Evening star., 1905-11-04

ing experiences In Africa. Vincey and Holly
rested for a space in England, and then
were drawn by a sign that came to Vincey
in a dream to the mountain plateaus ana
gorges of Tibet, In search of Ayesha, for
whom Vincey's heart burned with an un-
auenchable flame. For sixteen years they
wandered-the author passing over this long
period very briehy-until they reached a
mark In the remote interior of the forbid
den land that indicated that they had ap-
preached their goal. They reached the
region of Ayeshas reign with the greatest
difficulty, passing through extraordinary
experiences and escaping death by the mar
rowest of chances. Mr.. Haggard excels In
devising situations that make the reader
mentally exclaim at the perils of the char
acters. He gives his precfpice edges real
significance as the travellers hang over them
on slender lines. There is no lack of dra-
matte quality in this second book Of the
She" narrative And when the pilgrims
have baffied nature and reached the gate
way to the mystic region, they are en-
meshed in intrigues. A beautiful woman.
wife of the ruler Of mountain-hemmed
land adjoining the domain of Ayesha, de-
termnes to detain Vincey. She Is the pres
ent manifestation of a woman who In an
cient times has been a factor in his past
life.
Vivid pictures of volcanic action. great
distances, seemingly bottomless pits, awful
forces follow one another until the reader s
magination balks at the task of coping
with that of the author. Mr.. Haggard is
nothing If not fertile in device. He blends
his mechanical and his human interests
adroitly, and turns out climax that
reaches a high pitch.
There is little probability o. another She"
story. For both Holly and Vincey are dis
posed OF In this volume. 'Ayesha" must
pass now into the dimness of the memory.
perhaps to be restored to life by some other
hand in the years to come.
HER LETTER, Her Answer. and Her
Last Letter By Bret Harte. Pictured
by Arthur l. Keller. Boston: Hough-
ton, Mif1lin & Co.
Her Letter" and Her Answer were
originally published so near together that
they are now regarded by readers as hav-
ing been virtually simultaneous. 1t was
not, however. for more than quarter of a
century that Mr.. Harte relieved the sus-
pense of the sympathetic by producing Her
Last Letter" which rounded out the de-
lightful romance of the first two epistles.
Now all three are given at once as a COM
pleted narrative, so to speak, with series
OF altogether delightful Illustrations by Mr..
Arthur Keller This artist has brought TO
this task not only a high degree of skill
in the rendering of situation and the sug-
gestion of sentiment, but he contributes
keen understanding of the poets own
mood, for he has been long an ardent ad-
uHTeF OF 1fdEle WRITINGS ana mas on
several previous occasions illustrated his
stories. The result Is a rarely beautiful
book. done in black and white. colors and
gold, book of many hundreds for the gift
making time of the year.
SIR RAOUL, Tale of the Theft of an
Empire. BY James NJ Ludlow, author
of Deborah" &c. Illustrated New
York: Fleming H. Revell Company
Venetian intrigue. Christian fervor per-
sonal ambition. all blend in this tale of the
thirteenth century to furnish the main
springs of its constant and dramatic action.
The tale is told by Jean OF Ehrestein, son
of a noble of the Black Forest, who imme-
diately after his elevation to the knight
hood. gave way to a spasm of jealousy and
did most unknightly deed. for which he
was disgraced. Thenceforth he lived to
wipe away the stain upon his character
He started. oddly enough, by becoming a
member OF a robber band, then turned in
to serve the Doge of Venice, the blind DAN
dolo, and finally participated In the capture
of Constantinople. for which crusaders
booked for the wrestling OF Jerusalem from
the infidel were diverted by the crafty ve-
an otherwise nameless knight. Through
out his adventures. his peril and his trf-
umphs he was inspired by the love Of a
woman. Renee. niece OF the Marquis of
Montferrat and cousin of the Emperor of
Greece. 1t was Renee who recognised Jean
In his DISCUSSES and despite his scars, Renee
who believed in him throughout, and finally
Renee who refused the hand OF the son OF
an emperor that she might take that of