SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 44, 15 November 1919, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

Tho New "Conrad." A new "Conrad" is an event, of some importance-lor an ever-widening circle of fiction-lovers. With "Chance" aud "Victory" .ur. Conrad won a new public which either had not known, or had tailed lo appreciate suck masterpieces as "Altnavers Fully," "Lord Jim," and "The Nigger of the Narcissus." It; will ho interesting to sea' how t'nese new admirers, who were, 1 fancy, attracted more l>y Hit; romantic luvuirot "Victory" than by its line psychological quality, will like Mr. Conrad's latest novel, "The Arrow of Gold" (T. Fisher Unwin). I am afraid many uf them may lijid the leading figure, Dona Rita, a Spanish beauty with a past, just a trilio too sluidoivy a figure to be attractive. The fame adjective may be applied, I fancy, to the hero, for tho motives and actions of Monsieur George, a young Englishman of !(ood family and some wealth, who devotes himself to the cause oi' Don Carlos, and uo.'.i sonn.- ns>;y gun-running vork in the .Mediterranean, are not always very easy to understand. His enthusiasm m the causa of Den Carlos is tar less pronounced than that lor the beaux yeux of Dona Rita, and even that lady's devotion to the Carlist cnu« is insuliieientlv explained by the fact that the Spanish Pretender had once ufi'ered her the "honour" uf an unlawful alliance. Dona Rita's past, as the mistress i f a wealthy art connoisseur, and a "que?n of beauty" in Paris, is scarcely such as would make tier the sort of woman to Kill a victim i.. a "grand.' passion" for such an apparently colourless person as Monsieur licorge, who really wins her— ior an all 100 brief honeymoon in Italy— by rescuing h?r from the half-murderous, l-all'-ainorous attack of a. semi-insane Spaniard, who had been her playmate and persecutor in yjiithlul days. Whether Mr. Conrad conveys such an impression in', cut kindly or not, one ..annnt, of wane, say, but Dona Rita will seem, I tear, to maay readers ol the buol; to be a very heartless beauty, and they may share "Liber's" conclusion that alter all, the young Englishman, when once he recovers from the results of his duel willi his rival, Captain Blunt, an American soldier of fortune, who is al.-o mysteriously mixed up in tho Carlist movement, is to be congratulated upon tli ■ fuel that, his ladylove has disappeared. In one of the minor ligu res in 1 In- story. Bona Rita's elderly peasant sister. a narrow-minded devote, a born miser, and, on (ic.-iisions, a fi:st-t-In>s termagant, Mr. Conrad h;i< drawn a character io whom shell an adjective as "shadowy" can never lightly apply. Tlieres.-, with her varying uiiiads of puritanical picly ami almo-'i. passionate jealousy, her petl.v meannesses, and vindictive spilefulness, is as grim ami lurbidding ami iintor-

gettnble a figuro as one of tho Notro tianio gargoyles in a Mcryou etching. As tor the literary style of the story it must come as a positive joy and sheer delipht to all who love English prose of t he finest quality. There are passages in this story, the scene of which is laid mainly in Marseilles, the period being tho seventies ol the last century, which P.f°. v| j—vcro further proof necessary, which it is not—that Joseph Conrad, despite tho fact that he is a Polo by birth, isl a consummate master of the liuiguago ?, , ,m -""'opted country. "The Arrow of uokl may soem to lo ho replete ,v '.;' a .". llosl| y atmosphere, to deal more vntn visionary rathot than real figures. Hut Jiotv beautiful aro some of 1 ho visions, how delicate and delightful tho general eftect of the fabric as a whole! Encoro Fantomas, 1 hat mysterious and elnsivo criminal, Taiitoma.i, makes yet, another reappearance in "A Koyal Prisoner" (Stanley I aul and Co.). The elever collaborators, "lerro Souveslro and Marcel Allain, also revive two other figures who have been prominent in previous volumes of tho I'untoiuas'' series, to wit, I'andor, the vonng I'ansiiin journalist, and Juve, tho i.el,ceti\;e. The new story commences with a neculiariy horrible mumer, of •which none other than a royal pcrsonaee. Frederick Christian 11, King of Hesse-\\ einiar, is for a time, suspected ot having been the perpetrator. The hina disappears and tho adventurous candor sets to work, in conjunction with his old iri"nd, Juve, to solve what is now a double mystery. At every stage, however, they aro thwarted by the cunning Fantomas. whose fertility in inventing nnd rapidity in adopting new disguises make him ft champion "quickchange' artist among criminals. The scene is ini<v alternately in Paris and a small t.iermnn town, and needless to say sensation follows sensation with bewildering swiftness. A new character is introduced in tho person of a German court detective, a most amusing individual. who provides some excellent light eomedv. The clever old .sleuth hound, ■Inve. tracks Fantomas to Germany and n/jCiv rn Paris, where tho defective arrues nift in lime to rescue bis friend ana muKirstmly, the adventurous Functor, from a horrible death-trap, in which lift has boon imprisoned by the villain nf twee. As usual, however, the tinal ciupter leaves Fantomas still nnnumsbed and freo to mako vet another ! appearance in the rages of a' new sensational s?orv by the ingenious nair of ; writers to whom he owes his fictional 1 existence. The Disturbing Charm, Professor _ I towel-Jones, an elderly, amiable botanist, receives by post from an anonymous correspondent) a magic love charm in the shape of a powder which, carried in a sachet, is guaranteed to produce the most astonishing results in making the right kind of people fall "in love with each other. The professor reads the letter, laughs, and promptly mislays the magic powder. His pretty daughter, Olivel, finds it, plus tile instructions, and immediately puts tho charm to tiho test, experimenting upon a middle-aged spinster whom sho meets at the French watering-place where sho is stopping with her father. The spinster is forthwith made violent lovo to by a stalwart Flench sergeant, and a wedding is soon arranged. Next tile young lady experiments 011 a widow, a lady journalist, and a couple of young officers. Again, the most surprising consequences ensue. Finally, she makes an investigation ol the magic properties of the charm on her own account, and forthwith begins a very pretty love story, told with' all that, grace and sprightly humour oi which the author has shown command in her now quite numerous novels. The scene changes to London, where 0110 of the_ characters, a captain in the K.F.C., performs a peculiarly gallant exploit in an air raiii. The leading male figures in the story are young 1 officers, and as those who know Jfrs. I{tick's stories can well imagine, they arc all very jolly young fellows, us keen in flirtation as' 011 "downing" the llun. The dialogue is crisp and smart, and the story, although of course, based upon an ab.-.urdity—l no magic charm consiols of lern dust and has been sent: to the professor by a "research" student, as a hoax—makes very amusing reading for a few spare hours." "The Revolt of Youth." "Tho .Revolt of Youth," by Jlrs. Coralio ildbson (.T. Werner Laurie), is a story of .Knglish provincial stage iife. The hernine, a young lady of good education. who rebels against the tedium of an exceptionally dull family environment, joins it travelling theatrical coiiiliony, uihi the story is very largely n record of her disillusion with stage life. Not even in (jcorgo jioore's famous storv. "A Muiiiiner'j, Wife," is the sordid side of life b'd by a certain class of Thespians, laid bare with mora

brutal realism than in lliis novel of | Jim. llohson's. The suffragist movement is also introduced, and provides tile author with material for some clever ohnivicter-drawiiig. *In the long run llio heroi!!."> finds happiness in marriage with j a cousin, but. not a few readers of tho story may object to I ho particular method by which tho marriage i» finally brought about. Such Stuff as Dreams. Mr. C. K. Lawrence's novel, "Such Stuff us Dreams" (John Murray; per Whitcombe and Tombs) is a story which specaly appeals lo those who are interested in spiritualistic phenomena. A young London clerk, Kitzroy Stone, a good* husband and very decent fellow, if not a little egotistical, falls I'ivvm ail omnibus'. He recovers from the accident, and is soon seemingly in his usual health. Unknown, however, to himself and his ' wife, his brain has been affected by | tho accident, and he bccomes gifted with a most extraordinary power of visualising the dead. As he waiks the streets he imagines he sees various London oelcbrites of past'centuries, from Milton to Charles lamb, and, strange to say, is happier in these visions than ever | lie lias been In normal life, bo much so, | that when, as the result of a trepanning | operation, he is divested of his curious j faculty or obsession, he loses all interest | in life, and does not long survive his I return to his home from the hospital. j for many readers the chief interest of ! the story" will lie in tho author's careful | elaboration of a minor but most amus- | ing figure, the hero's bibulous relative, I Uncle /.epli, a scholarly old fellow who, < when not in his cups, preaches and prac- I tises a very gonial and helpful philosophy. Another w'.l-drawn character, in this instance posesssed of a distinct Dickens flavour, is the hypocritical paetor of a Bloonisbury little Bethel. Some Welcome Reprints. Reprint', in cheap and handy form, of novels which have given earlier proof of popularity are specially welcome at Mlis period of the year, when the holiday season luoms up on tho horizon and light j reading for train or steamer journeys is j being looked up. From Ilodder and I Sloughton comes a reprint of tho best of j Jlary Roberts Rinoheart.'s mystery stories, "Tho Jian in Lower Ten." As | those who remember Miss Riuehart's i "The Circular Staircase" and "The Case | i of Jennie Brice" will agree, this clever > I American novelist is a well-nractised | I hand in this class of fiction. Prom tho ! samo publishers come reprints of Owen Winter's pretty Southern 'romance "Lady Baltimore." and one of Grace Richmond's comedies, "Round the Corner in Gay Street." Messrs. (.'nsseil and Co. forward (through S. and W. Jfeckay) reprints of Olive Wadsle.v's popular novel "Frtiiltv" and Ruby Ayrcs's "Castles in Spain," whilst Jlr. John Murray's contribution to the bundle is a welcome new and oheaner edition of Horace Annesley Vachell's* delishtful story "Fishpiixle,' founded on the same author's highly successful comedy of that title. SAILORS' FRIEND SOCIETY f At. ths Sailors' Friend Saciely on Thursday, before a very large audience, members of tho Kilbirnio branch of tllß Women's National Reserve, under Mrs. Pox, gave a co.i -ert. The performers were: Mrs. BeMiell, Jlissos Kggers (2), Sinipiion, James, Taylor (2), and Messrs. nilchiims and Saunders. Mrs. Bethell and Misses James (2) and Kggers were at Iho piano. The hostes-es provided refreshments for their gnosis. The competitions. ied by Jlr. Jloore, were crowded with ,'un. The. prizes came from tho members of the reserve, and'went to the Kia Ora, Argyllshire, and Amokura. HOW TO GET RTD OP INDIGESTION. Most people who suffer from indigestion, gas'crius, (lyspeps.a, etc.—even tnuso wliu liavc been aifi.cicil lor years and who have tried variuus luciiicines without permanent b-.nelit—can get tiiiick relief and ensure painless, noimal digestion by taking lml: a liaspounlui c-t Li.surated Jlagnesia in a littie hot water immediately after eating. Bisurated Magnesia neu(laLses stomach acid and stops load fermentation, thus giving nature a chance to proceed with its work w.thout hindrance. Bisur.ited Jlagncsia is obtainable from any ciie'.nist, and if the directions given are followed caiefully lMief is a ; sHured and immediate, while ;n chronic cases a little perseverance will result in establishing permanent b.'neiit, and ovenlually restore tho sloinnch lo a normal ■ condition. with gratifying effects on (lie gonei'ii.. ione and health ol tho whole system.—A dvt. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, For Coughs and Colds, never fails.—Advt.