The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-31
NEW BOOKS.
Deep Plots and other Plots.

contents OF n wOEk oil nCtlO1, coming 10
the end OF one line and thinking To go on
with the next, we strangely read: Her
lose, which was reddish brown and darby
lashed. Every incautious a no o
has o this thing-come to the end OF a
line. reversed the oveme Of the eye,
seized upon another line and been be-
trayed. Had we been fortunate enough
to be accurate. TO follow with the right line,
we should have read. Her nose, which
was neither thin nor finely chiselled. sloped
to a slight upward tilt" That, though
duly interesting, would have been far less
strange, and our first impression Of strange
ness would have beer allowed TO occur
when we came to read later about the
Sacred Society u Nicodemus, with the
extraordinary purposes and performances
of which Mr.. Harold Regbie's story Of THE
Penalty (Dodd, Mead a Coz 10 chiefly
concerned.
Mrs. Remington. the lady whose com
paratively unchiselled nose sloped 10 a
slight upward tilt. was clever and beauti-
full. With nice art she bamboozled the
Rev. Mr.. Vesey, who masqueraded az a
minister OF the Church of England. Mr..
Vesey even pretended to he Low Church.
Really he was Father Vcsey. a Roman
Catholic priest, and he was secretary Of the
Society Of Nicodemus. Al rag IL we find
him confiding to the adorable but perfd-
ious Mrs. Remington: Il. madam, a 60
into the stoniest places Of Professionalism
and plant there, in the name and under
the shadow Of that wicked pervert Martin
Luther. the blessed seed Of Holy Church.
What says Faa di BrunoY 'Nicodemus
,,,a , lia,tpIo - Io.,. Tl,.ia, 10 sa,rat ,
Newman. Ward, Manning what did they
do but fling themselves of the ship and
save themselves: but we. madam, labor
rather to save the ship and bring her into
the harbor OF Gods almighty safety than
seek the selfish security Of our own peace
of mind The Society Of Nicodemus is a
society of martyrs, a society of patriots;
for the sake Of our country's salvation we
remain among members OF a schismatic
hurch whose Thirty-nine Articles forty
stripes save ONE odious as they are, we
are willing to bear upon our backs FOR the
greater glory Of the true Church's ulti-
mate triumph" This surely was a re-
markable scheme. We are satisfied that
the reader will be curious about it.
Father Vcsey. though "A plotter and the
secretary of a very deep society, was a
credulous man. Mrs. Remington. visiting
him in his Pimlico lodgings. spoke to him
Of a book that she had left outside in her
carriage. She said: The opening OF that
book is a matter Of European momen
You might fling out Of your window all the
secret papers Of your society without dis
turbing the balance Of political power even
in England; but one page Of my book made
pagel-and Europe would be
in flames" Father Vesey believed her.
He itched to get a peep into the book. She
him to go and fetch the %slumbering
firehrand from its place in the carriage.
BY the time he was back with it she had
distracted from Father Vesey's despatch
box and concealed in her nun a list OF the
members Of the Nicodemus Society. This,
of course. was a document Of importance.
As for the pooh that Father Vesey brought
back from the carriag &c. it's fair owner I'M
the clasp hat secured il and allowed
the Father to see three Of the many names
that It contained. He was tremendously
impressed. He felt himself honored in
allowed to know that persons of this
distinction we're working as he was for the
Of Professionalism in England.
The book really was only a visiting list, but
Vesey was a man of Imagination.
He was happy. His visions were satisfying.
The unlocking Of that book. " Mrs. Reving-
ton had told him. involves crowns and
lie did not doubt it.
Mrs. Remington had social reasons for
purloining the membership list Of the Mic /
odemus Society. Scanning it IA she drove
way in her carriag &c and discovering in il
The name Of the Bishop of Marlborough
she sat back with a smile of such quiet.
malicious triumph as would have shocked
the most Jesuitical of Papist eyes" II
was her purpose 10 coerce for her own social
this distinguished prelate, who
was expecting soon to be made Archbishop
II Canterbury. For the sake of her daugh- |
Ter she wished to be restored to the eminent
that she once adorned.
The story calls this The society OF Lon
ion's Intellectuals.' In it her young spirit
"foated with the animal satisfaction
Of life" and her mind had been pleasantly
10 her in every drawing room by ambassa-
Tors. Statesmen. artists. men OF letters and
great churchmen u Of every country"
there had come a scandal. Her nus
band. the intellectual Edmund Remington. ,
jumped on "A bIedtnDOdt ana OTOWne0 7
and just after this tragedy her
had been dragged into a dreadful
iivorce case. She was innocent. but the
Intellectuals did not believe it. and accord
ngly what mercy could they show to this
woman who had been unable to appreciate
he fneness Of Edmund's spirit, and who
by sheer vulgarity of mind had unseated
hat noble reason from its throne' None.
clearly none" And so IL was that Mrs.
Revington-one of the most beautiful and
distinguished Of London's brilliant women
was driven out from the aristocracy of
he Intellectuals. from the refinements.
he graces and the dignities OF aristocracy, |
md forced to a up a permanent position
n that society where she had often dallied
or a little. but had never rested the noisy.
and headlong company Of fever
sh souls who. with little culture and with
no moral restraints. loudly advertise them
a word, the Smart Set"
Very pleasantly, but firmly, she coerced
he Bishop with her knowledge that he was
original member OF the Society Of Nico-
She rented a cottage in the cathe-
iral close. and the Bishops wife had to