For Love of a Bedouin Maid. By Le Volenr. (Hutchinson
and Co.)—This is an exciting and brilliant romance of the great Napoleon's days. The hero, an officer in the Guards, saves Napoleon's life on his return from Italy, and then accompanies him to Egypt. Here he falls in love with the "Bedouin maid," who is half-French by birth. From this time his feelings towards the First Consul axe changed by a wrong done to this woman by the Consul, and, urged on by Halima's thirst for re- venge, he plots against Bonaparte, but always when near the man falls under the spell of his fascination. The story abounds in incident. St. Just's adventures in the desert, his wanderings as a spy, his hairbreadth escapes, maintain the interest at a high level throughout the story. Halima eventually becomes a somewhat unpleasant character, but St. Just, after undergoing incredible dangers, and again and again being spared by Napoleon from mere whim, returns to his old allegiance. It is decidedly brilliant, and reminds us of Dumas's style of fiction, with the brisk, pointed dialogue, the fondness for playing with historical characters and the somewhat peculiar morality. Halima will remind some of us faintly of that terrible creature in "The Three Musketeers," though she has not her thirst for blood. Our author makes free with his great person- ages, and is not particular what they do. We should not place " Le Voleur's " work in young people's hands, but it is a book to be read by the older ones.
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