Freville Chase. By E. H. Dering. 2 vols. (Burns and
Oates.)— This is a religious novel, written from the Roman Catholic stand-point.
In place of characters, Mr. Dering uses talking automata, and his hero, Everard Freville, is a specially pretty piece of mechanism. He and Ida Dytohley have been engaged since their early youth. Sir Richard Dytchley (Ida's father) is that bad thing, 'liberal' Catholic. He has allowed his wife to partly pervert his two daughters, who are saved from apostaoy by Everard. Now comes in the evil of mixed marriages. Lady Dytchley, a Protestant, seeks to prevent the marriage of Everard and Ida. For this purpose, she takes unto her- self an accomplice, a certain Italian Marquis Moncalvo, supposed to belong to a secret body called the Sect.' The machinations are only too successful. By suppressing and garbling letters, they induce Ida to marry the marquis. The ceremony, which takes place in Rome, is just over when Everard arrives. He is very violent, but merciful at the last moment. He withdraws, to undergo awful suffer. ings of mind and body, but partly recovers, and continues his conversations through another long volume, at the end of which he dies, an example followed by Ida, whom the wicked marquis has ill- treated. During the story, Everard becomes some one else, a feat, we learn from the author's reference to another of big works, rather popular with his creations. While ho has few of the gifts necessary to a novelist, Mr. Hering possesses culture and literary facility which would stand him in good stead in another form of literature.
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