New-York tribune., 1902-02-02

the scheming Of her rival. But her husbands
love and devotion are proved in the end.
The author of THE Traitors Way" has sue
cumbed to the temptation which seems to ap-
peal more and more to contemporary novelists;
he has made his hero a treacherous and cow
ardly man. Yet we are not sorry, for he has
written an extremely interesting story about
Gaspard de Nibrac gentleman of France, to
whom love came in unlucky hour and
started him upon a path from which his
nature, compounded of good and evil and, even
more crushing circumstance made it impos-
sible for him to turn. Loving the wife of his
dearest friend, he has the strength to abandon
hope when the woman herself shows him the
way; but fate presently puts obstacles before
that reformation which seems to be within his
grasp and one step leading to another, he finds
himself urged to traitorOus actions which cul-
inmate in a living death, when he may still
enjoy his house and lands. but when the very
serfs the latter point the finger of scOrn at
him. He throws in his lot with the Prince. OF
Condo. when that stalWart chief is fighting
against his enemies within the borders of
France, and his wish is to remain loyal. Side
by side with the man whom he had nearly
robbed of his wife he works for Condo and for
the cause. But he Is in the hands Of
the oily cleric on the other side who marks him
a promising tool early in the story. and 80
from one betrayal to another he travels on,
goaded to crimes which he Oathes to commit
and unsuspccted in his own circle until at the
end he is unmaskcd. the very moment. too.
when all his services to his masters are about
TO be brought to nothing. n bitter story it is.
but told with cleverness and spirit. genuinely
romantic, and with just that edge Of novelty
which would give it a good place among the
historical romances Of the day, even if il were
not so well executed. Though in the character
OF his hero Mr. Levctt-Yeats follows the line
which others have exploited before him. he
manages to give distinctly new twist to his
narrative, some distinctly new coors to his
picture.
Mrs. Barr is for Cromwell and her novel,
"The Lions Whelp" a story of the time Of the
Civil War and Cromwells progress to victory.
is all on the side OF the Protector. Its temper
and method sober as berts the subject and
it is a sincere and serious piece Of work. in
which the author, without paying much heed
to archaic dictlon has reproduced for us the
habits of thought of Cavalier and Roundhead
and the atmosphere of those troubIous times
Its chief interest lies in the loves of two young
women of high position who old friends
but whose houses are divided, the Swaffhams
fighting for Cromwell and the de Wicks for
the king. They dispute hotly about the merits
OF the two causes, but their friendship is not
interrupted Lord Cluny Neville, a young SOL
dier in Cromwells army, stops at Swanham
sees the daughter of the house, and they love
Old Israel Swaffham imposes a five years pro-
bation upon him-he is half Scot and a Pres
byterian, and CrOmwelrs soldier likes not either
quality. The other, Matilda de Wick. loves
Prince Rupert. but that dream gives wav to
a more reasonable passion for her friends
brother, Cymlin Swaffham. There are many
trials and adventures before either is made
happy. We get gmpses Of Oliver Cromwell in
his London Palace, with sometimes a sight of
Mr.. John Milton and Jeremy Taylor Prince
Rupert appears, fights a duel with Neville
and there is a mysterious connection with Car