Percy Talbot. By George Graham. 3 vols. (Saunders, Otley, and
Co.)—The character of the hero, brilliant, fascinating, and worldly, who appreciates not only polished manners, but real excellence of mind and heart, yet is determined to marry for money, is well worked out, and without the least extravagance or even warmth of style. This, however, only makes the improbability of the story more apparent. To suppose a man of this stamp living for weeks among people who very well know all the circumstances of the case, and yet remaining in ignorance of the fact that he is courting not the heiress, but the cousin of the heiress, is absurd, and even if he did marry such a virago as Florence Fleming he would manage her better than Percy Talbot does. Neither does such a man let his feelings at the death of the woman he jilted or the vio- lence of his wife drive him into suicide when at the height of worldly prosperity. Some of the minor characters, Mrs. Vavasour notably, are exceedingly well drawn, and the narrative is singularly well written and unaffected. It would, however, very well bear compression. There is not incident enough for more than two volumes. It is only fair to say a word of praise as to the printing of this novel, which makes read- ing it quite a pleasure.
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