ious ally to us. Mr. GRAHAM always looks through
a rosy-tinted monocle. Mr. REYNOLDS takes the road of balanced
appreciations, candour and kindly humour--unquestionably more effective
in the matter of making sincere proselytes. He has produced a
fascinating book, discreetly discursive--a book that seems to let you
into the real secrets of a people's soul. He believes in the sincerity
of Russian promises to Poland, and claims that the Poles share his
belief, but he does not pretend that this most unfortunate of nations
has no grievances against its suzerain. I wonder whether our perverse
Intelligences are capable of making the deduction that, if the
progressives in Russia can forget their quarrel with reaction for sake
of our great common cause, they themselves might mitigate some of the
severity of their anti-tsarism. Mr. REYNOLDS has much that is to the
point to say about the good old British legends of darkest Russia now
chiefly kept going by third-rate novelists and unscrupulous journalists.
He makes it clear that, though there is much to change, changes are
coming as fast as they can be assimilated, indeed even a little faster.
Finally I wish that those who control the destinies of our theatre might
read what is written here of the traditions of the stage in a country
where the drama is an art, not a mere speculation.

* * * * *

Despite its name there is a simple directness about the theme of Mr.
WARWICK DEEPING'S _Unrest_ (CASSELL) that I found refreshing. _Martin
Frensham_ was a dramatist, and the fortunate possessor of an adoring
wife, a charming home and a successful reputation. So quite naturally he
grew bored with all three. Then there came on the scene one _Judith
Ruddiger_, a widow, with red lips, who drove a great touring-car with
abandon, played masculine golf and generally appealed in _Frensham_ to
the elemental what-d'you-call-'ems. So these two decided to plunge into
the freer life by the process of elopement. I was a little disappointed
here. There had been so much chat about the Big Things that I had
expected a rather more expansive setting to their adventure than Monte
Carlo, followed by a round of first-class hotels. Moreover _Judith_, had
a way of addressing her companion as "partner," which emphasised her
wild Western personality to a degree that must have been almost painful
at a winter-sports' resort full of schoolmasters. So I was hardly at all
astonished when b