Evening star., 1923-08-19

gin to travel backward over this
shining course of talk and action.
And by the time we come again upon
the title of the story 1t is clear that
the title is a two-faced affair, hiding
from the casual reader the real es-
sence of the matter-that Ivor Mar
lay was not the pirate after all
That, instead. this period of piracy
was filled with female marauders,
who, one and another land another
by the arts that no mere man can
match or Withstand, stole Ivor Mar
lay-not SO much because he was
weak, for he was not weak at all, but
rather by virtue of an aloof indiffer-
ence that at the outset would not
take the trouble to step aside from
these unfortunately seductive wom-
en- of fine methods and beautiful be-
haViors. A comedy of the moment
Nurned out in brilliant Subtlety of
personality.
THE TEMPTRESS, Bv Vicente Rlasco
lbanez. author of The Four Horse
men of the Apocalypse" etc. Trans
lated by Leo Ongley. New York:
T.. t. Dutton & Co.
Elena, heroine of the new Ibanez
romance. is a clear daughter of Eve,
seducer of the defenseless Adam. Ex-
cept for this difference. Eve led only
Adam astray, he being the only man
roundabout within the purlieuS of
Eden. Whereas Elena had the wide
world for her quarry. and one has to
admit that only mortal limitations
served finally to check the devastat-
ing course Of this new Ibanez lady
Old and young, tied or free as to the
marriage bond, .foreWarned or taken
by surprlSe-no matter, all alike were
caught within the snare of this en-
chantresS. From Paris to Patagonia
the story shifts along with the mi
gratlons of Elena. And the real rich
ness of the story lies in the sur
passing power of lbaneZ in his feeling
for locality, in his artistry with Lam
Scape and with the reaches of the
sea, in his human Interpretation of
what is called inanimate nature In
SumptuouS effect he here sets off
Paris against the barren tip of South
America, the old against the new, the
Sophisticate and smooth against the
moral man as we'll as kreat artist
with words. IbaneZ finally brings
Elena to the sorry bed of her own
long making. leaving one with a
haunting figure of misery and degra-
dation. to remind him of the ineyi-
table end of all the wicked Ewes and
HelenS and Elenas and other DESTROY
ers of helpless males throughout the
records of time.
THE DRAMA OF SIM FEM. Ry
Shaw Desmond, author of Gods"
etc. New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons.
Here Shaw Desmond stages the
drama of Sim F'ein. an old dream be-
coming reality through the medium
or new purpose that emerged, final
~. as concrete plan and organized
action. That which the general reader
gathered piecemeal from the press
about the activities of the Sim Fein
body this author presents as an or
Sanized whole-scenes gathered into
acts. acts combining to complete the
picture. And these one and all are
animated by the figures of Irishmen
made notable by. their espousal of
the Sim Fein cause. The curtain
llftS upon the Easter week uprising
and falls upon the treaty set up be-
tween England and Ireland. Between
these two there is an amazement of
vital event. an aStoniShment of in
formation bearing both directly and
indirectly upon the activities of Sim
rein, activities that ramify to far
ana unexpected points of contact and
cooperation. Mr. Desmond calls this
drama of Sim Fcin the story of Ire
land. most dramatic high light upon
the body and soul of the Irish people
An lriShman himself, the author holds
naturally. a place of high advantage
for tn" Interpretation of his people
one h"SitatcS 10 call any Irishman
diSpaSStonate, but in so far as this
is possible, one is inclined to give
this author credit for trying to attain
to Il state of calm disclosure and un-
biased portrayal of the period and the