4 AUGUST 1923, Page 19

This little collection of stories is eminently suited for sea-

side or holiday reading. A hot afternoon should be chosen, and if possible the oscillations of a hammock should be used to produce a slight feeling of giddiness. This will tend to bring down the intellect of the reader to the level required. The sketches are intended as answers to the eternal question which we ask ourselves when our friends present us with-their newly-acquired husbands or wives : " What on earth could have induced' her/him to marry that man/woman ? " The author provides a series of fairly entertaining answers. There is a touch of sentiment in " A Beautiful Superstition " which will serve to bring an agreeable tear to a somnolent eye. But though these stories may be all very well for midsummer holidays, Mrs. Belloc Lowndes should provide us with some- thing more bracing for Christmas and Easter.