One False Step. By Andrew Stewart. (Oliphant, Anderson, and Ferrier.)—Mr.
Stewart's book is a somewhat indifferent per- formance. On the whole, the plot is moderately well contrived. It is not by any means original ; but still, it is worked out with a certain amount of skill. The rest of the story is distinctly poor. The dialogue is weak, and the style throughout is absurdly turgid and bombastic. We will give an instance. The heroine is accosted by an unwelcome lover, who, carried away by his passion, rudely seizes her hand. Mr. Stewart describes the scene thus :—" The book and small bag she had been carrying had fallen to the ground in the struggle to release herself from the passionate grasp of her persecutor, whose hot breath, flavoured with the fumes of brandy, fell like a blasting sirocco on the pale cheeks of the trembling girl." "Blasting sirocco" is very fme.
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