The Friendships of Veronica. By Thomas Cobb. (Alston Rivers. Gs.)—An
author with so largo an output as Mr. Thomas Cobb is bound to be uneven in his work, and it must be confessed that the last few books from his pen have left the reader with a profound sense of disappointment. It is pleasant to bo able to say that his latest work is a great improvement on its immediate predecessors, and, though it has no very serious pretensions, that it is well written and eminently readable. There is a slight ' difficulty in crediting the central situation of the book ; but once grant the possibility of a Minister of the Crown having a "past" like that of Mr. Alfred Firminger, and the rest of the story becomes interesting. The picture of an election campaign is well drawn, and if the hero is rather a bore, such is the fate of many deserving young gentlemen in fiction. The elimination of a certain Mr. Seton Earle from the story would also be an improvement, and would diminish the rather excessive number of friendships indulged in by Veronica. But even granting those minor defects, the book is well put together, and contains much more material than Mr. Cobb has lately vouchsafed his readers.
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