A Change of Air. By Anthony Hope. (Methuen.)—The olover novelist
who calls himself " Anthony Hope " continues to improve. The hero of his latest tale is a minor poet, whose gains, by-the- way, are described with a Monte-Cristo-like extravagance. He is a prophet of free-thought and free-everything till ho tries the "change of air," Then he finds that while you may think with Radicals, it is pleasant to live with Tories. He ranges himself, and even writes an ode of welcome to a royal highness who is about to visit the rural locality where he has fixed his dwelling. Meanwhile, he has a follower who has taken him too seriously, and who is driven into madness by his desertion of the "cause."
Then comes the crisis of the tale, which, lest we should spoil the story, we will not describe. One admirable stroke we must men- tion. There is just a touch of cynicism in our author ; but when we come to the scone in which a certain Nellie is supposed to distinguish herself, we feel convinced that at last we are to have something really heroic. Nothing could be more ingenious than the way in which this hope is disappointed. This reminds us of a little piece of advice which we are disposed to offer to " Anthony Hope." He has proved abundantly that he can write this lighter fiction very well. His plots are ingenious, and his dialogue sparkling. It is about time for a serious piece of work.
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