Dearly Bought. By G. Fitz-Roy Cole. (T. Fisher Unwin.)—Mr. Cole
has made the not uncommon mistake of putting into three volumes what might have been easily contained in two, or even one. In its present form, Dearly Bought is rather heavy reading. Nothing perhaps can afford a clearer illustration of this than the description of Schamyl in the third volume. It has little or no connection with the story, and, indeed, is more fitted for a bio- graphical dictionary than for a novel. Again, the episode of Antonius Kohen's love for the Princess Marie might well have been omitted. Like the ch eters on Schamyl, it is very little else than padding. With all it., faults, however, the novel is not with- out interest. Had it only been better constructed, Mr. Cole's book might have been very readable. But to write a historical novel and to avoid burdening it with too much history, is not an easy thing.
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