New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-19
A PICTORIAL NOVEL.
COMPANION PIECE TO THE cARDlN-
AIS SNUFF BOX"

,,vo nanels painted by Lancret, one OF the mas
tiers of the eighteenth century one oi
called THE Music Lesson, the olhei
cence~ But in neither Of them is the sup'
IN he taken much into account lhes @ie 49,
IN he admired rather as simple lliustIa'io "a
that CAV world in which all the hgures VI Ian
cret Pater and Vatican live ana move N
have their being, world IN WHICH iio ~
had ANYTHING to do beyond dressing with ere
qance and falling into dainty ATTITUDES ineo
- ,,aa,+,f,,l nanels are recalled by THE Lazy
tarar,ount" and its immediate predecessor
.erba Cardinals Snuff Box" Mr. Harlaho IL
a,,o4ber Iencret-with a difference. He is more
human more concerned with passion but ms
method is essentially pictorial, ana 'iliS tN'
counled with similarity of theme, accessoii
and atmosphere, serves to make MS tWo i1o
like nothing so much as two decorative COM
nositions. designed to balance one announcer III
the gallery Of his productions
7, .arbe Cardinals Snuff Box an English
novelist is represented falling in love Will
.be English widow of a wealthy Italian duke
little game of mystifcation runs through
+,e,- cou,tship Peter Marchdale has panied
q -,o-+rait of the duchess, studying her at d
distance and as a stranger. in a novel OF MS
published under a pseudonyrne, ana "heh 'heS
become acquainted they indulge IN some pretty
fencing around the subject. each enoeaNoIlis
tn conceal from the other the crucial lacts Win
which both are really familiar Inc scehe 30
laid in Italy against background OF aIIiio''
-,,.o+-scal ,,ic+rresoueness In The Lady Para
mount we have another English sutton lol Inc
hand Of another Italian duchess, who likewise
- 17,,,,sb Civilizations. and still in the vein OF
the other book, possesses wonderful i'sli'1.
zoroain-thoush upon this occasion MI HAN
does moi conf1pe himself exclusively TO the SCUM
for his stage setting. But he is curlousl. lam
frI to the arrangement of characters eiano
in the earlier novel Just as ne gives
Marchdale an old Italian servitor, a "onian' ~
order TO extract humor from their coh'
lions so he gives to his new hero, Ahlhons ia
eord for the same purpose, droll companion In
.,a -arson of Mr. Adrian Willes VINO manages
his estate for him. The duchess OF Inc Gar
dinaPs Snuff Box has her foils meek Souns
girl and the old ecclesiastic- supstltu'eu ~
.,asa ,n .eT,he Lady Paramount are Miss SAN
aus an ancient but charming fr1eno ol 'iie
auchess,s. and the latter's elderly guaruiaH'
Commentators Fregi- To complete the
h,ance the love interest is again deNeloPeu ~
q nrocess Of nystification, in this case INC INN
beroine using the tricks OF masquerade anu
moving toward the climax with AnthohS <iOe
1.,,as much I'm harmony If not positively idenu-
20, with those of 1.-The Cardinals Snuh boA'
obviously Mr.. Harland has repeated hlmseir, 10
= .,.r+ ro,oarl1al,le even In these days, when
.ha s,,ccessf1,l novelist is encouraged to go on
b,++inp the same nail on the head indefinitely
Faut If he has come the end OF his lnnaslliaise
resources he has not come to the END OF ms ID -
on the contrary ne has, like the french pa'e-
to whom we have referred, produced Two sliliiai
works which belong to one another anu afe
equally attractive.
If there is any differenco to be noted 1t is IN
sa,,or Of .erhe Lady Paramount" The author
+x-1a hrl
command of it; his artihce is at once more poi-
,,aa- and more flexible; and though IN TINS
,oo,- &c an the other there is one lapse OF taste
as though the author could not, for the lie
Of him depart from his own preceoent- ooh-
views on the whole, an impression OF lloIe uei
cate finish. 1t is all extremely captiVauhs- Inc
reople and events described have only 1hat re-
lation to actual life which the people and events
!, a nicture have but this. have indicat-
ed constitutes the special charm OF the oooh'
it is Just because Mr.. Harland paints his panei
SO well as panel that We delight IN him. Inc
,,,oS+ tevitchine woman who ever lived was
meyer SO uniformly bewitching, was never
SO persistently well dressed for each scene
in her career, was never SO faultlessly poseu
against such felicitous backgrounds as AnthonS
l,raford's duchess is in this book. Nhen uie
two lovers gaze into the empyrian at a singing
syklark we gaze with them, but we see the plrd
precisely as we might see it IN some Japanese
nrint a consummately well placed factor in a
decorative scheme The flowers and landscapes
upon which Mr. Harland is constantly pausing
are mt before us with the precision and brill
lance Of some cunning bit of craftsmanship IN
,,oreelain or enamel But accomplished Is
the author that he escapes the hardness the
glitter which would seem to be lnseparaple
from work like his. He has atmosphere, despite
his artihciaIity. a perfect illustration may pe
cited from the first chapter-perfect not only
where the portraiture Of the heroine is con-
cerned as she takes leave Of her guardian. pul
in the studied reference to that portralture Oh
the passages relating TO the OLD man. lhe con-
trast of his personality subtly heghtening the
charm of the duchesss:
He studied her intently for a moment fixedly.
Wondering something. Then. all at once, the
lines of dismay cleared from bis iean ivory
yellow face
Hal In a ball dress" he scoffed, and pointed
q finger at Susannas snowy CONNECTION OF tule
and satin and silver embroidery, all a-shimrner
3n the artificial moonlight of the electric lamps.
against the background OF southern garoeh-
the outlines and masses dim and mysterious In
the night, Of palms and expresses, OF slender
Eucalyptus trees oleanders, magnolias, of or
ange trees, where the oranges hung, amid the
dark foliage like duh burning lanterns A
crescent of diamonds twinkled In the warm
blackness of her hair. She wore collar OF
pearls round her throat. and a long rope OF
pearls that descended TO her waist ana was
then looped up and caught at the bosom by an
opal clasp. A delicate perfume, like the per
fume of violets, came and went in the air near
her. She held great fluffy fan OF white feath-
ers in one hand, and in the other carried loose
her long white gloves; and gems sparked on
her fingers. The waters under the sea wall be-
side her kept up perpetual whispering, like a
commentary on the situation The old man
considered these things, and his misgivings were
entirely dissipated-
Hal he scoffed twisting his immense iron
gray mustaches with complacency. Il can't