12 OCTOBER 1889, Page 42

Hilary St. John. By Mrs. A. Price. 2 vols. (Hurst

and Blackett.)—This is in many ways an admirable novel. It has about half-a-dozen really lifelike and interesting characters ; the story does not drag, but moves along briskly and pleasantly ; and the literary style is at once vivacious and unimpeachable. The obstinate, impulsive, proud, domineering, but thoroughly good- hearted old lady, Miss Humphreys, is a great success, and her portrait gives one the impression of having been painted from a living original. If not, all the more credit is due to Mrs. Price's creative powers. The heroine of the book is a young relative of Miss Humphreys, who has brought her up and educated her, and everybody supposes that Hilary St. John will be the old lady's heiress. When, however, Miss Humphreys dies suddenly, it is cEscovered that the whole of her property, with the exception of a le,Tacy of £2,600 to Hilary, is bequeathed to Niv.08 Stafford, the hal &working, unselfish clergyman, with whomAlke testator has had constant tiffs. Poor Hilary, a most winning gip))

sinks into very low water, and is on the point of marrying a scoundrel to save her heartless and disreputable father from ruin, when a surprise is sprung upon the reader in the shape of a revela- tion that the will has been accompanied by a private letter to Stafford, instructing hiin to draw the income of the property for two years, and then to make it over to Hilary, preserving strict secrecy in the meantime concerning this extraordinary arrange- ment. Stafford's conduct during the two years is somewhat incomprehensible, and there are several little indications that Mrs. Price is not quite at home amidst the perplexities of a tangled plot ; but when she is out of the tangles her work is excellent.