. It shows an easy
command of historical material, which
In some ways is greater than invention.
This volume will raise anew the ques-
tion as to what Is the authors best work.
Perhaps it is safe to say that the ma
jority of readers like the early dark
plots with the detective flavor the best,
but to our mind "The White Company
AcouS Oil IAS Icott WuiASA 40 81 ASo| ~ oAoS'
| = = y
F. TENNYSON NEELY'S WORKS
MAJORY MOORES LOVERS. BY
| Adelaide Sargent.
A NEW ARISTOCRACY. By Birch
Arnold.
A BAR SINISTER. BY st. George
Rathborne, author of "Dr. Jack"
A FASCINATING SINNER. By Del
ta."
Ali these are handsome, paper-c covered
novels, and above the average in merit
The last one in the above list has al
ready been announced in these columns.
These volumes are pretty sure to find
readers wherever the summer novel
goes. Price, so cents.
+ =
ON THE RED STAIRCASE. By M. I'm
lay Taylor. Chicago: A. c. McClurg
& Co. SIPS.
This remarkable story tells Of the
strife growing out Of the disputed sue
cession to Gear Feodor, and attending
the beginning Of the reign of Peter the
Great. Never was Russia stirred to
such depths, and never did the crimson
| eAQC vi SAaA6AS 4AcC 81 ul6 l. Ac
struggles in the streets were carried
even into the Kremlln. and the "Red
Staircase" ran blood. The background
OF the story is made up of few Of the
most striking events in Russian history,
and lighted up by the glare of bold and
bloody deeds Nothing quite SO red as
this romance in the whole of the red
Of these last two years in literature.
| But the dark hue of the story is not
unnatural. 1t is not an overdone, or
even strained story. 1t has the air of
| being true as tanner story might. The
conventional dark passages, secret
chambers, and hidden springs are all
there. but they seem to belong
there, and so the reader does not feel
that he Is being imposed upon or over
taxed. He goes right on-is swept right
on, rather-and realizes at the end that
he has been reading an unusual story,
honestly and gracefully told. We have
read that the first edition was exhausted
In q month.
THE FALL OF A STAR. By Sir Will
liam Magnay, bart. The Macmillan
company.
AAAAS VOANAAS OPChS wills luC l6BGuQ.
80 runs thread Of tragedy through
the weft Of the hustle and the babble,
the love and the laughter, the scheming
and the sighing, that make up the pat
| tern in the loom of life.
| And surely here is "a thread Of trag-
edy" that shows scarlet in the pattern.
1t is more than stirring, this story-it is
stunning. A more audacious plot we
have not seen in many day-indeed, il
would be hard to recall one more daring.
The star that fell was George Carstairs,
striking, almost bizarre personality
in the political and scientific world. "For
sheer. all-round brillancy of intellect
one looked in vain for his rival among
contemporary rising geniuses." Almost
at once after his brilliant university
career was closed he was drawn into the
vortex Of politics and soon became a
member Of parliament. Helrented fine
old estate, Narlands, and, to complete
his influence became engaged to marry
Lady Cecilia, daughter of Lord Neither
avon, In that neighborhood
And 1t is right here that the tragedy
begins. Becoming somehow involved in
supposed love affair, Carstairs is i'm
PEELED to- kill the woman and, to hide all
traces Of the crime, he contrives to bury
the body by means of an explosion
which detaches portions of an overhang-
ing cliff.
But at length the crime is uncovered,
and the murdered woman's brother and
friends are ready to expose the states
man, now at the height of political
power. Finding himself hopelessly beat
en-, Carstairs attempts to escape, but is
attacked by vicious buck and nearly
killed. Having upon his person dose of
deadly poison; his cunning suggests
that he take the poison, and let it be un-
derstood that he died from the accident
al encounter with the deer. for thus will
the shame of his death be partly If not
wholly hidden.
The credulity of the reader is a little
overtaxed in the matter of the murder Of
the young woman, because, in the first
place, there appears hardly sufficient
demand for so desperate a deed, while
the burying Of the body by tumbling a
projecting cliff upon it is rather more
than the average reader can stand. But,
as we said. II is stunning story.
=
An Anglo-American club is talked Of
for London, to be open to the profess
sional classes of both England and
"A x,.lo ,..c~- ,.r-