The San Francisco call., 1904-08-07

ann Radcliffe. Warwick Deep
ing. the young English writer.
has eiven as this precious revival Of
--try Tassed in his Love Among the
'I2rlr/ Read ii and be convinced
.hat nothing SO gorgeously romantic,
s. rSrously oolored. has been done
fcce Bulwer Lytton laid down the
~ ana DisraeH forsook literature for
--etecraft
40 halting. haif-hearted return 10 the
als q red romance in this story Of
Dee.ins's. He makes no compromise
with Dresent-day ethics of fiction by
clothing a commonplace love and ad-
venture tale in the panoply of a past
lage and putting it forth as a historical
rolnance''-that greatly abused term.
on the contrary. like Walpole earliest
Of tie romanticlsts. and his castle Of
Ctrarto.' Deeping has narrowed his
s.0ry 10 no SET bounds Of time and
place nor incorporated therein any per-
sonages of history. Rather in some de-
lectable country Of his own imagining.
running brimfuI with the spirit Of chiv-
airy and the lust Of fighting, has he
woven the threads of a story such as
our great-great-grandfat used
greediy 70 devour by candle light. Here
is ere authors most definite Inning in
Of the scene Of his heroic tale:
From the mountainous north TO the
warm southern sea, from the wooded
vest % the eastern fens. the good King
ruled. holding many great Barons in
-feudal Faith and casting his fetters OF
gold over church and state. Chivalry
moved through the world 10 the clangor
Of arms and the songs Of the trouba-
dour. Lutes sounded on terrace and in
garden; fair women bloomed like roses,
bathed in a sensuous blaze Of romance.
Baron made war on Baron: glory and
death were crowned together. The
painter suread his colors in the halls
Of the great. the goldsmith and the
carver wrought wondrous things 10
charm the eve Church bells tolled.
hProud- abbots carried the sword and
pmsde fine futter among the women.
Innuuerable saints crowded the ave-
nues 10 heaven II was a fair age and
very lovely. fun Of color and desire.
music and the odor OF romance"
The writing Of a book such as Love
Among the Ruins" must be recognized
as being a distinct literary achieve
ment. for ike Maurice Hewlitts The
Forest Lovers" il is a distinct return
TO the earliest type OF the romance,
faithfully executed along the lines es-
tablshed by the school Of the latter
eighteenth century. All Of the exagger-
ated spirit Of chivalry is reproduced;
the laws Of feudalism and the codes OF
the church give their impress to the
story. Battles, sieges. sudden sallies
from hidden woods, the rescuing OF
n1aidens In distress. oaths sealed by a
kiss on the swords hilt, the naughty
sending of battle gages-the entire
paraphernaIia o. the old romance
writer's stock in trade is fitted without
q gan into this new century copy Of
the century-old prototype. AS in The
Castle OF Otranto." there are secret
stairways. mysterious panels in the
walls, darLy treacherous recesses
where a sudden stab from an unseen
arm brings death-sO has Deeping CEN
tered a large part OF his plot about a
rock-hewn cavern Of secret egress hid
den IN forbidding woods, and he has
given 10 il terrible portent Of mystery.
Dark conclaves Of a society Of death
in the catacombs Of walled city. plots
against thrones and feudaI castles. the
conjuring up OF a vision by mechanical
tricks-really. the author has put The
Mysteries OF Udolpho." imprime 1874,
quite in the second place in the matter
Of romantic incident
Characteristically does the novel
= open under the fierce glow OF a pill
LACED and burning castle. Yeoland.
daughter Of the murdered Rual Of
4. Cambremont, left utterly alone in the
world. fnds shelter in the cavern fast
ness OF Fulviac. erstwhile court gen
tleman. turned robber and revolution
ist Quickly the author carries his
tale on through the Vaccinations Of
FuIviac and his secret society Of JAG
ouerie, telling how the rabble is pre-
pairing q great uprising against King
and mobiles, how Yeoland becomes the
sainted leader Of the band by divine
inspiration, mechanically manipulated;
how Lord Flavian, chief Of the mobiles,
becomes SHARED IN the love links Of
the girl saint Teoland herself. Then
follow some vividly portrayed scenes
. q carnage-the sack OF Gilderoy.
the onslaught OF Flavian's band at
Cambrevault -dows and the des-
perate siege Of Castle Gambrevault it
self. Love triumphs al last among the
most complete array ruins that any
author could conceive.
Deeping has borrowed for his mar
rative style all the fiorid word color
irgs and highly pigmenfed metaphore