New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-17
Novels by MIR. William De Nor
uan and Some Others.

& Co.
At THE VILLA ROSE. BY A. z. y y
Mason. Illustrates; Emo PIP
-,yr aE ~ or THE DESERT. Fy
zane Grey. Emo. PIP 'ess Harper q
Bros.
TgE LADY OF sHENIPsIT. BY Fred,
sr4ck P. Ladd- ILLUSTRATED ted % Sc. 80.
Grant ferao pp- 3S5- Inc StnrsE q
Walton COMPANY
FI.AMsTED cUARNES. b Mary NJ =
Waller illustrated by . Pe,rlch -,
san. 12nao. =sa Boston L''''s' 7'V"' "
DEEP IN THE PINEY WOODS, By :.
" Church Illustrations by ". Io",
O1silsv Emo, rp. Sos ihoiia
~roweu a. &C.
Mr. De Morgan is a man OF suTp' 'SeS'
He astonished the world when ne pup
iished Joseph vance"-for there II d.
ways something astonishing aoout i
work of genius when IL first sVTlTls INTO
or s5en.-and now he pretty nearly taxes
o11r breath away with An AFFAIR OF us
honor" II is simply that the DOCK Is 50
different so utterly unlike anything
that even the most wildly speculative OF
readers might have expected every
author IS known. more or less, pE the
World through which he lets his inag1-
nation range. and Mr.. De Morgan had so
identified himself with certain period
in modern English life that his whole
spirit had seemed inseparable from VIC
.,rtsn types and ways. But behold! ID
An Affair of Dishonor" he recites a re-
rnence of Restoration days, a tale OF
love making and Dwelling, of old man
rers end older superstitons. and the
transition is so sharp that l. gives one
something like n shock. Who could have
dreamed that Mr. De Morgan would ever
embark in this galley? one ruhs his
ewes and turns. not unamused, TO anai-
,-sis Of the odd situation.
Tho first discovery to repay reflection
x 2 very pleasant one. namely. that MT
he Norgau's craftsmanship has not de-
serted him upon this curious venture
He * still the leisurelv narrator and
eth the ster Of q very wholesome
kind Of sentiment. but. what Is even
more 70 the point. nc shows again that
he knows now 10 adjust his manner 10
the Substance Of his story- Since that
substance is more conventionai-the
same that has eerved the authors OF I'M
mum t,ere5 rc147ances-ve miss = GOOD
dast IF his r-orlted charm, and 2 cor
reernndine loss is felt. Of course, IN his
STYLE But at least it is greatly to ms
credit that. having undertaken 10 enron
icle an old drama Of the English coun-
frvside. he has fitted it with lust the
right garments. eschewins mawkishness'
hl,Ister and such like fustian. ana
achieving verisirrilitude in easy. natural
fashion. As for his plot. y is COM
ro1Jnded of the good old-fas hloned ele-
nents which beguils us like those OF
picturesque legend. This is tale
saws the author. mot p homily. and II
does not i'm the least matter that the
leading parsonage should he described
quite Justly, as morally on par with
tho fouIest human vermin that ever
cursed Gods Garth Neither are we at
all disturbed because Sir oliver, in the
very first chapter, goes wickediy about
the shaving Of the father Of the woman
who has given him her heart Without
this crime there would be no story. and
in An Affair Of Dishonor' it is, above
all things. the story that counts
Character is not. to be sure, altogether
neglected. but if is of mild interest COM
pared with the questions as to how long
the murderer viii keep his Lucinda in
ignorance of his deed. and whether or
4 not he is ever to get his comeuppance.
How the sinister tale is worked out
what happens to Oliver and what to
Lucinda are mysteries which We leave
the reader to pursue for himself. All
that ne need add is that the pursuit is
worth while. An Affair Of Dishonor'
viii have been long forgotten when 10
seph Vance" is still being reprinted. but
among the tales of the moment it cuts
Z respectable figure
II was, perhaps, 10 be expected that a
novelist like Iii. Mason. SO skilful in the
framing OF plot. should sooner or later
enter the field Of detective fiction. He
has done so TO good purpose. producing
2 very entertaining story in his At the
Villa Rose" This tale is rather oddly
divided into two parts, one carrying on
the action and the other giving the nee
cssary explanations. The result is a
faint suggestion OF anticlimaX. Interest
slackens a little where it ought to be
heightened. Yet AT the Villa Rose"
remains a good BIT of work for the char
acters in il are cleverly drawn, and,
what is even better in q book of
the sort. the murder mystery is a little
more than mysterious Deeply involved
in il is 4 pretty young woman against
whom evidence is piled up in such wise
that her ultimate conviction seems alb
solutely certain Fortunately, however
We have to reckon with NJ. IIanaud, q
French detective. with none of the man
nerisTns Of Sherlock Holmes. but some
thing OF his genius. The story moves at
= snift pace, and is developed in the
style Of an author Who has always been
: fastidioUs craftsman. II makes = cap
ital afternoons reading
II would be unprofita Bile. and perhaps
unjust. to try - inquire too infinitely
into the components that go 70 the MAX
ing If the strong grip which Mr.. Zane
frreE-s Heritage of the Desert" takes
upon fhe reader, The Arizona desert
just beyond the Utah boundary line =.
Mormon patriarch. his ranch with it's
cattle and sheep Hunger from the
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.