The times., 1901-06-23
A New Novelist.

In "The House of de Mailly," by Mar
garet Horton Potter, IS to be found not
only q new romantic and semi-dramatic
novel but the blossom and crown Of this
somewhat luxuriantly Towering tree so
far as its American growth is concerned.
OF all the numerous romantic novels deal
ing with European history, and written
by American authors this is thus far the
best: and the significance Of its appear
ance is not Iessened by the fact that the
author is a girl Of twenty, that this is
her third book and that 'Uncanonized,"
her second piece of historical fiction, is,
while quite different from this, possibly
a more remarkable piece of work That
was a romance of English monarchism In
the time Of King John; this is a novel Of
the French Court in the time of Louis XIV,
dealing less with Institutions than with
human character.
Miss Potter has two salient character
istics. her dramatic instinct and her in
dependence of judgment. In her former
historical novel she showed the latter
quality by presenting view Of King
John wholly novel in fiction, but backed
up by many historical data and bearing
upon the face of it the mark Of sympa-
thetic and intuitive truthfulness. In The
House Of de Maily" she gives the reader
a series of dramatic climaXes in quick
succession. never allowing the interest to
flag for an instant; and she fatty contra
diets that tradition which has presented
the French Court as the source of fine
qualities of which American aristocracy
could be only faint imitation, by making
her heroine an American and more Of
grande dame. in the true sense of the
phrase. than any Of the duchesses and
-t,a &c
emily surrounded. In fact, the only time
at which the hero shows himself to be
slightly lacking in those graces of mind
and manners which should command the
admiration of the reader is the time at
which he is agitated with fear lest his
provincial maiden shall not appear TO ad-
vantage at court. One cannot help feeling
that had he been as thoroughly gentle
man as she was a lady he would have had
no thought OF disquiet, but rested content
in the fact that in the pure-hearted, gen
tly bred Maryland girl ne had prize
which the court could not match with its
hest 1t is a clever little touch on the
mart of the author, and in Il she has
shown once more that independence of
Judgment and intuitiye ability TO form
right opinions. irrespective OF traditions
and convention. which il is necessary for
the historical novelist, above all others
TO have. The histories of dead courts are
so warped and eaten out and in with the
nreiuiices Of their time and the particu-
lar predictions of their authors, VINO
1vere generally very much on one side oI
tbe other that the modern reader needs
be possessed Of a most shrewd knowledge
OF human nature to get at the truth II
such a twisted mass of falsehood
Aside from the spirit Of the book the
careflaness with which il is written Is
admirable, all the more that the author
does not let the machinery appear any
where. Miss Potter never drags In Gus
toms and characters OF the past witt
the obvious intention of making theI1
contributory TO the beauty of her story
They come by the way; they are inevlta
bic She does not bring Claude de MaillS
10 America because il IS necessary to hei
story that he find an American bride; h'
comes because he must. because II Is II
the circumstances the most natural place
for him TO be. with his newborn disgus
for all French ways; and he fails IN ioN'
with Deborah Travis because there j.
nothing else for him TO do, because sh'
is charming. because she Is thrown II
his way. because there Is q natural afini
" between them despite some apparen
discrepancies Of temperament and, final
IS. because he cannot help it. Finally
her debut at court, and all the circum
stances consequent upon 1t, also com
about In perfectly simple and natura
way. It takes genius TO be dramatic
almost northumberland at the sam
time reasonable: and If Miss Potter fol
lows up this success with any more Of tn
same species, the public viii be justihe
in pronouncing her a genius. There
the more reason for supposing somethin
OF the kind when her former histories
novel is compared with this one. "Uncar
oniZed' shows patience and depth c
research and a familiarity With the cond
tions of the period. unusual IN any nov
elist; and IN It there is the same instinC