The times., 1898-06-19

by reasoning There is not the slightest
hint of true reasoning In the whole story
of her individuality. Here and there are
attempts at logic, but they are always
mute questionings, swept away by some
gust of emotion. Her life with Owen is
altogether emotional, on the lower plane.
Ulick Dean, a mystical, fatalistic young
Irish musician, wakes her to something
like intellectual life, but her notions of
his intellect are always inextrfcably
mixed with the influence of his person
alty. There is no awakening of deep
feeling; possibly the author means TO in
dicate that, after all, the only real, true,
unsefsh feeling in her is her love for
her father. Her conscience is half super
stition; her return to the church is due
more to blind cropping fear than any
thing else. The one distinct idea of right
and wrong which she has is that 1t was
wrong for her to leave her father for
merely personal ambition. There have
been few analyses of character in fiction
more sklfully and thoroughly done than
this.
The diction of the author has a crisp
and delicate finish that suggests certain
French writers who are noted for their
style. The speech of the characters is
that of well-bred Londoners, and the
analysis of Wagner's operas, when 1t ap-
pears in a fragmentary way here and
! there, is as mastery as all the rest of it.
! From a purely literary point of view the
! book could not be improved Most peo-
| pie will say, however that there is some
! thing besides the literary quality to be
| considered in a novel; there are the moral
and emotional qualities. This is true.
And in these respects evelyn Innes"
can hardly be considered at all. The book
| Is neither moral nor immoral; it IS un-
moral. The author does not shrink from
| discussing the social situation in which
| his heroine finds herself: neither does he
drag 1t into undue prominence He is
analyzing the character and associations
! of Evelyn 1nneS and one gets the i'm
| preston that he would do II just as thor
oughly. neither more nor less carefully,
| ii she were leading the most irreproach-
| ably proper of lives. This is not a book
| likely to have much influence in the NOR
| al line.
Those who would be likely to be swayed
! by a novel in their moral inclinations
| will not be interested in this particular
! novel; first because there is little ac-
| ton; and. second, because there is no
| sympathetic quality. The author seems
TO have no interest in his heroine, be-
| yond the truthful portrayal of her life.
| The book interests but does not move
| one. So far as It has an influence. how
ever. the conscientious scruples and re-
| morseful disquiet of Evelyn are suf-
| fciently pronounced to convince almost
any one that her way of living was not
as romantic and delightful as she had
| supposed il was going to be. The book
Is in short, the life of an immoral, emo
| tional, talented woman, stripped of all
| glamour which, in other works of fic-
| ton sometimes surrounds such women.
| II is not n great book. but It is the work
of an author who is likely some day, If
| he has a motive strong enough. TO write
a great book. He has the ideas and the
| experience and the skill and the insight
what he needs is great subject.
(New York: d. Appleton Co. Wash
ington: All booksellers. $780,