A Close Ring. By Miss Betham-Edwards. (J. W. Arrowsmith and
Co., Bristol. 6s.)—Miss Betham-Edwards takes us over ground with which she has an unsurpassed familiarity. The " close ring" is a clan of Burgundian families, all related to each other, all interested in the staple industry of Burgundy,—the cultiva- tion of the vine. We are introduced to it in pre-phylloxera days, and the coming of that pest leads up to the catastrophe. But the plot is not meant to go for much ; the speciality of the book is the lively picture of French provincial life. Much, of course, turns on French customs of marriage. Ilda Miot is the self- possessed demoiselle, fully conscious of her advantages, more than passable good looks and a more than ordinary dot, quite capable of holding her own, but not too proud to learn ; only fate is too strong for her. On the other hand, the rebellion against these conventions is effectively represented by Armand. But the book is full of excellent portraits.
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