SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2337, 19 December 1914, Page 12

SOME RECENT FICTION.

"THE AUCTION BLOCK.' 1 Forsaking, temporarily at least, his lavourite background' of Alaska, Mr. Rex Beach, in his latest novel, "Tho Auction Block" (Hodder and Stoughton, per Whitcombe and Tombs), gives Us a well-drawn picture of the darker side of theatrical life in New York. His heroine, Loreloi' Knight, a beautiful, meagrely educated, Dut naturally clever girl, comes to the city with her parents, who from the first, aided by the girl's brother, one of the most odious young men I think I have ever come across in latter-day fiction, de- > liberately set out to trade upon their daughter's beauty. Her virtue they regard chiefly as an asset in tho scheme of attracting a wealthy husband. As to the girl's own affections, comfort, convenience, to say nothing of iher honour —all these are not taken into account by this utterly disgusting trio. Lorelei joins the musical comedy stago, and a very ugly if, cleverly realistic picture it is that the author draws of the life led_ by the American professional beauties who "walk on" in the lighter stage productions,. and who attract to the coulisses, to expensive restaurants, and to fashionable modistes, and jewellery stores, their vicious or simply silly admirers. The girl is sorely tempted, but her natural good sense, plus a strain of the parental cunning, keeps her from ruin, and steers her into the desired haven or a wealthy marriage, although her unwittingly odious father and mother fully believe that she has, on the contrary, committed the unpardonable betiseof wedding a stupid and disinherited young wastrel. There, is both tragedy and comedy in the story, which proves that its author has no need to go to the frozen north to find, sensation, and that he is quite as much at home on "The Great_ White Way" of New York as ho was. in his earlier stories, on the "Great White Trail" which led to Klondyka. r

PETT RIDCE'S LATEST* The alien immigrant in the East End of London would hardly seem to be a very popular figure, even in fiction, at the present time, but the youthful hero of Mr. Pett Ridge's capital story "The Happy Recruit" (Methuen and Co.) is, fortunately for the author, of Polish, not of German, birth. Tho novelist has evidently had in view _ the contrasting of the good and evil sides of the vast invasion of the East End by alien hordes from northern and north-east-ern' Europe, and although, his general method involves an accentuation of the humorous side of London life, the graver phases of the alien problem are indirectly, but none the loss shrewdly The youthful hero, Carl Siemens, is left an orphan—so he imagines—by tho death of his mother, and as guardian and supporter of a baby sister,' the lad has, for a time, a desperately hard struggle for bare existence. But Carl Siemens, otherwise, as he becomes when he proudly takes out his naturalisation papers, Charles Simmonds, has grit in him, and puts hia board school education, plus his natural wits and industry, to such good purpose that we leave nim on the hnal page a rich and respected London citizen, and, I'll warrant, as loyal and true a Britisher, in all but birth, as His Majesty could wish to have as a subject. The author is as humorous as ever in his pictures of work-a-day London life, and there is a touch of genuine pathoß in the little lad's devotion to his sister, who develops into a flirtatious and rather "trying" young damsel for any fraternal guardian to watch over: "The Happy Recruit" should not be missed by those who like stories with a purely Cockney, background.

MARIA. From the clever pen which gave u* the "Pam" stories we have come to expect amusing light comedy, with, in particular, some very pleasant' lovemaking. Just now, however, a hers with a German name, even if he happens to be allied to British royalty, is scarcely likely to receive a warm welcome. And truth to tell, H.H. Prince Augustus of Zeeland, who, as plain "Mr. Frederick," woos the heroine of the Baroness Von Hutten's novel "Maria" (Hutchinson and Co., per Whitcombo and Tombs), is such a selfish, conceited follow that, when in the long, run, he prefers the throne of Sarmania to marriage with the pretty English girl, most readers of the story will feel pleased rather than disappointed. An eccentric old Polish musician/ is the best-drawn character in the book. '"THE CATE OF ENGLAND." Morice Gerard, the author of "The Gate of England" (Hodder and Stoughton; per S. and W. Mackay),' is at his best in historical romance, arid his latest novel is just as readable as its many predecessors. Tho period is that of Elizabeth's _ reign, the hero a gallant young British sea captain, who serves under Drake, and whoso love of adventure leads him, in company with a mariner comrade, into tho hands of the cruel Duke of Parma. Tho comrades aro only rescued from a Spanish prison through Drake's capture of two highly placed Spaniards, one of whom is Parma's fostor brother. A pleasant love story providos a secondary and seutikmental interest.

"MONSIEUR DE ROCHFORT." In "Monsieur Do Koehfort, a Romance of Old Paris" (Hutchinson and, Co.: per Whitcmnbe and Tombs), Mr.' H. Do Voro Stacpoolo provides an excellent historical romance, with a daredevil young coiirtier as hero of a drama in which figure the shameless Dubarry and her equally infamous husband. Do Sartines, the Grand Monarque's chief of police, tho intriguing and selfish Due de Choiseul, and other famous members of tho royal court of Louis the Fourteenth, aluo figuro in the story. ; Do Pvochoforfc becomes involved in a dan<

gerous plot, and is imprisoned in the grim donjon of Vincennes, his escape therefrom being very cleverly managed. In tho end the gay and gallant adventurer, thoroughly disillusioned as to the wiles and insincerity of the court ladies, retires to the country, to marry a girl of the people, to whoso fidelity and ardent love he owes his life. A capital story, worthy of Stanley, Weyman, or of Dumas himself. "THE LAUGHING CAVALIER. 1 " The Baroness Orozy is to be congratulated upon the ingenuity with which she has identified the original of Franz Hals's famous picture, "The Laughing Cavalier" with an ancestor of that gallant, and now, to novel readers, very familiar hero, who figures so prominently in the well-known "Scarlet Pimpernel" stories. The scene of her new story, "The Laughing Cavalier" (Hodder and Stoughton; per Whitcombe and Tombs), is laid in Haarlem in the early 'twenties of the seventeenth century. Miss Marorie Bowea has dealt recently with the same period, but in her books tho interest is more strictly historical than, as is the case with the Baronesß Orozy'e novel, personal and romantic. Gilda Beresteyn is a fascinating heroine and' the story goes with a fine swing throughout.

"BEHIND THE PICTURE." In "Behind the Pioture" (Ward. Lock and Co.: per Whitcombe and Tombs), Mr. M. M'Donnell Bodkin provides a really good mystery story, the plot of which hangs upon the theft of a picture, a genuine "Old Master," from an Irish country house. With the mystery of the stolen picture is entangled the romance of a very pleasant young pair of lovers. The villain of the piece is a real live earl, and the hero a clever young Irishman, who, with a natural taste for art, wins fame and fortune, not as a painter,_ but by the far more profitable occupation of a dealer in pictures and articles of "bigotry and virtue." A good readable story, which even a clumsily introduced—luckily towards the end—bit of pure melodrama fails to spoil.

WORLD'S END. , Amelie Rives (Princess Troubetzoy) is a. clever American novelist, who has in "Tho World's End" (Hutchinson and Co., per Whitcombe and Tombs) written a long and interesting story, none the less readable for the striking improbability of its main incident. The heroine's cousin, a thoroughly good fellow, loves the young lady in ■« fraternal, guardian-liko way, and when the girl falls a victim to a selfish young "decadent" artist, fresh from Paris, where he had been studying the worst side of life and art, he chivalrously marries her, arranging the matoh with consummate delicacy. In the end true love repays him for his _ ohivalry. Handled awkwardly, the delicate central situation might have been repellant, but the author's olever combination of sentiment and realism pulls an almost impossible plot safely through.