t of the long run was from Crefeld to the
Dutch frontier, over every obstacle that you can imagine (and a few
more, including an admirable thrill almost on the post), one is left
with the comfortable feeling that the prize was well earned. You will
rightly judge that most of _The House of Courage_ is rather more
frankly sensational than Mrs. RICKARD'S previous war-work; but it
remains an excellent yarn.

* * * * *

When _Esme Hillier_, possessed by _The Imp_ (HODDER AND STOUGHTON),
was only ten, in a fit of annoyance she pushed the hero (to whom she
had had no previous introduction) into the sea. I have some sympathy
with her energetic protest, for a Highland Chieftain even at the
age of sixteen should know better than to row about in an open boat
kissing a young lady. _Esme_, a pained spectator, showed her public
spirit by punishing his bad form, but in the act she sealed her own
fate, for after this it was inevitable that they should ultimately
marry each other, the girl of the kissing episode notwithstanding. The
immediate incentive to their union, which was by the Scotch method,
was that _Esme_ had applied mustard-plasters to a Cabinet Minister's
person by affixing them to his dress-suit, and _Tourntourq_, the
Chieftain, had nobly attempted to bear the blame. Though married
in haste they did not wait for leisure before they repented, but
commenced quarrelling at once, until _Esme_, in order to test his love
and that of an admirer who was helping to complicate matters, "bobbed"
her hair and threw the severed tresses at her husband. After this they
separated. Presently the War came, and the admirer, who was really
quite a nice person, was killed, and _Tourntourq_, who was apparently
a lunatic, though that is not stated in so many words, was blinded.
It seems quite superfluous to add that _Tourntourq_ wins the V.C. and
recovers both sight and wife in the last chapter; but there are such
good patches in the book that I cannot help hoping that some day
WILSON MACNAIR will try her hand (I feel it is _her_ hand) at another,
which I shall really believe in all through.

* * * * *

Of late our costume-romancers have become strangely unprolific. So I
was the more pleased to find Mrs. ALICE WILSON FOX bravely keeping the
old flag flying with a story bearing the gallant title, _Too Near the
Throne_ (S.P.C.K.). I daresay its name may enable you to give a fairly
s