SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2723, 18 March 1916, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION

A CHATEAU IN PICARDY. Temporarily abandoning his favourite North Country Englishr background —so successfully utilised, for instance, in that admirable story "Ricroft of With* ens," Mr. Halliwcll Sutcliffe, in his latest novel, "A Chateau in Picardy" (Ward, Lock and Co.; per Whitcombo and Tombs), now takes his readers to a pleasant little village in Picardy, and introduces us to some very charming French people. With the delightful old lady of the Chateau, of Alsatian birth, for whom the terrible year of 1870 has still many pathetic momories, lives her young English niece, Alison, beloved by a young French officer, Alison's cousin, Raoulj and another soldier, Dick Norton 1 , an English relation. Another important character is the good old Cure of Belle Fleuvc, also an Alsatian by birth, and, before he entered the Church, the silent and secret admirer of Madame. The war brejiks out, both young men hurry on to" answer the call of . duty, Raoul eventually being killed, and Norton being betrothed to the young lady, who, though touched by the Frenchman's devotion and gallantry, cmes to recognise that ner heart has been given elsewhere. The chierf attraction of the story lies in its delicately graceful pictures of life in' the oM chateau, and its many interesting sidelights upon the charm arid hidden strength of the French character. Tho old Cure is a specially successful creation. THE TUNNEL. The scene of Bernhard Kellermann's novel • "The Tunnel" (Hodder and Stoughton; per S. and W. Mackay) l is laid in New York, New York of some fifteen to twenty years hence, the principal character, Mac Allan, being a successful engineer, the inventor of Ailanite, by the use of which he has found it possible to drill through the hardest rock with comparative eaEe. Mao Allan conceives a gigantic scheme by which he will drive a tunnel under the Atlantic, thus securing railway communication between the two Continents. ' "The Tunnel" is the story of how the scheme is promoted, financed, and carried out by its originator and the syndicate of capitalists which ex ploits the enterprise. Stupendous difficulties are encountered, and more than once, through an accident in the tunnel itself by which some thousands of lives arc lost, and again through financial obstacles, tho colossal undertaking is threatened with disaster. Tho adamantine determination and engineering genius of Mac Allan, plus the generous financial. assistance of a multimillionaire and his daughter, eventually triumph, and the tunnel is opened, the story ■ ending ' with a description of the' running of the first train from New York to London, via the Bermudas, the. Azores, and Cape Finisterre. A sentimental interest is introduced in tho story, but it is with Mao Allan's desperate fight against engineering, financial, ana labour troubles, that the reader of this very remarkable story will be primarily conoerned. "The Tunnel" is in many ways a very original ivhd striking story.

THE HIGHWAYMSTJ. "The .Highwayman," by H. C. Bailey (Methuen and Co., per D. 0. Ramsay and Co.), is a vigorously written romance of the days of good i Queen. Anne. Mr. Bailey provides a capital plot, and Harry Boyce, a young gentleman of small estate but great courage,, when once the opportunity is fairly offered for tho display of that quality, proves himself a gallant hero, who well deserves the good fortune he achieves by finding a handsome and wealthy young bride in tho high-spirited Alison. Lambourne. Mr. Bailey scorns precedent in making the marriage come early in the tale instead of providing, as it usually does in this class of fiction, a conventionally happy ending, but although there is for a while a fierce tussle of tastes, wills and ambitions between the young pair, mated at first more'as the result of a whirlwind of temporary passion than of any. deep-seated affection, everything comes right in the end, -without, however, any undue concession to sickly sentiment. _A pleasant feature of the story, whioh is quite equal to "The Lonely Queen," "The Gentleman Adventurer," and others of Mr. Bailey's earlier novels, is. the introduction of historical personages such as Marlborough, Sunderland, Harley, Bolingbroke, 'and other leading lights of the period.

"BRED OF THE DESERT." "Breil of the Di-sert." by Marcus I Horton (Harper and Brothers ; per D. 0. Ramsay and Co.) is a vigorouslywritten, fascinating story of life in the Arnerioan. South-West. It is very largely the story of a wonderful black horse which, at first the property of a poor Mexican teamster, sadly given to drink and gambling, becomes tn.e pet possession of an American young lady, a judge's daughter, from whom, however, it is stolen by some rascally cattle thioves, being rescued later on by a well-tonjo young gentleman from" tho Eastern States, who -risks his life to securo the much-treasured steod. The story is a clever admixture of adventure and sentiment, but the real hero is Pat, the mysteriously bred, highspirited colt. The author is singularly successful in "his imaginative explorations into the unfathomable depths of equine psychology, and those who understand and love horses will be specially interested-in his well-told story. TWO AMERICAN STORIES. Two recent and welcome additions to Hodder and Stoughton's excellent shilling library (S. and W. Mackay) are en. titled "Patty and Priscilla" and "Just Patty," by Miss Jean Webster, tho popular American novelist, whosa "Daddy Long Legs" and other novels have been so widely read. Both stories well deserve being entitled "Full of Smiley Books." Their heroines are jolly, well-educated, American girls in thfiir teens, and the school and other experiences of these young ladies and their chums are related in an exceedingly pleasant and humorous way. (New Zealand price Is. 6(1.)

"SOME ELDERLY PEOPLE AND THEIR YOUNC FRIENDS." Miss. Macnaughten's latest story, "Some Elderly People and Their Young Friends" (George Bell and Sons, per AVhitcombe and Tombs), is well up to (lie high standard set by its author in that clever and amusing book, "The Fortunes.of Christina M'Nab," and the inimitably humorous "Lame Dog's Diary." The old people of the .story— and very charming old peoplo most of them are—are survivals from tho middle Victorian period, whilst the young folks aro all of tho proscnt day. Hiss Macnaughten very cleverly contrasts what aro considered quite "old time" ways and ideas with others which are peculiarly twentieth century, but it is astonishing, after all, what in the essentials of life littlo difference there is betwoen grandmothers and grand-aunts and the younger generation. As one of tho characters remarks, "When all is said and done, love remains amazingly tho fashion." It is n. story of character rather than of action, and the dry, hut delicate, humour of the author's earlier stories is again ivell to the fore.

"THE COURTSHIP OF ROSAMOND FAYRE." Miss Bertii Ruck (Mrs. Oliver .Oalons'si latest Storj,, i'Xho CourtgWfi

of Rosamond Fayre" (Hutchinson and Co.; per Whitcombe and Tombs), is somewhat in tho samo genre ns herfirst and very succcssful novel, His Official Fiancee." The heroine is employed as secretary to her wealthy friend. Miss Urquhart. The latter is engaged to -a cousin who is away prospcctiug in Mexico, and whom she has never even Heen. Tho employer is so wrapped up 111 her philanthropic schemes that 6lie insists upon the secretary not only morelv writing, but composing, Her "love letters." Later on, whon the young man returns to England, ho mistakes tho secretary for tho employer, and is delighted to find his fiancee such an attractive young lady. Upon this theme Mrs. Onions works out a cleverly-told, very jolly story to a conclusion which is eminently satisfactory to all c 0110 ®" 1 ' cd, and in which the reader should find somo capital entertainment. Ihe Wilis introduced towards the close of tlie story. .