Franklin Kane. By Anne Douglas Sedgwick (Mrs. Basil de Selincourt).
(Edward Arnold. 6s.)—It must be said at once that the interest of this story lies entirely in the definition of character. There are practically no incidents, at least only Bach as are caused by the various changes of feeling on the part of the dramatis personae. The novel is primarily concerned with an
American cosmopolitan spinster, Miss Althea Jakes, of about twenty-five years of age, who, taking a great fancy to an English girl, tries the effect of hiring an English country house and settling down in England. Complications are brought about by a pleasant and debonair cousin of Helen Buchanan's, who, not perceiving that his charming relative is head-over-ears in love with him, thinks it would be good for the family finances for him to marry Althea. The Franklin Kane of the title is a small, insig- nificant-looking American with a great heart, who is, and always has been, in love with Althea. Out of these not very promising materials Miss Sedgwick contrives to construct a most interesting story; and if the final outcome is somewhat disappointing, it cannot be said to be untrue to life. The only thing which rings a little false is that the devoted Franklin, when Althea is engaged to her Englishman, is persuaded to propose to Helen in order to furnish her with tho means of subsistence after her aunt's death. In the course of these fianlailles de eonvenance he falls desperately in love with his betrothed. Now the author has described Franklin as a man capable of a great passion and a great constancy, and the reader by the time that he reaches the later chapters of the book will have become so fond of him as to be rather disconcerted by his falling away from this ideal. The story is exceedingly well written, and the minor characters are sketched with vividness and distinction.
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