15 FEBRUARY 1896, Page 23

Castle Sombras. By H. Greenhough Smith. (Nownes.)—A very thrilling romance

is Castle Sonsbras, with its brave heroine Thyrza, and its villain Sir John Sombras. The blindfold duel is a terrible tour de force, and the excitement and the weird horror of some of the scenes are very vividly described. Perhaps the pistol changes hands too many times, and Sir John Sombras is allowed too many chances of turning the tables, but we can readily forgive this abundance of incident and the rather modern form of the language, in the dramatic vigour of the descriptions and the strong imagina- tion shown. Mr. Smith ought to dramatise Castle Sombras; it would need but little alteration.