THE MOON OF BATH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 86

THE MOON OF BATH.

By Beth Elijs.

London.: William Blackwood and Sons.

The Moon of Bath, otherwise Miss Celia Winnington, is the centre of a large circle j o£ wits and beaus who add the sxcite- i ments of political intrigue to the busy round of their social brilliances. Celia herself, lovely as she is and full of feminine attraction, is chiefly interesting as the motive she affords for the plots and passions of others, notably Mr Timothy Curtis, who easily fills the part of hero. A most painstaking effort is made by the author to create and retain the atmosphere of the time when Bath was in her glory, and gathered L'£^ vKsauty, the wit, and fashion of society to the shrine of "the waters." Sometimes the effort to preserve "the atmosphere" is oppressive in its elaboration, and . the reader .becomes "vastly" bored by the very reiteration of such "monstrous" social formalities of speech and manner. 4s for the characters, Celia herself is more of a beautiful and entirely amiable and, virtuous figurehead than anything ; her sister, Lady Adelaiue Winnborne, is as great a fool as ever i even ThackeTay. drew in his portraiture good women, and one turns with relief to the more sensible and practical Lucy de Putren. Lady Winnborne, whose husband is up to his neck in Jacobite plots, having been entrusted with the delivery oi an important paper, for lack of a, better messenger, becomes involved in the intrigue. HeT brother, a worthless but, of course, most charming person, as fascinating as he is dishonourable, assists to work out a slight but increasingly involved plot. It is, however, with that luckless, out very lovable, person, Mr Timothy Curtis, who possesses a genius for getting into tight places, only equalled by his undisturbed insouciance in getting out of them, that whole' interest centres. In following the adventures of this devoted satellite of the lovely "Moon of Bath" it is possible to kill an hour or two pleasantly enough.