Kinsfolk. By Mary Deane. 3 vols. (Hurst and Bla,ckett.)— The
relationships of the characters in this novel are a little per-
plexing. This is a weariness to the reader as he goes on, and
his pleasure is dashed by the tragedy which, at the very begin- ning of the story, darkens the lives of the two people who alone
are really interesting. We do not quite see why Anaple Cheyney married a man for whom she had no particular fondness. Was it only to amuse the mischievous lady who made the match ?
We have made some criticisms on the plot of the novel, but we gladly acknowledge that there is much power in the composition, and in the working out of the story. Much of the scene is laid in Fr vice, in the time when Napoleon was First Consul. The picture of him is remarkably well drawn, and so is that of the Court which surrounded him, with its sham splendours. The audacious Parthenope, too, is a striking figure, and there is an eminently pathetic touch in the affection of her one faithful admirer, the gamin " Cri-cri."
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