New-York tribune., 1908-03-14
Recent Fiction by Mr.. Hosccits. the
Castles and Others.

Harper & Bros
FLoTTEk T.Es OF r1G B4GoNE HEnN bAIS & sy Agnes and
Egert9n Castle 1snT ILLUSTRATED l2m0' pp' III
THE MAGISTRATES OWN CASE b. BARON
Pale Rosenkran,5 12mc. PIP. 2s5 The Nc
TIE SIXTH SPEED. BY f. J. Rath. Fronts
piece by G Weher-Ditzier- 12mo. PIP. 4os
Moffat. Yard & co.
FOLKS Rack HOME Ry Eugene Wood. 12mo,
NJ S2s- The Mcclure Company
MIR Hovells's new book deals not so much
nth events as with states of mind The man
and woman who chiefly figure in it not pre-
cisely hero and heroine. the conventional
sense. They are rather. the two individuals
necessary TO the novelist's purpose Of working
out q psychological situation. Terrian. the man
OF the story is a novelist " ho wins success with
: serial. While it Is pursuing its course through
one of the magazines he receives letter, the
writer of which asks that she may see in ad-
vance the chapters that have still to come She
prftes with great gravity. Her health is such
that she may easily die before the serial has
heen brought TO conclusion. It turns out that
this correspondent was really induging in
prank, and when Nerrian discovers the truth
his vanity writhes. Out OF his anger he sends
cruel reply and then tries to dismiss the whole
matter from his mind. He cannot really do
this Something about the way in which that
first letter was written has stirred the deeps Of
his nature, and he in the mood to readJust
the bitter emotions produced by the trick Fate
gives him the chance At a country house
marty he meets with odd but charming young
-ror7sn employed by his hostess to arrange
diversions for her guests. One Of Miss Shirieys
entertainments leads UP 10 q climax in which
Ter-ian is enlightened 4 10 the identity OF his
original toTmentor. Miss Shirley was the wicked
dsrosel What happens? Have they by this
tirne fallen in love, and does the story end with
the usual peal of wedding bells? 1t Is ln1pos-
sihle for us answer this question either one
u-sv or The other In the unexpectedness Of the
denouel1lent hes of the strongest points of
the book. Mr.. How ellis has not written ''Fennel
and Pie" for the sake Of any romance of the
obvious sort. He has, repeat. sought 10
snalvze states of mind, and the reader finds his
account IN the developments through which
Terrian and Miss Shirley pass sharers in a
strange experience The theme is suggestive
and il is admirably treated.
The seven short stories which Nfr and Mrs.
Castle have brought together in their latest
vcIulne. Flower o the Orange" delightfully."-
illustrate their gift for bringing back the 70
mantle past. net 4 thing of ingenious plot
and theatrical properties but as q thing Of
and breathing life. natural in form and
color They have the secret Of atmosphere as
II exhales from G scene, and is made more
Poignant by a human presence, and they seem
10 carry this secret with them. no matter into
= hat places or periods they stray. The narra-
which gives the book its title is q good ex-
snsple Of their art, The scene here is laid upon
tho bleak Scottish coast, and the old castle into
which We are introduced is filled with the spirit
- the grim landscape in which il is set. To it
there comes the dour owner, after absence
which has been filled with grief Simon Car
michael OF Eagernesse, would celebrate his
return III the company of a number of men who |
arc his friends but there is more bitterness
than there is gayety in his soul. The night |
begins with q trying episode, and as it wears
on. the hunlor OF the around the dining
sable threatens to grow more and more dark
and even sinister. In short, everything is in a
scrnpre key The authors know what they are
about. Against their gray background they |
raint bewitching type Of girlhood, not with |
swift unexpected strokes, so that the con-
traer IS too sharp, but in such wise that the |
picture IS perfectly balanced Within d few |
rages they unfold a perfect little comedy The |
very air Of the Scotland OF hundred years ago |
blows through il
The easy handling of the note which is char |
scteristic of the first story in the book is re-
reated in the second, another page from Scot |
tIsh romance. In this case young member |
or the Gensdarfaes EscosS0iS in France finds |
himself once more in Edinburgh, and, by acci- |
dent IL drawn into the plans Of some JeJune |
oonspirators. They take him to be the prince |
u-hom they would fain bring into his own, and /
against his will he is obliged TO keep up the :,
,leception Rovalist at heart, he is neverthe- |
less rlaced in the position OF spy. His pred1ca-
rnent is one from which escape would appear to
he absolutely impossible. but in the world OF |
romance your truly gallant hero need never |
cesrair The Castles eXtricate their young |
lnan with equal audacity and aplonb Again |
zoo. they give him fawless Background Thelr !
instinct for the special SAVIOR of this or that !
historic time is, indeed, unerring. whether IL |
l,e the Paris OF the eighteenth century IN Ihe |
Great White Deeps": E!izabethan London in |
MY Rspier and Ny Daughter" and The Great
-Todescon's Secret Thrust; OF the England Of
later wears in pomona and The Mirror OF (
tho Faithful Heart" they give you the speech |
md the gait of life it there and then
lived and for their men ana women just the {
right envelope as that is provided by the |
froad movement of town country Love and |
ointment is sweet and the drama rings true |
Tho hook shows once more the versatility and !
ire Ecnuireness of these romantic authors
The Magistrates Own Case though some !
that heavy-handed in style, is an absorbing |
s;cry Of = crime and its detection In the hTSt
chapter the eossips Of HoInburS are suppiieo !
with 2 theme incongruous enough in a cheeffni |
watering place A certain Lord Fartngdon is |
fouliy murdered. and suspicion points to a man |
With whom, he has to all appearances, been on /
The best Of terms Ordinarily, in a book OF th7 |
sort. the hunting down Of the assassin would |
he the important matter. But the author "L !
this bool, rtves greater relief TO the character |
sno proceedings Of the magistrate assigned 10 |
1he case This man is q lawyer with special .
,tffe Of t~rf a.