"THE MAN WHO WENT ABROAD."
The authors of _The Man Who Stayed at Home_ (I preserve their modest
anonymity) have contrived a sequel to that exciting and veracious stage
account of secret service activities. _The Man Who Went Abroad_ on one of
those famous State-paper chases, in which conspirators conspire in the
least likely places, such as the promenade decks of liners, is the man who
spent his time in chimneys at home in the earlier part of the War--_Kit
Brent_.
[Illustration: THE MAN WHO STAYED IN HIS TENT.
_Christopher Brent._ MR. KENNETH DOUGLAS.
_Ani Kiraly._ MISS IRIS HOEY.]
He had a cousin, _Lord Goring_, Cabinet Minister, bound on a mission to
Washington; and _Kit_, who was as like his cousin as clean-shaven KENNETH
DOUGLAS was like KENNETH DOUGLAS with a toothbrush moustache, took his
cabin while the important peer preceded him in another boat. On board _Kit_
disports himself as a fatuous ass, of the kind that hyphenated Americans
(in plays) would naturally assume to be the staple of a British Cabinet.
Not that _Goring_ really was such an ass; but it was _Kit's_ plan to be so
guileless as to induce the enemy agents to think they had a sitter. And I
must say they were pretty easily induced. Their general schema was to get
those inevitable papers, copy and return them, and delay _Goring's_ visit
to Washington, while the late lamented BERNSTORFF put in a suggestion which
would make the British schemes, whatever they were--it was secret service,
so we, rightly, never knew--look foolish. And they had the Hunnish idea of
compromising the silly peer with an irresistible Austrian _danseuse (Ani
Kiraly)_, so that fear of exposure (by Hidden-Hand Press) of intrigue with
enemy aliens would make him hand over the "papers." _Brent_ played up to
all this. But the lady of the ballet fell really in love with him, and
besides was actually a Dalmatian and on the right side, a fact which she
proclaimed at the top of her voice on the promenade dock, though, as she
added, it meant death if discovered. In New York the _Kiraly_ appears in
_Kit's_ bed-bathroom in the early morning, for devilment; to our loud
enjoyment, for the great bath joke has an assured immortality. The
_Kiraly's_ husband appears too. Fat in fire. When _Kit_ goes to the
hyphenated's flat to exchange fake papers in his belt for letter
acknowledging _Kiraly's_ innocence, an agitated Hun appears with the news
that the real _Goring_ is in Washington, and the papers all spoof; which
was annoying, as a reading-glass had already disclosed to the chief spy the
British Government watermark, which obviously proved they were genuine.
Nothing for it but to clear out (through a portrait of the All-Highest),
leaving _Kit_ in the safe to suffocate. Enter police (comic). Where is
_Kit?_ Brain-wave. In the safe, behind secret panel. Problem: how to open
it. The service was evidently so secret that it had never told one of its
brightest young men about combination letter-locks. But the dancer
remembers that the chief spy had carefully explained to her the letters of
the combination. Release of _Kit_ and a curtain which suggested that the
initiative remained with the _Kiraly_.
The authors are to be congratulated. They provided a good unpretentious
evening's entertainment. No dull and pedantic realism for them. The
dialogue was bright, occasionally to the sparkling point. The players were
competent and zealous. Mr. KENNETH DOUGLAS gave the right variety to his
three parts, _Goring_ as he was, _Goring_ as he was assumed to be for
purpose of bluffing the enemy, and _Kit Brent_; and he played his great
bathroom scene with humour and complete discretion. Miss IRIS HOEY was a
charming innocent adventuress with heart of gold and eye of gladness; Mr.
HIGNETT, as _Kit's_ self-possessed man _Cosens_, quite admirable, with just
the right mixture of friendliness without impertinence and restraint
without servility. Mr. WENMAN as a superabundant gum-chewing impresario,
and Mr. EILLE NORWOOD as head villain, were quite plausible in the
interesting and unlikely situation. I must say I like this kind of nonsense
immensely. T.
* * * * *
[Illustration: HOMEWARDS: AN ALLOTMENT IDYLL.]
* * * * *
A Cautious Prophecy.
"... One of the reasons of the satisfaction is that the huge yield of
the Loan effectively postpones any further borrowings on a similar
scale until the end of the War. By that time victory should either have
been attained or be in sight."--_Irish Paper._
* * * * *
"A well educated young lady, the daugter of a French interned prisoner
of war, desires to make the acquaintance with an English or American
family to mutually improve the languages."--_Daily Paper, Lausanne._
The result will be awaited with interest in editorial circles.
* * * * *