Circe's Lovers. By Leith Derwent. 3 vols. (Chatto and Windus.)
—" Circe" is a certain Lilian Desmond, who achieves a great success upon the stage, first in burlesque, then in the comedy of Shakespeare and Sheridan. Her lovers are three—to speak of those who appear in the scenes of this novel—the teller of the story, whom she pretends to love, to carry out purposes of her own ; Edward Stanhope, to whom her heart is really given; and Lord Hampstead, a philanthropic Peer, whom she marries for the sake of his title, his position, and his wealth. It is not a pleasant picture, this, that Mr. Leith Derwent has given us, a woman fooling men with her flatteries
and caresses; but it is drawn, we will allow, with a firm outline and in vivid colours. Circe is not a mere vulgar deceiver, trading on her beauty. There are some really subtle strokes in her character, and we find ourselves in doubt whether she is in earnest or no. We are made to see that she is even in doubt herself. In fact, we have here
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