THE SCARLET CLOAK.

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

THE SCARLET CLOAK.

By Aubkey de Haven.

London. :

William Blackwood and Sans.

The time is the last day of the year 1752 ; the scene, Old Edinburgh ; the personages, a. little group of friends who celebrate over their "Hogmanay" the charms of one Mistress Lilian Baillie, of Priorwood Hall. The lady, it appealed, is the young and beautiful wife of MaJ«olm Baillie, old enough to be her father.

a merchant of an<rfent family, excellent means and thrifty habits. Reserved, pedantic, iand devoid of - graces of either person or manner, there seems nothing to wonder at in the information that the marriage of -the grave, middle-aged Scotch merchant with the youthful Virginian beauty has not turned out a very brilliant success. Tru/th to tell, Malcolm Baillie is not an attractive figure; neither, despit© her oft-catalogued charms, her coquettish gaieties and girlish insouciance, is Mistress Lilian. Somewhat early in the book she is to be found feebly combatting the dulness of her secluded life 'with a glass or so of punch . . alone. Later on, a really harmless flirtation, on-'her side without this very smallest intention of ultoria* evil, finds her in such a compromising position that out of sneer fright and weakness of character she leaves her husband and the one^little boy whom she had taught, half in play, half in earnest, to call her "sister" instead of "mother," . . . for Major Kinnersley's protection. The boy is brought tip to consider has mother dead, and knows no different until h© reaches man's estate. Then, with the shadow of death upon him, old Malcolm Badllie whimpeis and maunders over the erring 'wife whom he had never raised a finger to help or save, and bids Kenneth go to America in search of his mother. The whole plot is youthful, inconsequent, and feeble, and its working out amateurish and weacrisome to a degree. The trumpery adventures of Ken r neth Baillie and~tbe hysterical episodes in which he becomes involved in identifying his mother with the Ophelia of a travelling company in America are rendered ridiculous by the stilted absurdities ing his mother with the Ophelia o fa of the manner in which they are told.