8 SEPTEMBER 1877, Page 21

Only a Love Story. By Iza Daffus Hardy. (Hurst and

Blackett.)— A very pretty, very sad love story is this which Miss Hardy tells us, in her latest and best novel. We are glad to observe the progress she is making in constructive skill, and we acknowledge that this is one of the few novels which must be forgiven for not ending well. It ends nobly. Its heroine is one of those who learns to do without happiness, but instead thereof finds blessedness. There is a great deal of interest in the plot, and the characters—we recognise one or two portraits among them—are firmly drawn and oonsistently developed.