In Vallombrosa. By Adeline Sergeant. (F. V. White and Co.)
—We have remarked more than once that the conflict of passion and duty, love contending with the obligations of law and honour, is a subject of which it is easy to have too much. But if it were always treated with the tact and delicacy with which Miss Sergeant treats the affection of Cecily Marchmont and Frank Wycherley, we should not have a word of complaint. Cecily and her husband have parted by mutual consent, not without grave cause. He comes back stricken with mortal disease; the scenes which follow are described with a quite admirable feeling. The confession which she makes to him of her affection for Frank, and his reception of it, is about as pathetic a thing as we have ever seen. No one, we should think, could read it without some salu- tary emotion. In Vallombrosa is as good a piece of work as Miss Sergeant has done. The description of scenery is particularly fine.
Previous page
