SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2635, 4 December 1915, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION

"DAYBREAK." A new historical novel, from the pen of that clever American author, Elizabeth Miller, whose earlier stories, "The Yoke" and "Saul of Tarsus," achieved no small popularity, is entitled "Daybreak" (C. Scribner's Sons; per T. C. Lothian). "Daybreak" is a romance of Spanish history, the period chosen being the reign of the famous Ferdin- ' and and Isabella, the reign which witnessed two groat episodes—the Fall of Granada and the discovery of America. The necessary sentimental interest is provided by the love story of a beautiful' young girl, Aritonia da Aragon, and a noble young Spaniard whom the heroine, masquerading as a page, rescues from a Moorish prison. The King had arranged lior marriage with the Conde de Larin of Navarre, and the lady's opposition to tho proposed match and the'means she employs to thwart the royal will involve her in a tangled web of intrigue and adventure, the much-dreaded Inquisition playing a part, in her troubles; 'Apart from the purely romantic side of tlio story, it is well worth reading for the warmth of its finely' historical colour. Such notabilities; as Columbus and do la, Vega play ,mor,e or less leading parts in a story ■ which is narrated in a vigorously and unfailingly interesting style. Altogether, "Daybreak", is'one of tho best historical romances I hayo come across for some time past; and affords an agreoable change from tho purely topical fiction of tho^day. ~ T i THE ENCHANTING DISTANCE. . Mrs. Lilian Arnold; whose fine story of.Cornish life, "The Storm, Dog," may bo' remembered, has followed ip her first success by another excellent novel, though in a different . vein, entitled "The Enchanting Distance" (John Long). Her heroine, Pat (short for the Honourable- Patricia) Case, is a very lovely and fascinating -young person whose objection to a humdrum and conventional, though luxurious, existence, bads 'her into some sad scrapes, sorely troubling her solid, energetic millionaire guardian, John Raggett, one of those quiet, strong men so beloved by lady novelist. Becoming a member of a semi-Bohemian artistic and literary club in Chelsea —a milieu rather overworked, by the way, of. late, by the novelists—she imagines herself in love with a down-at-hcels unacted dramatic author, named Blagrovp, and agrees to create the leading part in his unwritten play. As a matter of fact, Blagrove is ; a man of no _ creative ability, and long before the play—which, by the way,...is not' 'his at all—is produced, and turns out to be a ghastly failure, poor ,Pat has been rudely disillusioned. Mrs., Arnold, however, might surely have imagined some better way of getting the silly, but well-meaning, rate, an the French call men of t'he Blagrove type, out of the way, than by making linn shoot himself. Pat ends up by marrying , her millionaire, really a very "good fellow. I '"'' The lleroino and other female characters in the story are cleverly drawn, but' Mrs. Arnold is less successful with their male friends and associates., The s»ory,- however, is. brightly written and makes pleasant reading.' THE YELLOW CLAW. Unless I am much mistaken, Mr. ■Sax Bohmer, author of "The Yellow Claw" (Methueri and-Co.), has invented a character who, like the once-fa-mous- Dr.', Nikola, is destined to reappear -.in moro than .one-, new story from, his oi'eator's pen. The curious thing, about Mr.' Roliiher's villain is that' no.;ohe ever ■ succeeds in- actually seeing him for more than a minuto or two, and although tho opium den-do-luxo which the mysterious "Sir. King" —a Chinaman—runs in the East End of-London, is finally broken up, -and somo at least of his crimes are >lis r covered, the chief offender not only succeeds in making his escape, but leaves a clever Parisian detective, and -an equally clever representative of Scotland, Yard, as. much befogged as to his identity' and appearance as they are 'when they first commence'to 'nvestigato' his misdeeds. There are . more thrills to the chapter .in Mr. Rohmer's story than in any book of the kind I have read for some time past.

THE GREAT UNREST. Miss F. E. Mills Young, Vhosc "Grit Lawless," "Atonement;" "Sam's Kid," arid .other..South" African stories have been so popular, gives us a,new and interesting novel in "The Great Unrest" (John Lane, per D. 0. Ramsay and Co.). The hero, Draycott Arthur Manners, is familiarly known amongst his family circle and-friends as' Dam. He is the son of a baronet, who loses tho bulk of ■his fortune,_ the .young man thereupon adopting a journalistic career. Ho goes out to _ Johannesburg to join the staff of-a • Socialist paper, and becomes entangled in a lovo affair with a married lady, an experience which at one timo threatens to end in tragedy. ' After playing, a more or less prominent rolo m the Labour troubles which culminated, in tho'rioting on the Rand, he rereturns to England, where he marries a- very charming girl, a relative, but the war breaks out, and he goes off to the trenplies, where, alas, a German bullet puts ail .end to a career which was really only beginning to ripen into usefulness .and ..happiness out of mere "drifting." ~ The story, which, despite an, appearance of the denouement being so pathetic, well maintains its author's reputation. the wife who all too soon becomes a widow, is a delightful character, and the Johannesburg local colour is excellent. CREEN EYES.

The Balkans are bad enough in real life. In fiction I have long been weary of their intriguing rulers and tho romantic and impossible heroes thev have provided for novels of the lluritanian type. In "Green Eyes" (Hodder and Stoughton; per S. and W. Macltay), Miss Doris Egerton Jones, an Australian writer whoso first novel, "Tho Piper," was so well received, fails to invest her characters with ail air of reality, Her heroine is a South Australian school teacher, who falls in love, on a steamer, with ,a mysterious gentleman, Mr. Breda, whoso "mouth of perfect scarletnoss" makes the young lady ready to "die of envy," and who also rejoices in tho possession of a skin of "light golden colour," "the most fascinating freckles on tho backs of 'his fingers," etc., etc. Mr. Breda is none other than the heir to a principality which is afterwards ■ incorporated in Montenegro, and before he marries his Australian wife, the lovei-B have to so through a long sories of highly romantic experiences. The story, 'however, .as a whole, is somewhat disappointing,,

THE PERPETUAL CHOICE. Morgan le Fel is the curious name of the heroino of Miss Constance Cottereil's cleverly-written and amusing novel, "Tho Perpetual Choico" (Methuen and Co.). She is a young lady of keen wits and high spirits, and when she is left almost penniless sho sets out to fight the world with a positively gay heart. She joins forces with anotner equally unconventional young lady, a musician, and writes, first, short storiei and then a novel, tho experiences of ths pair in London lodgings being described with much dry humour. Three intruding males enter into Morgan's life, an extremely artful step-sister robbing her of her first love, ner second being a brutal and decidedly unpleasant follow, whose real character sho fortunately discovers in, time to prevent her unhappiness. The third, whom she marries, and who. of course, s-he cominces herself is the one man in tho world to whose arms fate had all through been calling her, is engaged to a pretty but shallow-brained young lady. But Morgan, who had romantically decided upon a policy of renunciation, i 6 assisted to happiness by a very delightful and resourceful old maid, Miss Hesamer —one of the best characters in a 'story in which well drawn figures are by no means few—and she well deserves her good fortune. The author's style is sprightly, and tho dialogue is unfailingly bright and in places very witty.