New-York tribune., 1908-06-06
NEW NOTELS.
Heroism IN the Past and Crime IN
the Present.

THE IL last DUCHESS OF BELGARDE. By Molly
| Appleton
THE FINANCES OF, SIR JOHN KYNNERsLEY.
Lane Company.
THE ufs gRTI o 1NsHT pp 5 B F ustan asn5y DC Co Ia Past
| THE BLUE LAGOON. A Romance BY H De We're
St5spG9ls Ginnndoff 2no dn.n PIP vi s2s Philadelphia;
| The character of the typical person Of high
| degree In the France Of the great Revolution
has been made familiar through countless pages
of history, biography and fiction Indeed, in the
last mentioned form Of literature the gallant
aristocrat going to the guillotine with light
heart. has become almost convention. Yet we
never tire of that picturesque figure: all we ask
is that he. or she, shall be painted with touch
of sincerity. not left a mere puppet OF fine
clothes and theatrical gesture. In THE Last
Duchess of Belgrade the touch is precisely
what it ought to be. Within the limits Of very
brief narrative Miss seawe has lightly
sketched the traits of just such young noble
woman the knitters often saw mount the
steps of the scaffold in Paris When she first
appears she is just about to be married. We
witness the wedding and her dsillusonment as
the man she loves reveals his unworthness.
Then we rapidly follow the two through stormy
days and presently watch the young duchess
building up in prison happiness she had never
known in her own home It is charming little
tale, pathetic and sentimental. but never mawk-
ish. The author knows what to leave out. She
goes delicately and swiftly to the point. and
gives something like nfe's history in the
| terms of feeting comedy. 1.-The Last Duchess
of Belgarde' is certain to be widely read this
summer.
The author of The Mauleverer Murders
showed in that book unusual gift for the de-
yiSnp of those mysterious occurrences which, In
a novel, not only keep the reader breathleSsly
interested but fill him with desire to work
out the puzzles put before him. The new book
by Mr.. Fox-Davies, THE Finances of Sir John
Kynnersey." explains its riddles as 1t goes along,
but the reader loses nothing thereby; on the
contrary, he finds new amusement in follo"-
ing the bland disclosure of the hero's devious
ways. Sir John is, to be sure. in almost gro
tesaue contrast to Miss Seawelrs heroic little
duchess. He is a thorough paced scamp, II ever
there was one. A possessor of baronetcy and
of a good place in London society, his income Is
nevertheless hopelessly inadequate for his COM
fort He must raise the wind" somehow, and
when opportunity arises for him to do so after
a dishonest fashion, he is clever enough TO carry
out a shady scheme with complete success.
Greatly encouraged he proceeds to engage IN one
fraud after another, each one OF them giving
Mr. Fox-Davies the material for chapter In
one or two of these chapters the author asks US
to believe altogether too much The story In
which Sir John assumes the Identity or an
American millionaire and purchases "The Lon
don Times is fatty preposterous The last
chapter too, in which the hero ranges himself
as harmless and honorable gentleman. Is quite
too tall an order, and 1t is. into the bargain.
marked by a certain bad taste. The bulk OF the
book however. is as plausible as 1t is exciting
Sir John is a veritabe master OF the art Oh
snindling and usual with such types IN nc
tion he is a positively likeabe individual His
passon for revenge is cruelty INDUCED. yet he
retains the readers sympathy. He does thls' or
course simply because Mr. Fox-DaV1es makes
him the hero of adventures interesting that
one is bound to take them in generous mood.
Mrs Henry de la Pastures new story is MKT
ure of sentiment and Of femininely shreWd
drawing of human foibles. Sentiment predomi-
mates and up TO a certain point there is vital
charm in the romance of the fine old W1dower
and the gentle young widow who are the chieL
characters. When being so unsef1sh' tenoer
and engaging is the heroine nurses through
dangerous illness chivalric, II trascible, gen
tleman the sentimental situation which re-
suits is no less entertaining than 1t Is in
evitable OF course something must happen
to prevent their marriage or there would be
no story-and here is the point at which we
take issue with the authors devices. The hero
has an exact knowledge of his lady loves up
right nature and generous disposition, yet ne
is made to harshy misjudge her, attr1out1ns
to her on circumstantal evidence meanness
altogether contemplate 1t is a blemish on a
very clever and readable story, one otherwise
full of admirable Interpretation of human
nature and of warmth of sympathy. As for the
unwnding of the complication which parts the
pair. we leave the reader to discover it un-
warned.
THE Blue Lagoon is curious story which
opens along lines suggestive of manly adVen-
ture then develops atmosphere of juven1iia'
and finally takes another turn, showing the
reader that Mr. Stacpoole had, after all. no
intention of writing a book for babes. His hero
and heroine are two small children. Dick and
Fnorneline at sea with the lads father, a con-
sun,ptive The ship takes fire in the Pacific
and all aboard of her escape in boats Circum-
stances put the children ashore upon an unn-
ha bted island. their only companion being the
old sailor into whose charge they have been
committed His taste for drink leads to his
death and thenceforth Dick and Emmeline
oro7, nm as Young savages. It is at this point
that the author shows what we suppose is TO ne
regarded as a philosophical intention He
makes much of the sweet innocence in which
tho bov and girl grow up. The thing is pret
civ, done but there some heavy handed
Messages. and on the whole, Mr.. Stacpoole fails
70 iuetifv himself We appreciate such charm
~ adventure as the book contains, but the
s,ects OF It that are supposedly romantic, In a
enar sense are too artificial to carry conviction
LETTER OF DIR. JOHNSON.
The Nysteru Of His Possession OF Celebrated