THE MILLIONAIRE.* Tats is a clever, audacious, and sometimes valgar.novel,

written by a man who is thoroughly familiar with some phases of social life, both in England and America. The plot is somewhat etagey and conventional ; but the characters, thonghfor the most part slight and undevelOped, are drawn with care. Some of them do not contribute to the progress of the story, and are •trotted'ont like horses to show their paces; some are caricatures of leading

'The Miltioaaire. By Louis J. Jennings. 3 vole. London : Wm,Blackwood and Bona. Liberal politicians, and as caricatures are sufficiently-amusing. There is Mr. Chirp, who "understands the new-fangled elec-

tioneering machinery, and can work the Press "—arts which, ac- cording to Mr. Spinner, the Prime Minister, "require a very peculiar order of intellect, and of moral principles, to master them ;" there is Sir Reginald Tresham, an Under-Secretary .who, on returning from the United States, had criticised the House of Lords, and "had expressed opinions seemed to indicate .a lack of reverence for some of the most ancient and respected of English institutions ; " there is Sir Harmonins Strut, who puts his personal prejudices into his pockets, talks of life-long convictions and his delicate conscience, and assumes the imposing demeanour "which is usually accepted by the multitude as a sure sign of intellectual superiority;" And finally, there is the great Mr. Spinner himself, who is a child of the people, and studies every wish and thought of the public. The public, he informs Sir Reginald, does not like simplicity; and a statesman, therefore, should take care that his words mean as little as possible. " Observe," he says, " to what a great destiny I have been brought;" and yet I never

gave a direct answer to a question in my life." " Political

caricatures, when they have just enough verisimilitude to make them recognised, are sure to catch the eye or ear of the ground- lings, and form a ready way in a novel of adding to the reader's amusement. In The Millionaire the plot of the tale would be unaffectecLif such allusions had been omitted, but the author, it is evident, trusts for much . of the success he may obtain to the smartness of his sayings;—some of these, by the way, belong to the other side of the•Atlantic, and are racy of the soil.

Mr. Dexter File, if not the richest man in New York, is more wealthy, according to his own confession, than any American ought to be. He tan buy up railways, and a message from his private telegraph wire would shake the markets in London and Paris. "Most men, even of large ideas, are content to deal with thousands, or with tens of thousands ; Dexter File's dealings were frequently with millions." Such a &us se machind is as useful to a 'novelist as the good genius in a fairy- -tale ; and File's boundless wealth, combined with his honest heart and loyal sense of justice, sweep away obstructions from the path of the novelist in the most delightful way imaginable. Difficulties of birth and poverly are but trifling impediments to the course of true love when such a magician holds up his golden wand. How Mr. Margrave and his one lovely daughter Kate are disposqessed of an ancestral English home, and are drivento make a livelihood by hard work in London; how Kate on this change of circumstances deems it her dnty ienounce her lover, Sir Reginald ; how and why the news of this descent from wealth to poverty calls Dexter File to Englandi—will be

discovered by the readers of the tale. Our purpose. is not -to spoil their pleasure, but to show, as well as we can with- out doing so; the art of the writer. And to carry out this purpose let us pay a visit to Mr. File, who lives in Fifth Avenue, New York, and whose name is better known. on every Exchange in Europe than that of the Emperor of Russia or the

master of the Turkish legions. Two gentlemen are seated in File's back room, where, by the help of the telegraph, he carries on his business with the world. One of them is his trusted friend, Mr. Mink ; the other is the King of the Lobby, known in Washington as Don Pedro, "the most good-natired man alive," and the most successful in driving conviction home to the minds of wavering Congressmen. Let us listen to their conversation. Don Pedro is the first to speak :—

"' We shall have some trouble over that Bill which our friend wants,' said he to Mink—for File was writing, or pretended to be. There is a good deal of opposition to it?—' From what quarter 2' asked File, looking up.= Well, the fact is, that our best speaker, Blower, has gone back on us. It will be hard to do without him. Do you still attach much importitnce to getting this Bill passed I have not changed my mind about it in any way,' said File. What is the matter with Blower P'—' He has changed his mind; that's all I can get out of him.'—' Then let him change it back again. It will be his wisest plan.' File thought of certain notes which contained a record of a conversation that had taken place between .Blower and himself in that very room. It might be necessary to let the Con- gressman know of the existence of these notes. But that was a measure which he was very reluctant to adopt.—` I cannot make him out,' continued Don Pedro, taking a cigar Out of his waistcoat-pocket

and putting it in his mouth_ without lighting it. He says he has conscientious scruples.'—' I am sorry to hear that,' said File, with math gravity ; they are generally rather expensive things to me. How long hag he had them F'—' A week or two. He thought the Bill un- objectionable at first ; now he says he has taken a different view of his

duty.'—' Is that so How much did you offer him Five thousand dollars.'—' Double it ; see what effect that will have upon his conscience. We must have this affair arranged,-and Blower is necessary. Fire thousand was no price at all to offer him. You are ao fond of your money, Don Pedro, that yen hate to part with it.'—' Well, I•chn but try him again,' said the- King of the Lobby, rubbing his black, stubbly hair very haftl, still' sucking at his cigar.—' Do ; use your best arguments,' continued Dexter File, with a hard sort of smile. `Convince his judgment. That is what they call it, isn't it, Mink ?'- `I I guess that's the talk,' observed Mink, briefly. Judgment is rather up in the market just now.'—' It generally is'when I happen to want it. But what about your other men, Don Pedro ? Are they getting uneasy in their consciences, too ?'—' Not very bad ; I reckon

. they can be fixed. At any rate, I can count on enough to put this Bill through any day you like. Tucket of Okolono will vote for it : Tucker is a cheap man, and never suspects anything wrong. A cock- tail and a hundred dollar bill will do his business at any time. Flap, of Illinois, we shall want—I think he would be a most useful man:— 'Ask him to dinner ' said Mink, who hated formal dinners almost as much as Dexter File himself ; if he survives it, you can do what you like with him ; if he doesn't, you-Can do without him.'—' I have asked him for to-morrow night. With canvas-backs and unlimited champagne, much may be done with an Illinois Congressman. Then we shall begin operations next week, Mr. File ?'—' On Tuesday. You will hear from me that morning.' He nodded to the great lobbyist, and Don Pedro, who had by this time chewed up nearly half his cigar, passed out."

File has a burden on .his conscience which forces him to go to England. It was a difficult enterprise, one of the chief obstacles being that he had too much money ; for a million. aire is never his own master. He had . in the first in- stance sent his friend Hosea Mink thither, with certain private instructions, and also with power to buy up a rail- . way that paid no dividend. Mr. Bounce was the chairman of this unfortunate line—a smart man, who "slings about long words like a Fourth-of-July orator, and mixes them up with a lot about -honour, principle; and patriotism." Mink is intro- duced to Bounce, and is asked to address a meeting of the share- holders ; but " chin-music " is not in his line, and he prefers listening to the oratory of the chairman. "It was a splendid affair. The shareholders had received no dividend for years, but when one or two of their number asked questions on the subject they were hooted down by the others, and Mr. Bounce assumed a lofty air of injnred innocence At the end of the chairman's speech the audience looked, and perhaps felt, as if they already had their dividends in their pockets." Mink did the best he could for his friend in England, but his enterprise was fruitless, and File resolves to try if he can succeed better. And he does succeed to his heart's content, and makes the heroine of the tale as happy as her most ardent admirers could wish. Katie's character is pleasantly sketched, and, being a heroine, she is is as good as she is beautiful; but on the whole we prefer her American friend, the pretty widow, Sally Peters, who takes as deep an interest in Kate Margrave's love affair as if it were her own. When in England, File, whose limitless pocket allows him to do what he plenses, bays the beautiful country house which Margrave and his daughter Kate had been com- pelled to give up. He asks Mrs. Peters to help him in the choice of furniture. Sally pretends to fear her character will be com- promised by such an expedition.

"' Come along,' said File, enjoying the idea, One American can go anywhere ; I suppose two can do the same.. We havn't got to please anybody but ourselves.' Sally shook her head, and then she dis appeared from the room, and returned in a . few moments as radiant as the first beams of the sun in June. She tucked her little hand ander the millionaire's arm and led him off down Bond Street, and declined to let him call a cab. He was proud to be seen with one of the most beautiful women in London, and for the next two hours not a single thought in reference to stocks, bonds, or the money market crossed his mind."

They sit down to rest while making their purchases, and the following conversation ensues :—

" Were you ever married, Mr. File P asked Sally, after a brief pause.—' I was. But I may plead in extenuation that-it was a long time ago.'—' Before I knew you first ?'—' Long enough : if I had known any one like you, I should, not have got married as I did. It did not turn out very well with me. I was poor then'; perhaps that made a difference.'—'Yon think it is money that decides it,—that dreadful money ! It is that which has parted Kate .Margrave and her lover. You heard of that ?'—' I have heard something about it. ' Is this Reginald Tresham a fortune-hunter ?'—' Oh no—rdo not think that ; you would be doing him a great injustice. It is Kate's pride that keeps them apart. He has been very faithful tq her, and I am convinced she loves him. Is it not a pity to see two lives sacrificed like this ?'—' They would not be sacrificed : people get over these things much sooner than you suppose. I am real sorry for Margrave, now, because leas of fortune is a serious calamity—a sorrow that will be fresh every day.'—`And love is not like that,' said Sally, with incom- parable archness.—' It all depends,' replied the millionaire. ' I have bad so little experience in such affairs. Tell me something about it.' I mill not, for you ire laughing at me. I believe now that what they say of you is true,•=your heart is in your money-bags. Are you not ashamed of yourself ?'—' I am very much ashamed of myself ; but What can I do ? If my heart were not- in my money:bags, as you say it is, I lion% know what I should do with it. It must be some- where. Can you suggest anything ?'—' I might, perhaps,' replied Sally, with a very gentle voice, if I knew all the circumstances. I think perhaps you should get married again.'—What ! to some one of my own age ? Thank you, I prefer the money-bags.'—' How tire-. acme you are ! Of course.I mean to some one whom you would like, and who would 'like you. Some young person, of course.'—' Thank you, that would be better. But who would have a grizzled old cam- paigner such as I ?'—' Old ! There you are again, harping upon your age. Such stuff it is ! Some men are never old, and some are never young. I am sure you are kindhearted, in spite of what I said just now. And as for women taking you,' added Sally, shyly, yon need not give yourself much trouble about that. If you lived in England you might marry what a very eminent man has called a "dazzling duchess.'"—' What on earth should I do with a dazzling duchess ?

I have just told yon—marry her.' "

The Millionaire is a novel with sufficient liveliness throughout to sustain the reader's attention. The author's strength is to be seen in the half - humorous, half - satirical, delineation of character. The love-scenes, on the contrary, although pretty enough, verge upon commonplace,—we seem to have read them previously in twenty novels ; and when the author attempts poetical sentiment, and writes about the moon and stars, he gushes like a girl fresh from school.