Books: Poisoned Welsh Rabbit

A MAN'S ESTATE (279 pp.)—Emyr Humphreys—McGraw-Hill ($3.75).

Lloyd George knew my father, Father knew Lloyd George.

This song, sung to the tune of Onward, Christian Soldiers, was chorused by Welsh Laborites after World War I when they wanted to deride the chapel-bound piety of the Liberal Party, whose politicians were then riding high on the swallowtails of "the man who won the war."

It might well be the theme of Emyr Humphreys' fine novel. Elis Felix Elis, M.P., once had Lloyd George for the weekend at his family home, the biggest house in Pennant, North Wales. But Elis died at 40 before this rich...