New-York tribune., 1919-04-19
Arthur Somers Roche
Tells Rapid Tale Of
Spy, Intrigue and Love

OPy' Intrigue anu Love
TIE EYES OF THE BLIND" BY Arthur
Somers Roche. George II Doran Com
pany 322 pages. Price $50 net
a novel by Arthur 5omers Roche is
almost certain to be stripped for &C.
ton. The Eyes Of the Blind" fol.
lows the rule established in Loot,
hanSon and the rest. deems stared
At the door, the new yarn begins
and catches up it's speed immediately
SENS TO be an attempt at burglary
Before The second page a man has
dleG under peculiar circumstances, and
with the end of the chapter a bafT,ine
mystery has been set up for the author
70 play with. There are certain dis
advantages TO the running start Of a
hoche novel. A brcakneck pace hav-
.Ag been established from the outset
1t must be maintained. Hence the
reader VIII have to dispense with any
thlng but the mcrcst hint as to the
appearance of the various characters
IN the book and he must get along
without any description Of the place 5
to which their adventures take them.
A little psychology may be expected.
At some points in the story the hero
may be allowed to pause in order to
wonder whether the heroine is an
American spy pretending to be q Ger
man spy or German spy pretending
to to be an american spy pretending to
the psychology will be simple We
can't remember that there is any de-
scrlptlon whatsoever of the appearance
Of Deems, the hero, but we are told
IN the first chapter that he is a news
paper reporter, and later on he accom-
pllshes sufficient number of feats
of daring to be set down as being we'll
Knit. Probably the reader can model
the man to suit herself As like as
not she will say to herself "Why,
this Deems is a regular Douglas Fair
banks and then all the Responsibility
IS off the authors shoulders Per-
haps it is just as we'll that he drew
no comprehensive picture of the hero
1t might have restricted the imagina-
ton of the readers.
more serious fault which is likely
to crop up in the writing OF
breakneck novel is the fact that
every now and then the author
viii find himesclf called upon for
sible. In "The Eyes Of the Blind" for
instance, Roche kills d character in
the first act who is vital!y needed for
the development cF the plot later on
/. must be admit 3 that the author
allows the hero t' q. 4 the question
which is in every readers mind.
"Why aren't you dead?' Deems in
qulres, and the man who previously died
OF apopleNy before our very eyes replies
with simple audacity. "Suspcnded AMI
mation.' With this explanation the
story goes on Later there is another
character whose actions seem to be
justified by no rational explanation
and her case is disposed of with "Shc
!ust went nutty, that's all THE
Eyes OF the Blind contains an ample
number of istencics and improb-
abilities, but only one or two Of the
most fragrant ones catch the attention.
The pace Of the story is fast enough
to cover up all the rest. Nobody
could possibly crowd more action into
322 pages than Roche has done in this
story OF reporter, a German spy, a
pro German editor who turns patriotic
in thc nick of time and heroine who
Is loyal to both hero and country from
the beginning HEYWOOD BROUN.
FLOWER o. or , TIE LILY a Romance # Old Gam
$50. George ii. Doran Company
BY the author who stirred our mag
nations with The Scarlet Pimpernel,"
this new romantic novel from her
facile pen takes the reader back to the
days Of the weak and prof1gate Fran
cois Herculc, Duke d'Alencon and
d'Ani iou-own brother to Henry III, Of
France, and the lovely Margaret Of
Navarro. Against Il background rich
in the colorful paecantry ef MEDIEVAL
chivalry and political intrigue where
knights still were bold and ladies al
ways lovely, Baroness Orczy depicts
the valiant struggle of Cambrav and
the Netherlands to avert Spanish do
minion by affecting an alliance with
France.
Margaret, entertaining an unreason-
ing love for the indolcnt Francois, even
while admitting his Weaknesses, seeks
to coercc him into accepting the SOW
crclgnty of the united provinces Of
the Netherlands, which cnvoys from
Flanders and Cambray offer him. But
Francois, secretly covctng a marriage
with Elizabeth of England, and tho
power which such an alliance would
mean, stubbornly holds out against his
sisters pleading, on the ground that
acceptance of the Netherlands involves
marriage with Jacqueline de Broyart
maid and hciress of Flanders, whose
beauty he has heard extollcd but never
seen.
Finally, on the promise that he may
masquerade for two weeks in Cambray
and make the acquaintance of JacQue-
line, while being himself incognito, he
consents to Margaret's entreates. And
then, on the eve of departure, changes
his mind and dashes off to rendez-
vous in Paris, leaving one Giles de
Crohin, Sire dc Froidmont, to make
peace with Margaret. How Giles.
against his will, agrees to aid the
lovely Queen by impersonating Fran
fols IN Cambray, how he comes to love
Jacqueline in spite of a determined
effort 10 resist her charm, and how he
holds Cambray against the Spanish
host under Duke Parma and stands
ever between the cowardly and sensual
Francois and dishonor, occupy the re-
mander of the novel.
Shilfully and with q sure historical
background, the author weaves q fabric
OF political intrigue in which de Lands.
Spaniard and rival for the hand of
Jacquclinc, stands out with sinister
reality. Giles de Crohin srash-
buckler and cavalier, who combines
breeding and power with keen wit, an
audaclous etfrontery, and valiant de-
termination to uphold the honor of
France, difficult though the task, is a
man who wins the interest and admira-
ton Of the reader. Margaret of Ma
varre, compelling and brilliant, help
less before Francois's final duplicity, is
well and COnVlnCinglV drawn Nor en