The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-21
ANTHONY HOPES NEW NOVEL.

VI all the romances publis he'd seriaiiy dur
Ing the year 1S96-and there were many of q
remarkable character-'Phroso" by Anthony
hope, was conceded by eminent critics to
nave been the most popular. Readers of Nc
lures Magaz.n were the fortunate people TO
Whom was accorded the privilege Of perusing
THIS fascinating story by n prince among
story-tellers. Its issue in book form has been
anxiousiy awaited. and it comes TO US at last
from the press of the Frederick A. Stokes Com
pany.
There is an expression current among Amer
lean critics OF the eulogistic and praise
everything" school to the effect that, when
you have once started to read this book you
will not lay it down until you have finished
it." This sen tence has been so often misap-
piled as TO have an III SAVIOR to the mind of
the person who looks for guidance in matters
= literary TO his fOvorite newspaper. careful
Qerusal OF "PhrOsO," from cover to cover b.
the truth-seeking writer of book notes. shows
that the sentence quoted is literally true of
Anthony Hopes latest work That it has
faults wiH be admitted but such nall errors
sS have Crept in detract nothing from the in
trinsic merit OF the story. When you sit in
the smoking-room Of your club and listen TO
yarn spun by q fellow-member and On
genial spirit, you are dlsinclned TO pick hS!es
in his narrative An occasional "whopper"
disconcerts you not, and what, after due de-
liberation, may seem an impossible situation,
passes readily with the balance OF the story,
provided only that it be interesting, both in
the manner and the matter.
For, be it confessed, "Phroso' in several i'm
portant aspects reminds US OF the two-shiiling
shocker current Il decade ago, and in this class
it possesses a striking resemblance to that
famous romance by Arch bald Claverng Gun
ter entitled Mr.. Barnes OF New York" There
are the same kind OF hairbreadth escapes;
the same grade OF EngliShmen and fair hero
ines; the same weird death chant composed
by local patriotic poets Of q bYgoEe genera
ton. Hal the scene OF "Phroso" been laid in
Corsica instead of Neopalia and the book been
published anonymously venture to say
that eight OF ten readers would have credited
+ 10 the author of Mr.. Barnes"
Briefly outlined the story is as follows: Lord
Wheatley buys the island OF Neopalia from its
owner SteianOpOulos The sale is confirmed
by the Turkish Government under whose pre-
tectorale the island Is held. WheatIey takes
possession in company with a relative, Denny,
his dragoman, Hogvardt. and man" Wat
klns. Upon reaching the island they are met
by a deput alton OF Inhabitants who imprison
Them, to await the pleasure OF Constantine
Steanopoulos and my Lady Euphrosyne.
Though betrothed TO Phroso IAN abbrevia-
ton of the Greek name), Constantine has
wife living on the island Wheatley had met
tie twain in London, and when, after refusing
10 surrender his right 10 The island. the
Eng ishman is blocksded IN the ancient cas- tie
OF the stefanOpoulf, he discovers manuscripts
telling OF dark deeds done by former members
81 the Greek dynasty in a subterranean pas
sage. This he explores and in his search
finds Phroso, whom he keeps as hostage. The
Greek girl disc oses the full secret of the IN
derground passage, notwiths landing that it
was certain death for her to do so.
Denny. Hogvardt and Watkins make good
their escape to fer corner OF the island by
means OF rope lowered IN the concealed place
OF exit. Wheatey and Phroso are about 10 do
the same when the rope is cut by q concealed
enemy. Whsftley gives himself up to Con-
stanune, and but for the fact that it was the
feast OF St. Tryphon, would have been exc
cuted then and there. As last card against
the hereditary ruler of the island, the English
man announces the presence at Neopalia of
the wife OF Constantine whom he had Judi.
Ciously kept concealed. Euphrosyne calls
upon her people to render her assistance and
her erstwhile betrothed is made prisoner, but
not before the Greek girl has before all de-
clared her love Tor Wheatley.
The three companions who had made good
their escape, after several narrowing expert
ences, capture a boat and row out into the
harblr, where they providentially encounter
a gunboat belonging to the Turkish feet, with
the Governor of Neopalie on board. To him
they tell their tale, and the Government YES
sci makes for the island where it arrives lust
in time 10 find Wheatley set free and the ISL
ana transferred to Euphrosyne.
Here, one would think, is material enough
for a frst-class novel. The reader of This out
; line will remark, "And so Phroso married
Wheatley and they lived happily ever after"
Wen, they did; but not at this stage of the
proceedings. Following the fashion set bv
Dumas the Elder, Mr.. Hope likes to tantalize
his reader. Having brought his reader thus
Tar, our author makes Mouraki Pasha, Governor
of Neopalia, fall in love with Euphrosyne.
Mouraki, by his picture, is 90. fat and schem-
ing. He is widower and thinks of making
Plroso Mrs. Mouraki IL With this object he
contrives to release Constantine, hoping that
that worthy Greek will take m easures to pre-
vent WheatleY leaving the island alive. As
sn immediate result of his release, his wife is
found dead. Wheatley charges Mouraki with
being accessory to the crime and is kept pris-
'oner in the house with the secret passage.
/ Through this comes Constantine, prepared
TO murder the Englishman, whose Greek body
guard wrestles with the assassin, throws him
down the cliff in the tunnel, and loses his own
lie IN so doing. Phroso and her protector
make their way to the end of the cave, only to
stumble upon their Turkish enemy, the Gov
ernor, who, after bandying words with his
pris is himself killed pY one Demetri, who
had sworn TO avenge the death of his brother,
executed by order of the Governor
Still their adventures are not over and be-
tween the aforementioned incident and their
final arrival in London there is incident sufi-
Gent to stock an independent romance, as
romances go nowadays.
Mr.. Hopes method of telling story IL an
admirable one. He manages 10 end each
chapter with thrilling climax leaving the
reader to wonder what is coming next. When
1t comes, 1t turns out to be something quite
unexpected. There may exist carping critics
TO deride this style of composition as sugges-
tive of the dime novel. but 1t cannot be
doubted that Hopes manner adds much TO
the attrsctiveness of the romance. His STYLE
is fluent and full of action and keeps the
reader both absorbed and on the qut vfue
Occasionally, however, we come across a
clip or two, either in composition or in setting
For instance, the author of "Phroso'' is describ-
ing the predtcament of Wheatley when ae-
cused by Constantine. The Englishman is
threatened with death. thousand sturdy
Neopalians are ready at the bidding of their
ruler TO inocuiate him with the germs of
Neopslian fever, which is polite euphemism
for numbering him. The danger is imminent,
and Lord Wheatley thus describes his condi-
ton: 81 believe turned a little pale" ~
In form "Phroso" is autobiographical, that
is, Lord Wheatley himself is telling the story.
To most of his chapters Mr.. Hope prefixes
what the immortal Sam Weller would call
''moral observations" without any desire 10
be hypercritical, the suggestion is made that