The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-03
"lfer Ladyship's Conscience.

BY Ellen Thorncycrofl Fowler
George IL. Doran Company.
While Her Ladyship's Conscience"
the latest novel by the Honorable Mrs.
Alfred Laurence Feikin. whose pen
mans is Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler.
bears general family resemhia nee.
AS IL were, to Concerning Isabel Car
naby," The Farringdons." Fuel Of
Fire" and several other books by this
clever woman. tho likeness is y carica-
ture, at worst, and only a rather weak
form OF sclf-imta ton at best
"A was tho case With her earlier
Notwithstanding Isabel Carnaby'
was published III 1S9S--the best bits
those descriptive OF the humber fol-,
In the story. whose dialogue ESPECIALLY
So handled with u quaint and irresis
tible humor. There is also moro than
little of tho bright, epigrammatic
wit that abounded IN tina best-seller
OF It's DAY. In this book, as In that,
nearly all the well-born characters are
phrase-makers. who toss or elaborate
and, II must be confessed, sometimes
involved brilliancies.
But IL fs all mechanical I5von when
the housekecper's room Is entered, one
almost hears the guido say. Now, we
VIII have another FUNNY scene" while,
the witness OF the principal char
acterS In tho story, all lords and Ia
dies OF high degree, IS frequently
strained and stretched out tenuously.
Then tho story itself ia as obvious
az one OF those In the invaluable Par
ents Assistant" and hardly more in
teresting to adulta. except az Its pro-
Gress permits of the Interpolation of
smart eayinSs. and that IL concerns
nundry members OF tho English no.
bility.
Her Ladysh,p" is Lady Esther. for
~. unmarried. and the daughter OF
\ the Dowager Countess Of Westerhnrn
Owing to unexpected deaths and a
timely accident In the hunting field
what an extremely useful property is
the hunting held,--the tito and es-
taSs descend to q distant cousin, who
Is d Journalist" Contrary to the
iearA OF the Countess, Lady Esther and
OF hex sister, the Duchess of Mershire
the neW earl, whose Christian name Is
'noffenSively Wilfred. proves to be a
thoroughly nice chap. though he is
somewhat "stodgy" as he is later
called by his young relative. the Mar
GUS Of Tamford, and he has tho good
taste 10 fell In love with Lady Esther
Snc cannot withstand his attractions
and she PROMISES to marry him. But,
at the height of her found han
piness, She remembcrs that sho is
Twelve years older than he. and here
hcf conscience enters and plays havoc
esther diacaids him. and. carried
stili further b. Ter conscience, throws
IN ms wey the beautiful Beryl. with
tie inevitable story-book result. With
tho equally inevitable result OF fic-
ton-fate, Berry, makes him very miser-
aoie: caring. as shs does. for nothing
III inc world but olothes, abstract ad-
miratfon and position She Is even an un-
natural mother. Ills all pretty black for
Wilfred and for Esther. though Eeryl
manages to enuse herscIf innocentiy
enough, II quite uselegs!y.
But the author has card up her
sleeves, wh'ch. u memory serve has
been played before. but which still re-
mains effective at tho psycholouIcaI
moment She simply stages Z fatal mo
tor accident--fatai to Eeryi. but con.
venient enough for Wnfred ana FOR
Esther. who, morhid,y good though
che is, weds Wilfred after n. 1an.a
oe one year.
Esther Is almost in9onsibly GRATED;