20 DECEMBER 1851, Page 27

THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.*

Tins novel exhibits a great improvement over both its predecessors. The pictures of common life are more numerous, if not more gene- ral; there is more action, greater variety of persons and events, and a more sustained interest in what constitutes the story of the fiction. The two deficiencies of Olive are not quite got over. The pictures of life, so far as the romance is concerned, are extremes ; there is none of the questionable morality of Olive, but there is the ever-occurring defect in fictions—the moral character of the persons is not such as fully to engage our sympathies.

The pictures of daily life consist of a Scotch family and its connexions, naturally drawn, and with traits of minute and cha- racteristic truthfulness, individual as well as national. The ro- mance, that which constitutes the interest of fiction in opposition to that of matter-of-fact, though extreme in its conception, is broadly conceived and powerfully developed; the skill of this writer in delineating scenes and situations of passion having im- proved with the other faculties.

The story revolves round Ninian Grmme, "the head of the family " ; the interest being made to centre in him, and turning chiefly upon a Scotch marriage, which the villain of the piece has contracted in his family name of Sabine, and afterwards marries again in his second name of Ulverstone. The first wife is an exceptional but a distinctly-conceived and very strikingly- drawn character. Rachel Sabine, ne Armstrong, is a Border peasant, of queenly features and presence, with genius and strong passions. Like Cymon, her mind is developed by love ; she is edu- cated, or rather, is stimulated by Ulverstone to educate herself. When he forsakes her, she becomes insane, and on her recovery, finally resorts to the stage, where she achieves a great success. A younger brother of Ninian, a genius and a dramatist, is subse- quently connected with Rachel, in pursuit of his art and a hopeless passion. These serve to introduce scenes and men upon town ; when Edmund Grieme is involved in a life of dissipation, from which be is rescued by his elder brother. John Forsyth, a minis- ter of the Kirk, a friend of Ninian, is also attracted to Ra- chel with even less success than Edmund, for lie is almost contemptuously repulsed; and his change from the mild cler- gyman to the stern and gloomy enthusiast, half fanatic, half madman, is admirably depicted, especially the overweening sense of his position as a "minister of God." ninon is also called upon as "the head of the family," to provide for his younger bro- thers and sisters, whose character and career form some part of the novel ; but the great point of interest is with the second mar- riage of Ulverstone. Hope Ansted is Ninian's ward. In time he falls deeply, secretly, and hopelessly in love with her. His dis- tress is great when she marries ; it rises to agony when Ulverstone is identified as Sabine, and he is called upon to do right to Rachel at the expense of Hope. The fundamental incident of the double marriage is one not well selected for the highest class of fic- tion, as the character of Rachel, from its stern, unfeminine nature, and that of Ulverstone, from its selfishness and mean- ness, are not much calculated to inspire sympathy : but everything connected with this incident, from Ninian's first doubts in the first volume until its gradual development, with the death of ITlverstone, the relapse of Rachel into insanity, the death of Hope's little son, and her final refuge with Ninian and his elder sister, are truthfully and powerfully drawn, with a quiet strength which adds to the effect.

Both Rachel and Ulverstone are introduced at a very early period, and their connexion and importance to the story is indi- cated to the genuine novel-reader by a touch which however slight

• The Head of the Family; a Novel. By the Author of "Olive" and "The Ogil- vie')." In three volumes. Published by Chapman and Hall.

is like the theme of a tune. The mystery of Ulverstone is pre- served till towards the denouement; that of Rachel is unfolded to the reader and Ninian in the first volume. The following inter- view tells its own story.

"She looked round to assure herself that they were alone, then gave him, slowly and with a mechanical, businesslike air, a paper, which he now saw she had held crushed in her left hand the whole time.

" I received this yesterday.' "Mr. Grxme unfolded it quickly. It was a blank envelope containing several Bank of England notes. His heart misgave him ; but still he asked as indifferently as he could, Did she know from whom it came ? '

" 'He sent it.'

" Mr. Sabine, your—' Ninian paused upon the words your husband,' for he saw that at the very mention of the name of Sabine the life had come again into that poor frozen face. He had gone aside to examine the notes by the light of the lamp ; Rachel got up and crossed the room to him, guiding herself by tables and chairs, her whole frame, once so rigid, quiver- ing and swaying like one who rises from a dying bed and tries to walk. "Do you see that ? ' she said, slowly pointing with her finger to the en- velope, which he had thrown aside.

"It was in a hand somewhat round and forced, as if the writer wished to disguise it. The address was to Hiss Rachel Armstrong.

"Ninian looked—looked again ; he would have turned his eyes anywhere rather than meet hers.

"'What does my husband mean ?'

" I cannot tell ; I must have time to think. Are you quite sure this writing is his ? '

" 'I—not to know his writing! It is different certainly ; he—he intends it for a jest—I think so. Do not you ?' said she, uttering the words pain- fully, with quick, short breath.

"Ninian made no answer.

" You see, it must be a jest, or he would not write my name "Rachel Arm- strong." ' It seemed that all her will and mental power were expended in arranging these few consecutive words. Having uttered them, she stood, her eyes fixed on Ninian; as if his next sentence, his next look, contained her doom.

"But he remained quite silent, turning the papers over and over, in close examination. At last Rachel touched him on the arm.

" I cannot—I cannot,' said he, huskily. mean I cannot give you an answer just yet. Sit down, my poor girl, and tell me more. Did this man-' "With something of the old wrathful pride lighting her eyes, she cor- rected him= My husband.' " 'Did he answer your letter ? Have you had any sight or tidings of him until now ?'

"Her whole frame seemed to collapse with some nameless fear, as she faintly uttered 'No !' "Ninian felt that the crisis was come, when he, and he alone, must un- fold to this wronged woman the extent of her wrong. What that was, he was himself at present uncertain. One of two things must be the truth. Either the marriage was false, or he—the husband—wished her to believe it so. In any case he had deserted her. " 'Rachel,' said Ninian, trying to prepare her in some way, this is a bitter trial for you. How can I help you ? ' "'Tell me, for I cannot quite understand, what it is my husband minas?' "'Nay, but what think y ou ?

" '1 c.annot tell, my head is all strange. Perhaps on account of my dis- obeying him he is very angry. Still, I will have patience : I will follow him to the world's end, but he shall forgive me. He ought, for am I not his wife ?'

"'Show me,' said Ninian, in as indifferent a manner as he could assume, show me the marriage-acknowledgment you told me of.'

"'I have it not. Why do you weary Inc about it ? I am not thinking of that now,' she answered. i

" You have t not ! Where is it then ? Tell me; I must know.'

" My husband has it.' "Ninian looked aghast. Even Rachel, unsuspicious as she was, saw some- thing in his countenance that terrified her. He had the presence of mind to conceal his doubts; only saying, 'Did you give the paper to him, or did he take it ?' " gave it. I had no safe place to keep it in, and in whose possession ought it to be but in my husband's ?' "'That is true, if he were an honourable man.' " 'If! You do not doubt that ; you could not ; you dared not! He may be angry with me, scorn, despise me ; alas ! no wonder; yet you see the thought has almost crushed me. He may even in his auger forsake me for a time ; but if he were to deceive me in the lightest thing—mind, I say only in the lightest thing—it would drive me mad!' "'Keep calm, Rachel,' said Ninian, gently ; but she went on unheeding. " 'For years I have believed in him wholly, worshipingly ; almost as I believed in God. If I could do so no more, I should believe in nothing either in earth or heaven ; I should sink down—down—until devils clutched me and made me—oh, there is nothing so vile that I could not be made, if I once lost faith in him !'

"AB she spoke her whole likeness changed from weakness to strength, from paleness to the glow of fierce emotion ; dazzling almost as youthful beauty. She looked her old self again, or even more glorious.

" ' It is false ! ' she said, walking the room stately and fair. 'He may not be all perfect ; I think '—and her voice faltered a little—' I think in some things he has not used me well; but, that he should stoop to be that which you, by your cruel if' implied, is utterly false—utterly impos- sible !'

"It was a piteous thing, and so Ninian thought it, to see that while she divined the fearful suspicions which as yet had not passed his lips, they seemed to awake in her no terror of the consequences to herself. She only felt the dread of doubting her husband, the agony of his being degraded in her eyes.

"Mr. Grreme knew not what to do. To tell the deceived girl what he him- self believed to be the truth, that the marriage, if ever legal, was now ren- dered questionable by the fact that its sole proof was in the hands of the hus- band, who had, doubtless, destroyed it, seemed wasting idle words upon air. She would never believe that he was thus guilty. To hint at such a thing would only enrage her beyond all bounds. And after all, the man whom she loved thus passionately might not, could not, be such a villain. Ninian de- termined to run the chance, and until further evidence to presuppose Geof- frey Sabine all that Rachel believed. " You must not he angry with me,' he said, deprecatingly. We learn to distrust every one, we men of law. And you must remember I never knew anything of your husband.' " Oh, that you had ! But you will, for I must find him out; and you must help me. If he wishes to renounce me he shall; it is his will, a.1 submit ; but he must forgive me—see me once more—let me cling to his breast, and bid him farewell. If I could only die, then and there, with his arms clasping me, and his face leaning over me ! He never knew, he never

ean know, how wildly I loved him, year by year, as a child, as a girl, as a woman, till at last I loved him as a wife. Ay, I am his wife ! unworthy in- deed, but still his wife !'

"These words struggled out amid bitter moans, as, subdued in complete humility, she sat by the hearth, and gave way to a flood of tenderness and wo. Ninian marvelled to trace in her mien so much of feminine softness. It was for the last time. He never saw the woman in her again."