New-York tribune., 1908-08-15
Literary .Neavs and Criticism

capped in his struggle by his subsection TO
opium Both are further Influenced by the
chances of life in India Their story is long
drawn out. II is too long by half but Miss Diver
wins the reader to patience through the good
faith and true feeling with which she carries
her lovers from stage TO stage She deserves
praise. too. for her success In writing an Anglo
indian novel without initiating Mr. Kipling or
indulging in any of that smart cynicisTn which
seems to mean much to so many eyploiters
Of this field. She tells a moving love story
and tells it, on the whole, very well.
The House of the Lost Court is a pretty
and pleasing romance. Its central motive IS
frankly preposterous The retirement of man
accused of a crime and Just snatched from the
scahod to an invisible court in a great English
country house is one of those things which
genius itself could hardly make plausible. The
author of this book is not by any means a
writer of genius But she has quality of her
own. a sort of naive sweetness and there is no
denying the amusement to be found In her
simple pages. They are prodigiously romantic.
They should rejoice the heart of q schoolgirl,
and we are not but that would be sorry
for the older reader who took this amiable trife
too seriously.
Prosperous young in novels. young men
with taste for adventure, certainly have de-
lightful opportunities. Witness the experience
OF Mr. John Hillard in 1.-The Lure of the Mask"
Sitting by open window. foggy night IN
January. he hears the last thing in the world
TO be expected in New York street a beauti-
full voice uplifted in an artistic strain. Forth
with Master Hi1lard pursues it. and. forthwith.
he is led a fearful and wonderful dance He
dimes not long afterward with the voice. but
he does not know the face Of its owner. for she
wears a. mask. will she tell him her name.
OF course. ne is only the infatuated and.
in q little while. we are obliged to follow him
10 Italy. where. in the company of another love-
lorn squire, he has adventures with a
geance. The reader may learn for himself the
outcome Of this energetic young gentlernan's
search for his masked divinity. It is a gay
romance, written with spirit.
Readers of Georgian memoirs have heard Of
Medmenham Abbey and its excessively festive
goings-on. Mr.. Pemberton takes the reckless
proceedings Of those old days for his point Of
departure. and relates the adventures Of the
mad young baronet who frequents the Abbey
to his own undoing When the tale opens Sir
Richard Escombe has turned his back upon
foolish dissipation and is doing his duty as an
officer of the King But at a critical moment
in his career he finds himself in the company
Of certain unredeemed roisterers and is be-
trayed into a situation which temporarily de-
etTOyS his chances with Kitty DulC1mOre. Ine
girl he loves He has. too. deadly enemy.
and this wicked wight never ceases to com
plicate Dicks troubles. Never swerving in his
fidelity to Kitty. ne is the less pushed by
every turn Of the wheel further and further
away from an understanding with her. Neither
he nor his lady love is precisely masterpiece
Of characterization. but the story Of the two is
sufficiently sprightiy and It is not without q
tfncture of that time in which Mr.. Pemberton
has laid his sentimental comedy.
Mr. Fred NJ. White is an adept at the faori-
cation of the mysterious "shocker-' He is
clever at the invention Of incomprehensible
incident to be placed in the forefront Of story.
When We open the book we discover the gor-
geous country house Of Samuel Flower. an
English shipowner. prosperous and hard
hearted. His niece. Beatrice Galloway. is seated
in the conservatory when lean brown arm Is
door When Sam Flower attracted by her
screams comes to the rescue. the owner Of the
intruding arm has disappeared but has left be-
hind him on the floor a cord exceedingly fine
and silky in texture and containing at intervals
five strangely complicated knots Of most in
trica1e pattern" One glance at this odd visit
ing card brings Mr.. Flower to the point Of col
lapse Why? That is Mr.. Whites secret-a
secret SO well kept chapter follows chapter
that the reader can only go breathlessly on
eager to po,!nce upon the solution Of the riddle.
A fine shivery yarn is THE Five Knots" the
very thing for an idle summers afternoon.