New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-03
Literary .NesOs and Criticism

J 70 tate nossession of Rrevsgate Priory. With
the body Of her father lying upstairs, she reaUS
to the lawyer and the private secretary "ioii'
she finds in charge the letter in which NICK Ii00
told her of his domestic woes and of1ered iei
some advice to go with his millions. Perhaps
Miss Driver IS great in the caflous per AZ
ance Perhaps it is only the nervousness ana IN
experience of youth that we are to recognize In
her behavior We go on, anxious to do her JUS
tice and she presently gives US another taste u
her character. She is engaged TO marry an
honorable noboleman, well on In years ou' a'
the last moment she runs away Win d ooiii'
neering, Orson- like creature and lVes WITH nm
abroad. unmarried. until he is killed IN q auei'
Then she returns TO the county, bringing WIN
her a daughter c. Orsons and OF his W1e' anu
by dint of coercing with her money the noble
sutton she had thrown over, she succeeds III d
ranging a marriage between his son and the
girl lust mentioned Her role is to be that OF
Lady Bountiful bringing the county tc her
feet and making everybody happy, what time
she lives in the memory CT her slaughtered
lover and rubs along OF terms OF frlehoship
with the tame cat of a secretary who Is sup
posed TO tell the whole wondrous tale Perhaps
after all, we may call Miss Driver great
THE Emperor's Candlesticks" is a brightly
written romance companionable book for an
idle hour In it the heir to the Russian throne
is represented as suffering himself TO be lured
by an unknown masquerader at ball in Vienna
into the hands of a group of conspirators- These
desperate men have resolved To gain the free
dom of certain friends languishing at the mo-
ment in the dungeons of the Gar. They be-
Iieve that they can speedily attain their end
bv capturing the Czarewitch and holding him
as a hostage. Starting with an episode OF this
sort the story promises to be thrilling and even
81 iu M O1
to be grim She prefers to be light and fantas-
tic 10 have the fate of certain compromising
documents wrapped up with the fortunes of
certain pair of valuable candlesticks, and though
she keeps more or less serious issues in mind
she lays stress upon just the excitement of
fight and pursuit. 4 man and a woman. friends
in measure but ranged on opposite Sides are
both thrown into panic when the candlesticks
are stolen. Both fly up and down Europe on
the track of the precious objects. They take
the task hardly enough. but out of it the author
extracts high diversion. AS a piece Of sheer
entertainment the book is a distinctly creditable
performance.
The deadly gentleman whose exploits are
chronieled IN The Long Arm of Mannister' Is
deadly indeed. Prior to the opening of the first
Of the ten stories devoted to his transactions
he has, we gather, been very wickedly injured
by seven or eight Of his intimates. They have
robbed him. they have taken away his wife, and
they have altogether put themselves beyond his
forgiveness. Mr.. Mannister plans revenge. His
enemies may have deprived him Of large sums
of money, but he is still rich. and he has pro
digious resources Of character. With omlnous
calmness he draws up list of those whom he
wishes to punish, and in successive chapters
Mr.. Oppenheim shows us how diabohcally
adroit how irresistible, Mr.. Mannister could be
with his very long We do not believe in
him for the fraction OF a second. but we become
curious as 20 how his various problems will be
worked out and we follow him willingly enough
along his dark and dreadful path until he has
wiped out all his grudges