CURRENT LITERATURE.
Dr. Rumsey's Patient. By L. T. Meade and Clifford Halifax, M.D. (Chatto and Windus.)—The authors of this novel call it " a very strange story " in their title-page, and then they rather spoil their case in their prefatory note by telling us that " as a matter of fact absolute lapses of memory for a long time are on record, and the story here described is only an extreme example of this interesting though happily rare phenomenon." In this explanation the whole plot of Dr. Rumsey's Patient is given, at least in skeleton form. Robert Awdrey, a young squire, kills in self-defence Horace Frere, a young student who is infuriated with rage, love, and jealousy, and then, thanks to hereditary disease, forgets all about the matter. Meanwhile Everett, who is Frere's rival, is arrested on a charge of murder. !Jetty Armitage, the pretty girl who is, of course, at the bottom of the trouble, has seen the homicide, but being in love neither with Frere nor with Everett, but with Awdrey, resolves to screen him. Nor does she rectify matters to such an extent as lies within her power until she is on her death-bed. Awdrey has two guardian angels, his wife and his medical man, Dr. Rumsey, who makes a specially careful study of him, and with success. There is no doubt that the story is skilfully constructed and well told. Awdrey, his wife, and the doctor are careful and in every way admirable studies.
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