Mr. Mackail's nover begins a little shakily, vfith a pound
of facetiousness to an ounce of humour, a heavy touch, and an assumption of almost compromising familiarity with his readers. This is how he introduces his heroine. The other beafities of Sloane Street, minutely described, are discovered to. be " second rate " after all, " whereas. Anne Drummond— well, I mean to say, what about those eyes ? What about that neck ? And, in strictest confidence, what about those ankles ? Don't be afraid of having a good look at her, homage from passers-by is her right and her due." Anyone who, upon arriving at this point, could bring himself to give up reading Summertime would probably carry away a very false impression of Anne Drummond. She was not at all that sort of person, but the at once enslaved and neglected daughter of parents whose only concern in life was to keep green the memory of their son who had been killed in the War. Mr. Mackail handles this theme excellently once his story gets into its stride ; and his dialogue, when not bent upon being funny, often has the very flavour and echo of real speech. His style, too, apart from inexplicable lapses in the earlier chapters, is workmanlike and even distinguished.
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