HANDS NOT HEARTS. * THE ostensible object of this fiction is

to point the moral of marriages where the band is given without the heart; but the fair writer has better succeeded in producing an interesting novel than in impressing her ethical doctrine. There is indeed a marriage for money, and a marriage for re- venge' and both are unfortunate enough ; but they are too singular to enforce a general conchision that shall come home to our "business and bosoms." And,when we say singular, we do not mean comprehensive; for the greater contains the less, and a useful impression is left upon the mind though the character and station of the reader are far below that .of the hero. Macbeth reads the lesson of guilty ambition, Othello of an ill-assorted marriage and credulous reliance, though tbe auditor may, be a young man of white complexion, or has not the most remote chance of mounting a throne.

The peculiarity of Hands not Hearts consists in the rarity of time .oase. Edward Eskdale does not marry Mary Bruce for money. in the.,,' common sense of the term. He is ardently attached to Ida Compton, a poetess and woman of commanding genius : but is led by Ids scheming,

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*Hands not Hearts; a Novel. Hy Janet W. HilkInson. In threC Volontes. raltt.t Jailed by Bentley. . hill ...1.--WZ-....74:146,4 ••• mother to believe that Ida is trifling-with him. As a relief, healiTutiges into dissipation, though with a very ,glOottiy-itirtyLvf,* . is again by hit mother persuaded to peoP6seW-Mr?' trim; an indifferent grace ; and neglects her afieunagiatte04kquanders her property. .ida Compton, on the other liaadAlusq4dag 130cle'n apparent neglect and scorn marries his uneley.: SirlhontasoEsiedale; deprive her quondam lover Of the title and family. estates.'_ expectancies brings Edward's creditors about ;141619ifelirateldent discovers that he never loved her but married for moiiialifaaident he and Ida now Lady Eskdale meet and explain ; so that,what with debts, duns, domestic difficulties, and a sense of the happiness lie has lost, the poor man is overwhelmed with troubles. To end them, he is on the point Of shooting himself; his wife bursts intoroein; in the confusiou his pistol goes off and wounds her; and tbe liuslianYrIghteued at what be has done, fairly "makes a bolt " of it and flees the country,—ra- ther, as it strikes us, a memento of_ weakness and:infirmity of purpose, than merely of a mercenary marriage. ;11,9,1 _ This 'portion of the story occupies little more'iMPrtilib third of the .work. Twenty years pass between the wound lat 4444441e, the flight of her husband, and the second rising :6(ia.parto&u...,: We have then her son grown to manhood and struggling with adverse- fortune ; two children of Lady Eskdale; and several previous characters, who ap- pear upon the stage to carry on the story in the Second generation. On its close, hearts are given with hands ; and the mercenary lover, (who turns up in time to be killed) as well as his evil genius and tempter, are punished at last.

It may be guessed from this outline, that the incidents and cha- racters in Hands not Hearts are not types of general nature modi- fied by modern life, nor portraits of any particular class, A mixture of the abstract and the Materials of the circulating library, with frequent importations from the melodrama, combine to make up the_staple of the work. This, however, is often enriched by creations of the author, or by a character derived -front-nature but adapted to art by passing through the writer's reind,, Mrs. Eskdale is of the former class ; so are Maud Foster and her brother the elergyman. They are not exactly living per- sons, or altogether strange to the reader of fictions ; but they are so consistent, so fluky:and so good., without being-mere insipid perfection, that 'they establiSli a claim npon- the reader's attention. Ida is a more strongly draVvtiAgVrominent character than either of these; Olivia Charl- ton, the herdiiie or the second part, a sweeter and more Attractive. The gem of the volume is Mr. Charlton the painter. His kindliness of heart, his good sense, his love of enjoyment, and his neglect of prudencein -pnr- suing it during his career of prosperity and fame, are a truthful de- lineation of the artist character in its better point of view, but With its weakneeses also. His patient submission CO- blindness and consequent adversity, . and the cheerful spirit with which he draws amusement from the -means 'within his reach, superadd an amiable and even dignified in- dividuality to the general type. The literary ability+. in Hands not Hearts is superior to the general run of novels, And in fatitgives..a Considerable portionof its interest to the work. Whether in description, reflection, narration, or dramatic ex- hibition, the composition is always clear, forcible, and effective, impart- ing character byffint of literary power. The Scenes are frequently melo- dramatic in fliptiselveS, and are Managed too much by merecontrivances; Imeihey arepliiverfid,. and they are numerous. The following incident may be taken as an example. Mr. Grantham, the melodramatio villain of the talnabas reined-Edward Eskdale; 'he is now bent upon performiog the same kind office for Lady Eskdale's son Algernon, that his first vie- irp hja, tingle's estates and ,pay him certain fraudulent debts. The Bei°, young, 'Edward, is present at Mr. Grantham's by acci- dent.

" Time passed, Edwaid, who refused to join him, gradually lost hcsatatiety ais to the latenesalif the home- in' theafeeinful interest with winch he watched Lis cousin and his associates, ea5f: "The whole truth lay bare before Iiime--no wonder he was aged and exhaueted: when he had sought excitement, in the gurnipg-table. Edward saw that Mr. Grantham made him his victim and soon suspected even more evil thari-he ow. His watchfulness, above all, 'extended to the foreigner whom he had encountered on his entrance. He perceived•that he at first stood aloof; that by degrees, and as by some irresistible fascination he drew nearer; that at length he took air. Grantham's place es Sir Algernon:6 opponent, and played with a skill beyetathat of the restee the party. .

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' " !kyle in all his perceptions unbeated by wine, and rendered mare. actite by . - edi his aff onate care tor his cousin, Edward before long became convineed'int M.. de'lliiie :URI-not trust to- chance for his success. He laid-his -hand &pen Alter- nonlaghotilder, -and tried to urge him to give up the dangerous gaitiee Stotti8Stprd, perhapa, of hisir,ntseaty-,-bisavateliftil glance and expression of suseaceonaafell like a spark of Ere upoti the guilty conscience of the foreigner. Edwurcl.,Feld scarcely tf# ilmyr it alkhappened, but an altercation took place, fierce worOs were exchanged; '60 aheaforeaher's part the language of insult and menace; on Edwarda of - ireitgnatihffclikeentitempt. What might have'enstied it was impoifaible todeeidef .41* itinhec,lety hottest of the squabble Mr. Grantham interpostel;-ain- ,effectitally.at firatefor,every evil passion was aroused in the breast of the gam- bler ; hot, with powerful gi asp he seized his,arin, aud whispered a short sentence in his ear. The flueh of anger fled from the listener's brow,'aud was suoceeded by the Mest deathlike aspect. He sank back on his'ehair with rigid features and eyes dilating.' Edward, who looked upon him win-fettling as he' would have done upon •a venomous -reptile, with disgust' bilt,notivhiclietiveriess; 'turned silently away from -what he regarded as an admissionnfigiiiits-onnabibition of cowardice. But Sir Algernon bad by this time comprehendedthapature of his cousin's accu- sation, and awakened to his own position of lope. Housing himself from, his usual torpor, lie burst into a very paroxysm of 'wratla=nienaced 31.-de'Bavel with disgrace and chastisement, nor spared Mr. Grantham in his denlitinaakaints.

" In vain did Edward interpose; in vain did even Mr. Granthangfieeitee to . arrest the vehemeuce of the quarrel. • • . :. disidD

".' Yon know_him to be what he is,' thundered Algernon,.'letjanonealta me his victim: _neje below me too far to receive the punishment,ofdt gent Maui . • 7

bilt you -=-:',' ' , .a -" Strange thit Grantham, who cared no more for the life of tf fifflofeMiture than for the cattle-which lay-scattered at his feet, should -betray ttailfailitilig de- AN to avert...the.consequences of such a threat. Yet, to the aeloniehmeetaef his neeenpanioneaehe, forebore..to refortaascarcely.byethe.workimewaf anattaturea did

he express his rage. ..,...a.P 1+94 0"..A°S8 c8r$01 But this seene amid not but. Partly urged by Edward, partly exhausted by ilia own violence, yet still breathing fury, Sir Algernon withdrew; and then all 5undedriL.othum, to booth or to irritate, at any rate to talk over the whole matter. Thank you, thank you, gentlemen,' he said, with his peculiar cold sneer; 'von are kindly sympathizing: bat the less you meddle with tbe affair the better. Deed no counsel at any time; and at the present moment my chief concern is that I feel sleepy.'

• tohirably clear hint, and one which was immediately taken. In ten minutes more no one remained in those sumptuous rooms except Mr. Grantham, and a motionless figure, which sat apparently unconscious of all around it.

" Once or twice, as he paced the saloon, did the former stop before it, and gaze upon it with a scorn and hatred quite fiendlike. But N. de Ravel neither moved nor spoke. "'Miserable craven !' muttered Grantham between his teeth: then, as he stood before him a fourth time, You have prepared a startling termination to the game I have played so long.'

" No answer.

"'You have entailed on me the pleasant necessity of shooting this puppy through the heart ; a handsome payment for my long endurance of you—a token of gratitude towards the man who has saved you for years from starvation, or

the --' • " ' Would thatI had starved !' answered a hollow voice: if I have lived, it has not been for my own happiness; if you have supported me, it was only because you hoped to make money of me.' " To recover it, you mean,' returned Grantham. Yes, it is true; I trusted you might outlive that puny shoot of a withered tree: but now it matters little; it will be small comfort to have your debts paid me, when I am being courteously tried for his—murder, as it is the fashion of our squeamish age to term it. Could you not for once resist your foreign habit of sleight-of-hand? Could you not IRA a curb upon that manly courage of yours or find some better mark for it than —P By heaven that such a father should have such a son!'

"'Ones I was like him I ' ejaculated the stnpified victim of this invective.

• Never!' cried the tormentor, with a sneer: never; not in your brightest days! He is as far above you, and above me also, as the heaven is above the earth.'

"'Why did you not tell me who he was?' was the sole reply of the guilty listener.

"'Why did you not attend to me when I named him? ' "'I did not hear you.' • I could pardon your villany„ were you wit such a fool,' exclaimed Grant ham, with a fresh burst of' indignation. Why did you put your foot on English ground again ? ' "'Because I have grown desperate; and you know it,' cried the other. 'For years I have lived the life of an abject outcast, eyfr on the brink of starvation, ever saved by some hardly-wrung pittance from you; a pittance you would gladly withhold, did you not hope to make money of me. I have lived on till I have learned to loathe life itself—' " ' So you have always observed,' interposed Grantham; 'but allow me to doubt the assertion. Death is a blessing you could have attained at any moment—from the law itself.'

"'I thankjon for the hint, Mollington,' replied he, rising from his seat. "Grantham started, put his hand again on his arm, and half forced him to re. same it.

"'Sit down, Ned,' he said, in changed accents. This is all nonsense; perhaps we are not as hard up as you think: at all events, you will gain nothing by flying off from me. I have always been your friend- ,

"'Friend!' repeated his companion, in slow shuddering tone.

" ' Whatever were my motives, I have acted as such; and even yet I do not despair: I may evade this encounter; there is not much between you and the estate.'

" 'Pooh ! he looks well enough.' "'Not he!' cried Grantham, eagerly. The seeds of death are sown: he was always a weakling, and his life of late has not been highly salutary.'

" 'Rejoice in it, if you will,' returned his friend; I shall profit but little.' '4 'You will be a fool if you don't,' muttered Grantham.

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" 'How so?' 1,1r "'There are your wife's settlements,' said Grantham, with a laugh." -(0 1.1.