The Marriage Ventures of Marie - Louise. By Max Billard. Translated by
Evelyn, Duchess of Wellington. (Eveleigh Nash. 12s. 6d. net.)—It is doubtful, hardly doubtful some might say, whether this book was worth writing, or, when written, worth translating. The life of a woman so commonplace, so heartless, and generally so uninteresting would not have been worth record but for the fact that she occupies, and must occupy, a place in history. It is one of the disadvantages of Monarchy that some quite insignificant persons are made prominent by the institution. As we have many reasons for being quite content with it on the whole, we can put up with even worse things than this book. It is evidently the result of careful study, and is sufficiently read- able, the subject once taken for granted. Of course there are morals to be drawn from the story. It begins with an infamous bargain. Whether Marie-Louise could in any case have become an estimable character may be doubted; but her first marriage may be said to have sealed her fate. Nor are these arrange- ments wholly out of date. Now and then we have a gleam of genuine light, in the character of Mineval, for instance. He was in her suite when she left France, and remained for some time, and contrived somehow to be dutiful to her while he was faithful to Napoleon.
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