CLARKE'S latest book failed
to make the promised appeal. She takes two hundred and odd pages
of peculiarly eye-racking type to convert the _Elstone_ family to
Catholicism without indicating in any way how or why her solemn
puppets are inspired to change their beliefs. Now and again a
completely nebulous cleric happens along to perform the necessary
function of receiving a moribund neophyte into the Church; otherwise
the conversion appears to take place as it were by spontaneous
combustion and not as the result of any visible proselytising agency.
However the _Elstones_ bear no resemblance to real human beings--you
can hardly expect it of people called _Ierne_ and _Magali_ and _Ivo_
and _Elvidia_ and names like that--so perhaps it doesn't matter how
they came to see the great light. The important thing obviously from
the authoress's point of view is to get them into the fold; and good
Catholics who look at the end rather than the means may enjoy _The
Elstones_. As a novel it will try them hard.
* * * * *
[Illustration: _Manager of Gasworks_ (_to aeronaut who has just had
his balloon inflated_).
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75