Turner Cotton is a pseudonym which Mr. Mortimer Collins has
for the time seen fit to use ? If Mr. Cotton is a distinct person, he certainly writes in a style which bears a very curious resemblance to that of the anther of the "Princess Clarice." This being said, it will be easily understood that he is always readable, often amusing, and not un- frequently somewhat reckless. Mr. Cotton, like his double or master, has read many books and knows many things, shows variety and taste in his quotations, and generally gives his readers the idea of a man who has considerable powers, which he takes the least possible trouble to use to the best advantage. There is a gaiety and good-humour about him which easily obtain pardon for his offences, but there is certainly•hot unfrequent offence in the crude dogmatism of his judgments on matters social, ethical, and literary. As for the story itself, there is not much need of criticism. We take the words "A tale of love and conspiracy" to be a sort of apology for what is more of a romance than a novel of life. Mr. Carington himself, the hero, is of the Sidonia type, a man of impossible power and incredible resources, always intervening when the progress of events requires his help. A wealthy noble who has a great wrong upon his conscience, a set of conspirators numbered one, two. three, &c., a Russian prince, two heroines, and a variety of other characters, play out a drama which, if one does not too carefully inquire as to its probability, is sufficiently interesting.
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