22 FEBRUARY 1913, Page 27

The New Humply-Dumpty. By Daniel Chaucer. (J. Lane. 6e.) —Galizia

is a country where there are bull-fights and the Portuguese language is spoken and a republican government lately exiled their young king. All the republic's horses and men agree with certain adventurers from outside to put Humpty. Dumpty back again. They succeed in a bloodless counter- revolution. From this fact it may be gathered that the royal family of Galizia represents no living persons. The book is really a setting for the romance of the unhappy Lady Addington and the cosmopolitan idealist, Macdonald, who wins the devotion of everyone except his wife, and for the amusing banter of " Daniel Chaucer." His detached accounts of fantastic positions make the story entertaining reading. There are many shrewd hits at all kinds of present-day follies. The only caricature is the .Socialistic, crazy "cat " to whom Macdonald is unhappily married. 'The sense of honour of the well-bred characters is a strong theme of the author, putting him into difficulties with the brutal Aldington and the coarse rascal of a Russian Grand Duke.