The Loved and Envied

The scene of most of this novel is France, and the milieu is aristocratic, yet the chief characters are Scottish or American. Lady Maclean, wife of Sir Gynt, is the heroine. She had been -- and still is -- a great beauty. A the Chateau of Little Pouilly she holds her court. The courtiers are mostly ageing members of the French nobility. Some are in love with her, all are her admirers. Women admire her, too. She has wit and charm as well as beauty. The secret of her spell is not divulged to the reader. Indeed, the spell itself has to be taken on trust, though its potency, its effect, can be observed.

But 'beauty vanishes, youth passes, however rare, rare it be.' This is a story of the evanescence of youth and beauty, a story of growing old, gracefully and contentedly if possible, seeing love survive or wither away. It is a story especially of a mother and daughter, each wanting to be loved by the other, each aware that their relationship lacked the one thing to make it perfect.

No novel of recent years has penetrated so deeply into the mysteries of human love in all its manifestations or dwelt so wisely and beautifully on the theme of encroaching age.