Evening star., 1926-02-18
I love the last one the best of all.",

II love the. last one the best of all. y
once popular song declared. The
ditty referred to girls. of course, but
the sentiment applies equally well to
the historical romances Of Alexandra
Dumas, the elder.
Whichever one of these stories one
| reads. he is likely to arise from its
perusal with the feeling that 1t is the
best one of the long lot turned out by
| this writer.
Finishing "The Conspirators." some
times called after the name Of the hero
LIE Chevalier ID Ilarmental," the read
er IS amazed to find 1t am, instead
of the 10 pm. which he believed it to
be.
Such is the power of narration pos
sessed by Dumas that minutes pass on
wings and one becomes a child again
returning to the wonderful days when
Treasure Island" was a place, not q
story.
Recently in this column a descrip
lion was given Of the Street Of Lost
Time. the locale Of much Of the action
in THE Conspirators." Since that time
we have finished this novel and have
no hesitancy in recommending it as
one of the very best of Dumas stories
In character drawing and local color
1t far surpasses such a thriller as
Marguerite de Valois." In which the
terrible Catherine de Medici plies her
nefarious business of poisoner, with
her own children as victims.
The latter story, after all, Is rather
nightmare than a vigorous action
tale. The pitch is struck by the poison
motive and is never altered. AS In a
dream, the various members of the
royal household. each plotting to seize
the throne, demand the entire re
sources of the author.
Hence, in Marguerite de Valois'
Dumas secured tense narrational in
terest at the expense of color and
| truth. He gives little idea Of the mas
sacre OF st. Bartholomew. allowing
himself to be greatly outdone by our
own Stanley Weyman.
+ y =
In "The Conspirators," however, Du.
mas gave himself time and canvas
enough to describe. to portray. to
elaborate character.
Therefore, his picture of the dashing
cavalier, Raoul DHarmental, Is true
to the period, when a man might be
every sort of scoundrel, but would
keep his pledged word even unto death.
Ills portrait of the lovely Bathilde
ward Of Jean Beuvat. grips the heart
OF the reader, SO that his greatest wish
In all the world. as he comes to the
closing chapters, Is that this young
lady may be made happy.
His characterization Of the worthy,
simple Beuvat, who did sublime acts
by instinct. at which more intelligent
men might have stumbled, takes it's
place in the immortal gallery OF char
acters in which D'Artagnan holds first
place.
Instead of resting content with tell
ing gripping narrative. Dumas here
draws characters with sure strokes, 80
that these men and women become
real to us.
Contrast the character NJ. de la
Mole, in Marguerite de Valois," with
that OF TIE Chevaner D'Harmental.
The former is a straw figure. the latter
that of a man.
1t is only in the terrible closing chap
ters of the first book that one works
up any particular interest In M. de la
Mole, whose characterization as a
flop" by Prince Francois the reader
heartily agrees with. And even then
the sympathy comes by means Of the
awful torture to which the innocent
young man is subjected.
In THE Conspirators'' all is diff
ferent.
Here, with sure hand, Dumas gives
us a real story that ranks with the
worlds greatest. 1t would be absurd