New-York tribune., 1909-11-13


artistic temperament loved romance
most when she could deck il in patrician
trappings. The draperies are little too
elaborate here: one feels the artihciality
Of this North Carolinian lord or the
manor Of the present day. with his ut
terly un-American ideals OF birth, based
on the usual genealogical WINDOW
dressing OF the Southern novel OF past
or present, and one wond In the END
that Katrine was willing TO marry him
after he had told her that so great a
gentleman as he could not stoop so SLOW
wonders even after all that the author
causes TO happen in ord that she may
bring them tvgether. But Katrine Is the
story, she and McDernott. Francis
DaveneI Is but a pupPet whose strings
the author pulls i'm order that his gyra-
tions may furnish the needed contrast.
In "The Game and the Candle' we
have another American who is drawn
into the dynestic and political plots OF
an eastern European country-an EN-
pire this time. whose ruler. his relatives
and advisers are 50 thinly disguised that
nobody can fail TO recognize them. Ihe
story has, however, the merit OF COM
parative novelty, in this that 1t is not
a matter Of conspiracies, hide-and-seek'
swords and pistols, but of battle or
wits, of loyalty and honesty pitted
against lust of power and deceit. From
the very first the story has original
features. fits American prologue reaching
from California 10 Ossining, the hero
turning criminal on the principle that
the end justifies the means, doubtful
ethical theory which the author in
dorses by rewarding him in the end,
considering a little punishment. ended by
another breach of the law. payment in
fun. The man redeenls himself worth
lily. however, forming the link between
the young ruler his mind torn by sus-
picion and poisoned whispers, and HIS
cousin, the regent of the realm during
his minority. The author is more intent
upon her story than upon the artistic
telling of il. Her book is good reading
matter for the hour; with serious appli-
cation she may well climb to a worthier
place in our current fiction than '"rhe
Game and the Candle can give her.
There Is less of substance IN Veronica
Piayfair," a romance OF powder and
patches. than can be found i'm several Of
It's predecessors from the sams pen
Mrs. Goodwin takes her heroine, young.
beautiful. Well born and poor, on the
familiar journey from a country home to
London and its social life, whence, al
most as a matter OF course, the girl pro-
ceeds TO Bath. 1t is like the Legion OF
Honor: few eighteenth century heroines
OF English fiction escape 1t. Swift.
! Pope. Gay, Bolrngbroke and Beau Nash
wander into her adventures, their poT-
/ traits being drawn merely in outline. 10
! be filled out by the readers previous
/ familiarity with them, the suppression
I made by these romantic figures being all
/ the fainter because the atmosphere of
/ the period. too, is but impsrfectly re-
] flected. one wonders. by tile way. If
! 'hctionsl license" quite justifes the
/ author in introducing Benjamin Frank
! lin into this company: they all had
~Sae the way Of the ilesh-all but
au Nash-bY the time the colonial
nnissioner for Pennsylvania reached
ndon. However, Ben has his common
Use ready for the heroine's perplex-
-cS. The fiction OF the tale, the ro-
+ ..auco Of Neronica's strange marriage
and the stranger situation that resulted
from il Tor her will sufice to entertain
Mrs. Goodwin's audience, however, espe-
! cially that portion Of il which is young.
II is not legitimate historical novel -
80 -
/ instead OF the here and now.
Mr. Lindsay is intimately familiar
with the ideals OF the days of chivalry
and troubadours, and gives in The Sew
cred Mantle picture OF them that is
| full Of their sunshine, with but little
heed OF the shadows, which were deem
and lay heavy on the land. He is no;
prose-poet, dexterous l..anipulator OF
archaisrns that strengthen the illusion
I but ne succeeds, in q more direct fash
Ion, IN creating an impression, for he has
enthusiasm as well as knowledge. There
is imagination, too. in the adroit intro
duction OF the legend OF ST. Benizet, Inc
goatherd who, led by a vision and sus-
tained by an unquestioning faith, built
his bridge across the Rhone, for THE
Severed Mantle" is. OF course. d tale oi
Provence; and there is no less adroit
indication OF the days OF preparation OF
the Juggler OF Our Lady. There art
courts OF love. and troubadour songs
and fair ladies-the LOFTY conception OF
love without desire that in reality va.
honored as often IN the breach as in tht
fulfilment, alas.-and jousts, and jeal-
ousies. d rescue of a dsmsel ia distress