The sun., 1919-03-16

art and natural phenomena of his roman
tic country. What we feel, above all, il
these novels, then, is the romance of truth
The Dead Command is negation Of tn,
title-Los Maertos Mdndan. Through the
centuries the noble family of the Febrers
have been guided by the traditions of no
bihty, living and dying as BELTS their sta
ton. The last of the Febrers, the central
figure in The Dead Command, has squan-
dered his fortune, hypothecated his palace
and lands and is on the point of marrying
rich Jewess of low caste. He does not
love her; his intention is simply to recoup
his fortunes But-the dead command
1.-The living were nowhere alone; the
dead ever surrounded them, and as the
dead were more, infinitely more, they
weighed upon the living with the heavi-
ness Of time and of numbers No; the
dead did not depart, as the people
thought. The dead remained motionless
on the brink Of life, spying upon the new
generations, forcing upon them the au-
thority of the past with Il rude tug at the
soul whenever they tried to step out of the
beaten path"
Febrer unceremoniously breaks off the
intended union and leaves his native Ma
Jorca, going to the last remaining spot of
land which has not been sold, a lonely
tower in the island of Iyiza, where a
farmer and his family, former tenants.
take care of him. Fcbrer's love for the
beautiful daughter of the old farmer oc-
cuples the chief place in the book Marga-
Ida inspires the melancholy young man,
who has grown old too soon, with the first
genuine passion of his existence.
On the primitive little island, in the
midst of the peasants whom he has come
to know, Febrer gradually regains more
healthy outlook on life, aided as he is BY
the respectful and timid affection of Mar
galida. Some of the uOst picturesque
chapters are devoted to Febrer's love
making, IN company with the thirty native
youths who WOO iii the curiously formal
manner prescribed by the island tradi-
lions. Febrer II of course hated by his
rivals and distrusted by the farmer, who
can see no possible good in such a match.
The situation, skilfully built up and
deltly suspended through two-thirds of
the novel, is constantly threatening to take
a m@lodramatic turn; the novelist displays
prodiglous power in arousing curiosity
for, an event, and then with no less power
to satisfy that curiosity in a manner diff
ferent from what was expected. Only
once are we brought fact to face with a
romantic incident in the good old man
ner of Dumas and Stevenson. The post
ponements up to this point have served
only to whet the appetite
Among the suitors for the hand of Mar
galida Is a certain bravadO' called the
lronworker Febrer has gone to the lonely
forge IN the hills to seek out the obiec
tlonable fellow and at night the rival re-
turns the call. Febrer steps out:
Emerging suddenly from the darkness
OF his room tn the diffused clarity of the
sidereal light he saw the clump of bushes
near the tower and further on the dim
white farmhouse, and opposite stood the
black hump of the mountains piercing the
sky, In which fiickered the stars. This
vision lasted but an instant; he could see
no more. Suddenly two tiny flashes, two
serpents of fire leaped from the bushes.
one after the other, cutting luminous
streaks through the dark, followed BY two
almost simultaneous reDorts"
This time Febrer is scarcely touched.
But the visit is repeated, and Febrer is
severely wounded. Into the midst of his
new life comes letter from a friend in
Malorca; out of the tangle Of his affairs
there remains enough for Febrcr to return
TO his native town. Febrer believes that
his love for Margalida is hopeless, and he
determines to leave. The dead command.
Nothing but misfortune can come of his
madness.
The last night before he leaves is spent
in the solitude of the tower. As nc Is