Curayl. By Una L. Silberrad. (A. Constable and Co. Gs.)—
The sermon preached in the first chapter of this book by the hero, who is masquerading as a clergyman for a purely benevolent purpose, makes an excellent and interesting opening to the story. It also incidentally proves the extreme danger of a disguise, even when assumed with the best intentions, although it must be said that Luttrell's masquerade does not lead to any very momentous consequences except to himself. The story of the lady of Curayl is a rather sordid tragedy, in which the charaeers are sufficiently lifelike for the reader to be glad to know that a happier fate awaits the heroine at the end of the volume. In fact, in this book the character-drawing is the most successful part, Luttrell himself, Beatrice, Dr. Tollinger, and Sir William Goyte all standing out in high relief against the background of the events of the story. The figure of Mrs. Wythe should also not be forgotten, as the author contrives to make her rather less conventional than the typical wicked, plotting old woman who occurs so often in novels. Mrs. Wythe has some of the qualities of a witch—that is, of the witch of fiction—and they supply her with the romance which such a character needs. The whole book, in fact, is romantic in spite of the chief episode being a modern epidemic of typhus in a small hamlet. The house of Curayl makes a good background for the story, which is successful in as far as it engages the attention of the reader, though, perhaps, a doubt may be permitted as to whether it is quite Ili) to the literary standard which Miss Silberrad has set for herself in her previous work.
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