The Mystery of Dandy Court. By Fergus Hume. (Jerrold and
Son.)—This is a tale of an ordinary kind, but told, as might be expected from the author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," with more than ordinary cleverness. The plot turns upon the possession of a mysterious ring which a certain "Sir Piers Lametry" possesses, and which one Durrant, a moneylender, wishes to obtain for an American millionaire, who is willing to pay him a very handsome commission for his services. It would not be fair to the author to analyse his plot. One question, however, we may ask. How did Will Kynsam, whose " father, Major Kynsam, married Sir Piers Lametry's only sister," succeed to the baronetcy after the death of Sir Piers and a brother ?' Baronetcies do not pass through the female line, except by some special provision in the creation. A writer should be careful in such details as this.—Jim B. By F, S. Carew. (Methuen.)—Thies is one of the stories which give, and apparently are meant to. give, sheer, unmitigated, purposeless pain. "Jim B." is born to trouble. He is an unworldly man who has to live in the world The catastrophe is brought about by a bad woman, who. might have been kept decently straight if her husband had not
been so much out of touch with common things. If Mr. Carew means; to be a moralist, he is making a mistake ; these conun- drums do not help morals ; if he is thinking of art, such stories are not artistic.—Ghetto Tragedies. By I. Zangwill. (McClure and CO—There is a grim reality in these " tragedies " which makes them most effective. Mr. Zangwill knows his subject well, and he uses his knowledge with rare artistic skill, though with no mercy to his readers. We must own, while confessing the literary power of the work, that we do not see the raison Ware. The tragedies of history and of ordinary life we must face, even though we have no clue to their meaning ; but what of the tragedies of fiction ?
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