24 APRIL 1897, Page 12

The Alternative. By Reginald E. Salwey. 2 vols. (Hurst and

Blackett.)—This tale may be described as a mixture of the novel and the romance. The plot is distinctly romantic; the two marriages and the unexpected appearance of the true heir are familiar properties. The grand renunciation with which the story is, so to speak, wound up, is a more original effort, but certainly not nearer to actual life. On the other hand, the characters have, for the most part, the look of having been studied from Nature. The narrow-minded mother is a par- ticularly striking figure. On the whole, we cannot but feel that Mr. Salwey's undoubted powers might have been employed to better purpose. Still, The Alternative is a quite readable story.