Elsa; or, Fiction and Fact. By Corney Welper. 3 vols.
(Tinsley Brothers.)—It was Mr. Welper's intention to present his readers with a simple narrative, quite free from any sensational element. We cannot say that he has quite carried out this purpose. The "Prologue" de- scribes an altercation carried on over a grave by two women, each of whom believes herself to have been the lawful wife of the man who lies beheath. This is a somewhat startling incident. Nor is the rest of the story quite so subdued in tone as the writer would lead us to expect. A well-born young lady, whom we first know as a gamekeeper's niece, and who des-elopes into a circus-rider, is the heroine. The hero turns up long after he has been supposed to be dead, and explains that his would- be' murderer was killed by a faithful dog. These are not common in- cidents, and we cannot help hoping that the character of Mr. Pilpher, the lawyer, is as unusual among gentlemen of his profession as the name would certainly be inconvenient. We should like to see in one very short volume Mr. Welper's idea of a sensational novel.
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