19 MAY 1906, Page 21

The Quincunx Case. By William Dont Pitman. (Ward, Look, and

Co. 6s.)—The pseudonym—for pseudonym it surely is— adopted by the author will excite the curiosity of all lovers of Stevenson's unforgettable " Wrong Box." and the test of perusal will not disappoint their pleasurable anticipations. The dedication— to Prince Florizel of Bohemia—proves that Mr. " Dont Pitman " is, to quote Mr. Eipling's phrase, a masterless man. Stories of mystery are too often related in slipshod, shambling English. Here we have a writer whose alert and engaging manner enhances the attractions of his ingenious narrative, in which the reader is kept in a constant flutter of suspense and excitement until the catastrophe is reached. In such a case the clear duty of the reviewer is to preserve a discreet reticence as to the plot, and to content himself with acting as a finger-post to a highly delectable tract of the realm of mystery.