15 OCTOBER 1904, Page 21

of wine is ingenious, and the adventures of the thief,

the hero, and the police in search of the accidentally dispersed magnums are often amusing. But the 1Iindoos who commit every atrocity in order to get hold of the jewel are really such familiar friends as to have lost their power to surprise the reader, and the strict dishonesty of their motives (in contrast to those of Mr. Collins's Hindoos) does not impart much originality to their actions.