A LITERARY CORNER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6557, 27 June 1908, Page 12

A LITERARY CORNER

AM CHAIR ESSAYS (By "Liber.”) no. vm, TTfR KINO OP TilK DANDIES. ''Beau Brummel and his Times,” I*y Roger Baud (]<■ Afonvol; with a chapter on "Dress and the Dandies,’ by Marv Craven. London: Ocorge Bell and Son*. Wellington-. Whitcombe and Tombs. A more useless, extra vacantly vain ,iii l l tcll'r.h 'Tcalure than Oeorge Bryan Brummel probably never existed. and vi■ f ciij'ion-Jv enough. t 1j f* career of him who uas in his day the "Uncrowned bin;, of Ibo Daiidh.V 3ms proved most > i -c’ n.a 1 ing to more Ilian one exceptionall y j nbdliynt biographer and liistorian. It i.s iu>\. always Die best and most useful uM-n upon whose earner the most' inhuvsi ing books am to he written, and -ms u redly, if the Beau’s life were not in an v * wav edifying it was certainly rioli ill curious and amusin'' incidents. Thackeray, it is well known, had thought oi writing a book on the Beau, but dentil prevented the idea being carried into 'execution. Uuptian bronow’s amusing and historically valuable “ UeniiniHeenms” have many references 'to him, and Percy Fit/gerald, in his "Life of George. fV.” and finish, in his life of the same king. liave much to say of him. Jesse was, however, the first to formally write a Life of the Beau, and a second and although shorter, most amusing study was written by that eccentric but brilliant Frenchman. Baibier D’Anreviliy, wiio was Hindi a favourite of Robert Louis Stevenson. Two new books, one entirely, and the other very largely, devoted to Bnunmel’s career, have recently appeared. One is Mr Lewis Melville's "The Beaux of the Regency"; the other, u. volume now before rue, is by M. Boutet lie Motived.

Tho famous Beau, destined though ho was to mix with tho highest and nobl st born in tho land, was not of aristocratic origin, but his parents wore rich enough to bo ablo to send him first to Eton and then to Oxford. Uis grandfather was a tvoll-to-do confectioner, and his father was secretary to Lord North. He hod just loft Eton, when at the house of his aunt, a Mrs Searlo, who had a sort of model dairy farm in tho Green Bark, almost opposite Charges street, ho was fortunate enough to attract the attention of tho heir to the throne, the future Prince Regent. Tho boy's handsome curls, the case, and what was even then tho vivacity and audacity of hie speech quite charmed tho "Groat Personage/' who asked what ho wished to do after ho loft Oxford. The youth, having declared that his heart-felt desire was to servo tho King, the Personage was graciously pleased to toll tho lad to apply to him when ho left the university and he should have “a commission in tho 10th Hussars, my own regiment/* And so, dreaming no doubt of a prosperous and distinguished career, for with tho Prince's favour he must surely succeed, Brummol went to Oxford. At tho University he did not specially distinguish himself for industry or ability, but very soon began to develop those characteristics for which ho afterwards became so notorious. He was careful to associate only with tho rich and influential, and although, as M. Do Monvel says, tho word "snob" was not then in current use, the future Beau "at first iight would seem to have been endowed In this respect out of all proportion."

Ho was cynically proud of his snobbery, "If/’ he used to declare, "you should over meet a vulgar fellow who has no fortune to waste, cut him directly." At the same time ho was perfectly well aware that bo was "posing/’ and indeed upon occasion, would frankly admit that he lived for "effect." and that his absurdities and impertinences were necesto the maintenance of his role. In illustration of this his latest biographer tells the following story:— One day. when ho was talking with Lady Hester Stanhope, chance obliged him to give some explanation of his general conduct. They wore in Bond street, and tho Beau was leaning upon tho door of tho lady’s carriage, whispering to her tho secret of a marvellous perfume, when a young colonel passed, whoso name was then in all mouths. "Who over heard of his father?" murmured Bruinniell. "And, by the way" replied Ladjr Hester, "who over heard of yours?' This retort might have gone the round of the clubs and produced an unpleasant effect. Tho "sublime dandy" therefore bent once more towards tho lady and delivered this short argument; "Ah, my dear Lady Hester, who indeed over beard of my father, and who would have ever heard of me. if I had been anything but what I am. But, you know, my dear Lady Hester, it is my folly that is tho making of me. If I did not impertinently stare duchesses out of countenance, and nod over my shoulder to a princo, I should be forgotten in a week, and if the world is so silly as to admire my absurdities, you and I may know bettor, but what does that signify."

M, de Monvel asserts that, at a very early date Brummel hud "evidently formed an ideal of graceful insolence, which ho embellished, completed, and 'brought to perfection, at his leisure, until his model became the mainspring of his every net.” In 1794 Brummel entered the 10th Hussars, for the Prince kept hia promise. A commission in this regiment was generally reserved for the younger sons of the nobility. The confectioner’s grandson now hobnobbed on equal terms with lords, and soon became the friend and favourite of the "Prince. His affected insolence, his ironical retorts, the languid repose of his manner —all noticeable at Oxford—were now accentuated, and when in 1795 the unfortunate Caroline of Brunswick, the Prince’s fiancee, landed in England, there was a tremendous storm of jealousy and resentment in the Carlton House circle when it was found that George Brummel was nominated "in preference to the greatest names in the realm, among the gentlemen entrusted with this honour.” As an officer —ho was a cornet at sixteen and a captain at eighteen, such was the power of the Prince's favour—Brummel was a personified farce. 110 was rarely at his post, was scarcely able to recognise his own men, and boasted that “were it not for the existence of a hussar with a blue nose” ho would bo hanged if he know' what troop ho had to lead!” His impudence even imposed upon his colonel, backed as it was by the Prince’s support. All at once tbo Hussars were ordered, to Manchester, but Brummel did not go, for the heir to the throne had by this time discovered that lie simply could not exist without his society. The next year Brummel quitted the army and devoted himself to what was to be his chief and only pursuit for the rest of his life, that of dressing bettor than any man in London, of figuring only in the wealthiest, and above all, the most fashionable society, nncl of ruling, a would-be supremo arbiter, in the world of folly and faahien.

Th* fareurite of the Prinoe, aftsrwnrds ■*h« Roeent, his social position was allured, nis means this father loft him ,81500 a year) war* apparsmtly sufficient tw allow him to indulge ia snaay Inmriiw and ssTtraragaaoes, and what U. d* Monrsl calls hi* "false stoicism," and his "barren enunciation” grew nior* stereotyped from .Tear to year. He could not hope to outrival others by moans of Hiagniiitanae. fwr sosaparai with the ia-

comes at the command of so many of his rmfjMaint.ancfH. his revenue was but a pittance. But in audacity, graceful im pmlenec-- ami on ocm-joti downrignt brutal rudeness- he easily out-hone all the many “ M,v;i ron "Dandies” and "B f ‘au.v” of his period. To his dress lie devoled the most, careful attention, but always declined to enlarge upon this subject and "rarely failed to evade any ejm-slions put to him by an unexpected or impracticable an.-wer.” "Blacking?” he replied to a certain young man who was fascinated by the brilliancy of his hoots and displayed a burning deed re to have his ivcjpr., "Marking, my dear sir? Well, you know, for blacking i never n.-fi anything hut the froth of champagne*.” Another man asked him the name of his hairdresser. "1 have f hre'*-the first is rcspon-ihle for my temples, the second for I he front paid; of my head, and the tilled for the back, of it.”

fine good point about the Beau was his discrediting the use of .-cents. "No scents," lie used to say, "bul plenty of linen, country bleached.” Indeed, lie required a large amount of that commodity to accomplish the ineomparabln BrnmmeJ knot which Was to remain lemons in the annals of British fashion. M, do Monvel gives an interesting description of how the ".stock” was arranged. Tim stock was invariably of white* muslin, twisted round the neck several times. . . Tim most marvellous ol nil sights was to see Briumne! himself performing this transitory and fragile masterpiece. In less time than we can write these words, lie would wind the cravat round his neck and tie the knot, pull the collar over the cravat, and lowering his chin slowly, lie would crease the cravat down to the proper height; by’ the most natural method in the world. Performed in the twinkling of an eye, it is obvious chat an achievement of this nature must bo successful at the first attempt or not at nil. The least carelessness of movement; necessitated the use of a fresh cravat, ami yards of muslin were sometimes expended in order to secure a perfect knot.

We may supplement the above by a story told in Captain Jesse’s "Life of Brummel": "One flay a visitor mot Brumnicl's valet coming out. of his master’s room with on enormous quantity of tumbled neckcloths on his arm. "What is all that?" ho asked. "Oh/* said the other, "these are our failures!" Anyone who has read a life of George IV. can readily imagine that tho Beau's fastidiousness in dress was calculated to greatly interest his royal patron. The Prince Regent had almost as many uniforms as a certain European Royalty of to-day, and was himself a devotee of the Cult of Dandyism. Even in his old age ho would spend the best part of a morning in trying on a coat, and one garment indeed reached the fabulous price of ,■£3oo. "by reason of the infinite number of alterations which the tailor, Davidson, was obliged to make before he could entirely satisfy his royal customer/’

Such, however, was the prestige of the Beau that even the Prince himself was not bettor served bv his tailors —these two great men had tho same tailors. Oho day. says Jesse, a man from the provinces came in to ask Davidson to dress him fashionably. "Why. sir," replies the artist, "tho Princo wears superfine and Mr Brummol tho Bath coating, but it is immaterial which you choose. Sir John. Suppose, sir, we say the Bath coating. I think Mr Brummel has a trifle tho preference." As the years passed by, the Beau grow more and more haughty, more and mord "exclusive" in his choice of companions, and of the "houses" ho frequented, and more and more studiously insolent in his manner. M. do Monvol, like Jesse before him, tells many curious stories of tho Beau's impertinences. The extraordinary thing is, to a present-day reader, that he was never horsewhipped or had his eyes blacked, for some of his gratuitous insolences to well-born women. Apparently, it was the "mode" to allow the Beau to say and do anything which pleased him, and at his clubs—there were some four or live of these —be ruled supreme. At tho zenith of his fame ho was regarded by the fashionable world as quite equal to Royalty. As M. de Monvel says, "he was tho most flattered, tho most favoured and courted man of fashion." At the races, at the opera, and at balls, he simply "appeared. "Whenever you have not produced your effect," lie used to say. "sit where you are; and when you have produced it, be off." The success of an entertainment depended upon tho mere appearance of his blue coat. He was sparing of his speech, but a criticism or a word of praise from him could make or ruin a reputation. At that day a word from him was everything; and a story is told of a marchioness bringing her daughter into society, and whispering in her ear, "Do you see that gentleman over there, near tho door? No doubt he will come and speak to us. In that case, please try and leave him with a good opinion of you, for he is the illustrious Mr George Bnimmell."

And yet this idler, this gambler, this conceited "tailors' block,” whoso constant; care it was to despise all real employment, who prided himself upon caring only for the trivialities of fashion, lived upon familiar terms with the most illustrious and upright characters of tho English nation. Artists, orators, political leaders and all the great names of his time belonged to his acquaintance, and ho invariably seemed to reach their level, thanks to his dexterity. Lord Byron could only speak of Bnimmell "with trembling admiration and envy.” Moore was proud to call himself the Beau’s friend, although Brummel treated him with almost insufferable condescension. Spencer, tho friend of Pitt. Fox, Sheridan and Sydney Smith, and a minor poet of the day, could "speak no ill of the Beau,” and oven George Crabbo, the author of "Tho Village,” who met tho Beau at the Duke of Rutland’s mansion, Belvoir, was delighted, in his old age, to gossip of tho great Brummel. To his dying day Brummel greatly treasured a heavy album bound in velvet with solid silver clasps, and would pore over its contents for hours. This was tho Beau’s collection of autograph verses and signatures of such then as Fox and Sheridan, Canning. Lords Erskine, Townshend and Melbourne, were all represented, and tho lady contributors included tho Duchess of Devonshire. Of course the Beau had many lady friends and admirers, but curiously enough.—and specially curious is the fact considering the morality of tho period—"ho never,” says his latest biographer, "shows tho faintest signs of libertinism.” He had some powerful friends amongst tho fair sex, notably the Duchess of York, tho Duchess of Devonshire, the eccentric Lady Stanhope, whose life was one long romance, and others, but of "intrigues” there are none known to his discredit.

Despite all his great friends, male and female, despite his apparently secure position as a leader of “ion.” Brummel was doomed to social ruin. But for this ho had largely himself to blame. In 1811, ho committed tho folly of quarreling with his powerful p.dion, un? Priaoo of Waloo. Tho Princo had a oaoty trick of auddeuly throwing ovor m old friend, aad who* ho did quarrel with aarono, ho wao pitilo*a. Jcs.*o oayo: "Ho ha too without a cau*o and aoror forgivoa,” said aa, oSioor of hi® danehtor’o household. M. do Monvol thizuca that tho Bwiu was the most to blame. Ho committed the unpardonable "orimo” of attacking tho fair lira FitaHerbert, the Prince’s former mistress. Goorto ntvor wholly this

• -dv. and who, lie found Dial BrurmcM n.-td espoused 11m esu.m oi a lady who 'mured as a socie* v rival to Mis l itz- ■ tfia-ri *'<- v.-a- v.-r.'itMiil and M-on tuiuou-. Brumiml u.<’.v more and iiion otaui in hi-s in M‘and fin illy. ; ■'!!• ij.ai] given m,- badv .b > -“V )m unde ash to m.ili Mr:- f 0 zkerberi carriage, not nil 1 v s'lMbut.in" Urn v.md "Mbiri;>f ior ‘Mir*.- but ice-r obvjoumv annli.T- Din" Dm dLmmljv" Til next. pin arm],' tool: an oddiy maiiejon:’oriii. 'Mils time i(: war; l,h«- I’ririff him--Di wlio was t!m buD. M. d" Monvej ’.v i lie.-: There w;.-> at Carlton Home a lia 11-jui H<■ ;• of su'di maeu ihceiß lifU'j'ht and roroulence Dial im could look over 11m mde> of Dm courtcard, aim could nc.ej- -el more than hr Cfo ir.it, his h.JX. lie -I: no as Bn- Ren. About Di’s I'iitie Dm Heir-A nnan-nt h-min to grow Mout. P.rumm-l Dm'-agal it would be laughable to baMim Die. ma-t'-r v.ilh the -er va 1 ’ .1 1 Mrs ÜBzher'r **rt \v;v- ai ■ o -.'rowing Tout. he -Mwl ti-e 0j.n0,-t am v of giving her Dm .)< i j i n Banina. , No Malice cm, ld nave been more caleulal.d lo a»•<>■;-e Dm .nr/er of a man who marta.d to ius dying <iay Dial im rcii'iMu tne vivacity of the youDilu) ion. and groaned deeply win :i !:e >-.aw his figure gradually <ii.-.a uncaring .as his eorpuh nee in-cj'ea..-d. 'i’he climax came when Dio Beau, not receiving an invitation lo a bail a. Dla rciuoM. (i.oid fmafonl’D at which Dtv Rrince and .’Mrs i'i.txherimi t were* present, actually had Die irnniahneo to invite hiniseif. On the llmwhold ol Dm house he met Dm Prince who. cx> the story “mm. "lirD gently urgud him to retire, that ho might not disoblige Mr;, rifr.herbcrt.” r i’ho Bea u apiiarcntiy mu-l ham persirdeti, tor Die Piince sain Im would stop Die ball if he did no retire, whereupon Brummel returned b town. Tjmn there was open war. Tim Rrince, on hi,s ,-idiq dec-land that "Brummel was only fit lo make Dr. reputation, of a tailor,” and swore the he “could unmake him an ho had mom 1 im." Brummel was defiant and ridiculed Dio Prince openly and so succcim-

fully, for a time, that lie deprived tin Great Personage of two of his old friends, Sir Henry Miklmay and Tommy .Moore. tho poet. There was a scene,too. at Watiar’s Club which further widened tho breach, and soon occurred th; historical encounter in Bond hired, when Brummel. walking with Lor, ]•’ —suddenly met 11is Royal Highness on the arm of Lord Moira. A;- he had done at TVaUer’s Club tho Prince Mopped and talk'd for a few minute.. with Lord without deigning to casf a glance at the ex-favourite. Brummel however, not to be beaten, "greeted Lord Moira, with imperturbable gravity, i: quired after his health, and discussed the weather. Hardly had the Prince turned to go when he heard Brummel ask in a loud voice; “F , who s your fat friend:'" Tho wrath of George may be imagined, but no writer could possibly describe it. After this the Princo and Brummel never spoke. Unluckily, too, for the Beau, hie; quarrel with the Prince occurred just at a time when his financial position was beginning to grow penouo, After the quarrel it was noticed that he began to gamble heavily at the clubs. lie was frequently lo bo seen at Brooke’s, whence Fox, Gibbon, and Sheridan used to make thcar way arm in arm, at ‘‘Watier's,' tho dandies’ club, to which Byron makes so many allusions, and finally at White’s, in St. James street, the meeting place of the ultra Tones. According to Sir William Fraser, whoso "Reminiscences” (mainly of this period) arc very amusing, this Club was more exclusive than any oilier, indeed. Sir William. considered that to be elected r member of White's and to be given Urn Order of the Garter, were tho two greatest distinctions a man could gain. It w-as -at Brooke's that u London alderman gave the Beau a witty if rather illnaturcd retort, Brummel happened to bo playing ono evening at Brooke's with Alderman Combe, a wealthy brewer, and Lord Mayor of London. "What do yon stake?" cried Brummel. “Twenty - fivo guineas," "Done," said the Beau. Ho then won twelve, games running, ansa id, ns ho pocketed the stakes, "Thank you, Alderman, henceforth I will drink no porter but yours." "Very good. Mr/ replied the brewer; "I wish all tho good-for-nothings in London would say tho same." But the Beau in the long run lost, far more frequently than h< won. He plunged and lost heavily, he borrowed large sums, and lost again, always, however, maintaining his attitude of superb nonchalance. Finally, tho end came on May 16th, 1816. when tho "Sublime Dandy/’ as he was called, dropped a note to a friend, Scropo Davis, who was dining in Charles street with Lord Byron. Sc rope glanced over it, and handed it to Byron, who read it in turn. It ran thus: My dear Scropo,—Lend me two hundred guineas. The Bank is shut, and all my money is in the Three Per cents. It shall be repaid tomorrow' morning.—Yours, George Brummcll, The reply was; My clear George,—'Tis very unfortunate, but all my money is in the Three Per Cents.—Yours, Scropo. Tho Beau recognised that tho game was up and neither whined nor moralised. Ho dressed himself with even more than usual care, "looked in" at tho Opera as usual, but did not wait for tho end of the play, and without returning home, ho entered a postchaise, which carried ■ him to Dover at full speed. In the afternoon of the next day he was at Calais, and ho never saw London .again.

It is a pitiable story, that of the Beau’s declining days at Calais, ana later on, at Caen, where some influential friends eventually got him the appointment of British Consul. He had saved I a thousand guineas from the wreck of hie fortunes, but- this sum ho soon squandered. Ho spent several hours r. day dressing and admiring himself, he dined in solitary splendour off a modest but well-cooked dinner from "the” hotel Dessein’s, (of which, by tho way. Thackeray gives so delightful an account in ono of his incomparable “Roundabout Papers”), and would then proceed to his box at tho local theatre. For a time he appeared to have solved, like Becky Sharp, tho problem of "How to live on nothing a year,” but French creditors proved even more importunate than the English variety. He staved off tho inevitable ruin by what ono might call "forced benevolences.” which ho levied upon the many aristocratic travellers who. passed through Calais and -who "gave tho poor old Beau a look in ” A mono’ those were the Duke? of Wellington. Rutland, and Beaufort. In 18°1 no less a ner«on than the King of England, His Most. Gracious Majesty. George the Fourth. Brummel’s old patron, parsed that way, M. de Monvel describes the scene that occurred: Tho crowd increased as the procession approached, hats wont off. cheers rose in the air,-and the King bowed right and left. Suddenly his expression changed, hi? eve was fixed" and ho was distinctly heard to murmur. "Good God! George Brummel !” Two step? from the carriage. hat in hand and motionless, «tood the former favourite. Caught in the midst of tho crowd as he vr returning to his room?, the dandy had been obliged to form in line with the rest and witness the passage of the Sovereign. He turned pale, brok* away, and took refuge in hi? lodging, declining to show himself for the rest of the day. A few facta only in conclusion. Mainly through tho kindly intervention

of the Dnko of Wellington, Brummel v. vs annoinß-d Briti-di Consul at Caen in 18T>‘ sold off his effects, went to Pari* with the proceeds and after a Mmrt si ov in the capital, where, wo-learn “hr. ordered a muff box costing a hundred pounds from a fashionable jeweller.” he then took up his reeidrnco in r Vmn. Within tbroe month* he again ii.';T>-'lcs-ly (-mbarra.used ire fell ill, and finally was imprisoned for debt. Even then he found a good friend, an 3-nglic-h rcrident ita rrmd Armstrong. This good Samaritan went to London. waiUd upon ■■i.hoM- in I’-igh places.” and a D'm !i*t. wci- e< t afloat, to which. \S 11Hun IV. him-rdf subscribed one hun-drv-d guineas. A grant of two hundred guineas wm- even made from the Public Treasury (we wondm what the _ auditors of the period thought of this item!) and finally enough money was raised to satisfy the money-lenders of Calais ami Dacfi. How ho onco again—and \erv «oou —fell into difficult!!.-?, how ho hrmjme alrurmt an imbecile, and how he died in the Asylum du Bon Sauvcur, we :i«:.v e not .-pace to tell. Ho parsed away peacefully enough on March 30tli, istu. A wort hh ?•? life may be, but one whose record, as set down by M. de. Monvcd. wo have found intensely fascinating. The book i.-: full of cxccl-[:-ut; anccdob'-s of the various colobrilies of the peiiod, and an initoduciory chapon "JBess and Die Dandicc,” by Mary Craven, is an interesting study of Die historical side of dandyism. Sonic hue portrait-; and reproductions of conumiporary caricat arcs also servo to in-'.•r<-ase Din interest of tho hook, the price of wlßch is 7s Cd.

“ THE BARRIER ” (By "Libor.”) "'J lie Barrior.” By Rex Bench. Kott York: Jiarpcr Brothers. Wellington: V/iulcornbe and Tombs, Ltd. Within the last year or two several novels of American origin have non great favour with Mew Zealand readers, out in its ovvu particular class, wo cannot call to mind a novel which nas pleased us so completely as this powerful and vividly told story by Mr Beach. i\ot only is the background—a goldniining camp on the 1 ukon River in far north Alaska—new to most readers, but the story- contains so many powerfully dramatic situations, such a wealth of exciting incident, and so many well drawn and interesting characters, ns to compel the reader to admit its claim to bo considered a novel far out of the ordinary. At Flambeau, a small post on the Yukon, lives a trader, Old Man Clale, his Indian wife and his half-breed children, including a handsome ; girl of eighteen. Mocha Gale, who is believed by the people of the post to bo a half-breed. She herself believes she has Indian blood in her veins, nit hough there are times when she dreams of other days, when she had a white mother, and dwelt amongst surroundings very different from those at Thun beau. But Old Man Gale maintains silence as to his past, and it is not until a military post is established at Flambeau, and a handsome young officer secs her, admires her, ami makes love to her, that M’ecia is seriously exercised in mind as to whether she he a full white or, in the language of the region, only a "squaw woman.” By-and-by things happen at Flambeau. "No Creek Leo,” the "uaiuckie.st man in Alaska,” discovers a rich field. There is a rush, and into Flambeau there now pours a multitude of strangers, notably a gambler desperado, Ben Stark, and his cunning follower, Runnion. Burrell, the young officer, is informed of the discovery by M’ecia, who lias wrung the secret of Old Man Gale's sudden departure from his Indian wife, and girl and officer set off together and finally reach the field first and peg out their claims. When the others arrive, followed soon by Stark and Runnion, there is great dispute as to the claims. Gale now for the first time suspects the real identity of Stark, and a bitter enmity between the two is developed. Meanwhile Burrell is more and more in love with Kocia, but believing her to be a half-breed, does not propose marriage—the colour line again —there is the “barrier.” Nocin’s pride is offended, and,in her wrath she agrees to marry a delightful French Canadian, of the voyagenr class, Folcon Doret, who is one of the most original and fascinating characters we have mot with in recent American fiction. Matters are approaching' a climax when the secret of Neoia’s birth is discovered, not only by Burrell, but by Bon Stark, and with it (lie reason for Old Man Gale’s hatred of Stark. In the past, which Gale had sought to bury by settling on the Yukon, he and Stark had loved the same woman. Stark, the plausible, well-dressed gambler, had won the woman away from Gale, the honest and rough. After marriage came disillusion. First brutally ill-treating the woman, and then desiring to further degrade her. Stark had driven her to desperation. One night, desiring to save the girl, at the mother’s wish. Gale had stolen Nccia. That night the mother was murdered—by Stark, not Gale. But it was Gale who was denounced, and it was against Gale that circumstantial evidence was so strong that he fled for his life to Alaska and settled at the then remote and unknown Flambeau. Burrell is made aoouainted with this and insists upon marrying the girl at once. But Stark plays a desperate game. Ho employs Runnion to steal the girl and take her away down the river. This is done, and then, when Gale learns the truth, comes a terrible combat between Stark and the man who had so long thirsted for his blood. Stark had hitherto enjoyed a charmed life, boasting that the bullet was not cast that could kill him. But this time Gale uses the knife, and comas out of the combat the victor. The girl has been kidnapped by Runnion, but I’oleon, the faithful, follows the pair and effects a rescue, one scene in this particular episode being almost brutally dramatic. The story ends with Necia’s marriage. Stark recovering and leaving the country with promises, made to a good old French priest, of reform. Poor Poleon, the faithful, also departs, with a sore heart at the failure of his love project, but with the good wishes of the community. Such is necessarily a faint outline of a very fine story, so generously packed with incident as to render the reading of each and every page imperative, and vet possessing a strong psychological interest. for the solving of the supposed colour-lino problem, the breaking of the “Barrier,” is not accomplished without many heart-wrenches on the part of the girl and her lover. Mr Beach does not manage Necia’s doubts (in the earlier chapters) ns to her birth very cleverly, but one soon forgets this in the general fascination of the stirring narrative. In Alaska, they love well and hate well. It is a country of primitive passions, and in “The Barrier” all this is proved very ably. Some of the minor characters, notably “Mo. Creek Lee,” whose sudden acquisition of wealth has very curious and humorous results, and Gale s Indian wife are very cleverly drawn. The illustrations. in colour, by Denman Fink, are excellent. "The Barrier” is decidedly a book to buy, not to borrow; to read, and once read, to lay carefully aside, for it will be read again.