New-York tribune., 1908-10-04
1OTE 4ND HONOR.
Curious Relations IN Mrs.
I'M pbry Yards Ne5o NOrcL.

II "a RROWN JUG AT KILDARE. BY
\ - Flagg- l-ino. Fi- -
esssNerTih CoInI@HS'
ny Mrs. Humphry Ward has invaria-
4 - measure Of gravity. She wishes to
1 fE ~ reader on high grounds. Her per
4 sTT-'-- mostly inclined to be thoughtful
sr< ,-ocee5:nEs are carried on in
s~ :. eocietv addicted as much 10 politics
c-5.-- ,,-o &c 70 fashion The conversation in
50 ~Io-e hooks is that Of men and women
As rule, proper dlsdain Tor Sihali
s''s ~ recent wears. however. Mrs Ward
- have felt the need of developing her
s1- story. along lighter lines, and in
s-'.' -.s.fng Of Diana Mallory" she uses ma
-, ..- removed indeed from that of David
- say. the novel in which she touched
c,-v-,.ter mark In this new novel she is
.,f-,er,al and as melodramatic as the most
Mic Of readers could desire
= hs-oi,e IS motherless English girl
-.4. NY, on the Continent by father who
/ p.rrr-.l and afectionate. hut whose lips are
-,s= IN \ matter on which silence Is fraught
- danger. Diana knows that her father had
. sIways borne the name OF Mallory. She
d, ro- know that be has abandoned the name
/, srar1snr because II was as Juliet Sparkling
d. fis wife had been convicted OF murder.
l., after her fathers death. Diana comes to
-,s n England taking a beautiful old house
region providing her with the usual assort-
ID. q well born County neighhors, she is
I-.gv LEFT unaware Of the old scandal which
Il any moment be revived to disturb her
1 -r-,eSs. Mrs. Wards task Is TO show how
y heroine meets the test when. inevitably. the
4 Is erer- hay
ss.n prepared for il by those expeIients of
~.-ye which Mrs. Ward uses with such ease
| snoothness. the reader settles down with
[ 80 -y-ias5-v 10 watch Diana's procedure. 1t
/ -.-nars ms own fault if he takes it for
--z7 that the unfortunately placed girl viii
| ~ cr l4-s- disclose resources Of character
! --r him % high admiration. He might at
! - mead thar The heroines Of fiction are apt
J ss severely tried in order that they may
! .-,e ,oll, ideal in their conduct under
-si,y. Diana Mallory astonishes Us with
-. Her romance puts love and honor
ii. oldest juxtapositi1n
-e miles away from Beechcote Manor live
r LACY MarsLau and her son. The young
/ has embarked upon q political career This
4 - him interesting To Diana, who's up
L -s-~ -a= stimulated her u think ami talk
/ rvtEa affairs with unusual c!everness-
Il -r-a fa- 10 -ave without much delay, and
marriage seems fareEone conclusion.
s----s-.rv Oliver Is tied 10 his mothers
l. strings IN financial matters. and when il
/ OK that Diana is the daughter of q
- Lady Lucy has little difficulty in
rg ef rea match There Is yellow
= =- oliver. and though his sense Of what
i .--l.uan ought u 90 in The circumstances /
/ him Z. make 3 brief and feeble show Of
-- IT. :5s Erg--acl-5. ha presently displays
/ sf-- feather and relaIses upon his
has la-s account This would be bad ,
10 maxi almost any hero Of novel
! ~tle. lat oliver has stlH another string
/ l-u. H commits a piece q black treach- /
l. --al1s- l1a statesman who has long be
/ .ris5 1n Who is devoted TO Lady Lucy and
=. / ls..s8 cherished friend of Diana's. He
-..-s himself L. marry another woman and
is as deSpioaa-. - he Is himself What
uzra do 81 farEives him everything.
,tr5Rs herself Into ms arms: Abstractly .
-sizre6 there is nothing in human nature to
h. This inherently improbable But Mrs.
It Lse Diana. falls 10 meet the real test .
tas 10 make Diana and Oliver the unmis
n 3D. predes1ined victims Of an irresistible
30 The heroine j. not without her agree
q traits and there are various other figures
z 7 l1 cr-!e who keep the story going pleasantly
Il, but the characteristics bestowed upon I
I Er 10 counte-act the potentiality Of the /
13sr Il him have not sufficient vitality to
F. Disna's infatuation for him more plausi- /
\ Ms, Ward does her best 10 indicate kind
D z.sri hunger il Oliver for the woman he 50 .
IS - tlts, but the framework of her narrative F.
S whenever il depends upon the relations
-Eeen these two. They excite no sympathy .
use there is nothing in them to carry con- /