New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-28

graphs in the book: 1T the first of De-
cemb1r, 1872" and the Franklin was ready
arrayed for his journey" 1t is not with the
Franklin, however, that the story deals, but
with his son Gervas, who loves the lady Cecilia
Chamberlayne, and who is kidnapped at the
behest of her cruel guardian, and has strange
adventures in foreign lands, hints of which may
be gathered from the Yeomans tale of his mas
ter. the Canon. For it is masquerading as an
eccIesiastic that Gervas returns and joins the
Canterbury pilgrims under his former master,
Godfrey Chaucer, in order TO finish his long in
terrupted romance by clipping with his lady
love. She, poor girl, wearied Of the long years
of waiting. was on her way TO become the bride
Of Holy Church in the train of the Prioress
The Franklin, too, was OF the party, and others
whom have met in the story. The author
does not adhere too slavshly to the incidents
of the Tales" There is a good deal Of Phelps
well as Of CHANGER and the two are dove
tailed with nice literary ioiner-work; but in
his efforts to adapt what he uses of Chaucer
to his own needs, Mr.. PheIpss construction be
comes at times somewhat complex
Indeed the interest of the reader i'm follow
ing the hero's intricate perigrnations is aroused
quite as much by his mental references to
Chaucer as by his desire to know what the
nconsequent Gervas is going to do next. For
those who have not read Chaucer. the story
affords an entertaining picture of life in Eng
land, France and Italy in the fourteenth CEN
fury, as seen by the eyes of the most dfstin-
guished English writer and traveller of the
period-through a pair of nineteenth century
spectacles
Miss Dougau has written in THE Summit
House Mystery" what is commonly called ode
tective story" whether as a matter of fact,
the detective plays any part in it not In
this case he does not she has also written
what Is more rare in a book of this sort 4
story Of character. 1t is to this element that
the novel owes whatever of vaIue it possesses
and whatever claim it has on the attention Of
the reader. Two at least of her leading per-
sonages she has drawn with considerable skill
and has placed them in a situation which is
dramatically powerful. giving scope to a wide
play of emotions. How far the author is justi-
fed in adopting the basis of her plot a Cee-
brated murder trial, some of the leading figures
in which are still living, may be questioned on
grounds Of taste Her justification is apparently
in the situation it suggested TO her, and pos
sibIy the opportunity OF presenting a novel So
luton of a crime which has bafled the efforts
of the police of a city and the courts of a COM
monwealth. In its bare outline her expIana-
ton seems as logical it is unexpected; but
when she goes into details her unraveing of
the mystery is seen TO be amateursh, theatrical
ineffective and uncouvincing. The subsidiary
characters are twisted out of all human likeness
into grotesque carcatures of people, in order
TO make them fit into the incidents which she
has previously invented for them TO figure in.
Had Miss DOugaIl paid more heed TO her OBJ
servations Of life and character and less to the
newspaper accounts Of the trial referred to, her
story would have been far stronger.