Nancy Desmond is the puritan, Mary Allen the pagan. Nancy is a painter with a studio on Washington Square. Mary Allen is a distinguished actress. Max Meredith, who has married one of Nancy’s college friends, comes to New York on business and looks her up. They see much of one another during his stay and find to their dismay that they have fallen in love. True to her instincts and her ideals Nancy sends Max away from her. In the meantime, Roger Greene, Nancy’s friend and teacher, has become infatuated with Mary and between these two there is no question of renunciation. They accept their love as a fact altho Mary refuses marriage. When Nancy learns of the affair she is crushed and finds how much Roger has meant to her. Later after a long separation, after she has seen Max again and after the other love has run its course, Nancy and Roger come together.
“Her picture will prove fascinating to those who do not know that it is not faithful.”
+ − Bookm 52:552 F ’21 90w
“There is a palpable unevenness in ‘Puritan and pagan.’ It is so surprisingly good in spots that we should not expect that an author could maintain that high level everywhere. The novel very frankly contrasts the puritan and the pagan, but it is a contrast, fortunately, which possesses no element of didacticism, no hint of moral purpose.” D. L. M.
+ − Boston Transcript p7 D 4 ’20 1050w
“The author has vividly portrayed several phases of New York life and analyzed skilfully several original characters, without forgetting that her main purpose was to tell a very old and very human story.”
+ N Y Evening Post p18 D 4 ’20 180w
“The plot is sound, the dramatis personae consistently interesting, and the action logical and generally swift.”
+ N Y Times p25 D 26 ’20 340w