ANOTHER NEW SABATINI ROMANCE

With quantity production, Mr. Sabatini has quite naturally developed some degree of standardization. And while form some points of view this may be highly desirable, if adds little to the interest or individual perfection of his later novels. He cannot, it seems, fail to tell a good story, but the smoothness and polish of "Scaramouche" and "Captain Blood" are noticeably lacking in "Mistress Wilding". It is true that the hesitation with which the story begins hesitation, that is in point of style rather than in action--gradually wears off as the author warms to his work; but at first, one is inclined to attribute the novel to a frightened Sophomore, certainly not to the "modern Dumas".

Plot is Almost the Whole Thing

We do not intend to spoil "Mistress Wilding" by retailing the plot, which as we have implied, is little less than the whole thing. The story holds one's attention; one is impelled to find out just how the daring Anthony Wilding escapes from the web that most of the other characters busy themselves spinning around him. And many of the figures do not lack color. Wilding himself, and his trusty companion Nick Trenchard are well-painted, having both form and substance to a commendable degree. The female characters can hardly be so favorably described. The heroine, Mistress Wilding, is rather a plaster saint of a woman; her occasional distress arouses little sympathy, and her mishaps, due largely to a complete lack of that suspicious intelligence which is recognized by everyone from the cartoonists up as truly characteristic of woman, seem too obviously avoidable to deserve compassion. Her cousin is much more human, though she is apparently designed as a foil to set off more sharply the sterling qualities of the other emotions than maidenly modesty, and just enough selfishness to make her recognizable. Perhaps there are perfect people, perhaps it is necessary to have one of them in every novel, but their performances always appear a bit flat when contrasted with those of more realtistic natures, even though the latter cannot, often be blindly idolized or emulated.

And off the score of style, we may be doing Mr. Sabatini a horrible injustice. "He may have intended "Mistress Wilding" to sound slightly unfinished, to correspond to the manners of the time and place of which he wrote. He has unquestionably succeeded in creating another rousing, entertaining story, with enough local color and background to make a very definitely agreeable impression.