centre in _Mrs. Lucas_, the acknowledged queen
of the place (_Lucia_ = wife of _Lucas_, which shows you the character of
her empire in a single touch); the matter of the tale is to tell how her
autocracy was threatened, tottered and recovered. I wish I had space to
quote the description of the _Lucas_ home, "converted" from two genuine
cottages, to which had been added a wing at right-angles, even more
Elizabethan than the original, and a yew-hedge, "brought entire from a
neighbouring farm and transplanted with solid lumps of earth and indignant
snails around its roots." Perhaps, apart from the joy of the setting, you
may find some of the incidents, the faith-healer, the medium and so on, a
trifle obvious for Mr. BENSON. More worthy of him is the central episode--
the arrival as a Riseholme resident of _Olga Bracely_, the operatic star of
international fame. Her talk, her attitude towards the place, and the
subtle contrast suggested by her between the genuine and the pretence, show
Mr. BENSON at his light-comedy best. In short, a charming entertainment, in
speaking of which you will observe I have not once so much as mentioned the
word "Cotswolds."

* * * * *

_Michael Forth_ (CONSTABLE) will doubtless convey a wonderful message to
those of us who are clever enough to grasp its meaning; but I fear that it
will be a disappointment to many admirers of Miss MARY JOHNSTON'S earlier
books. Frankly I confess myself bewildered and unable to follow this
excursion into the region of metaphysics; indeed I felt as if I had fallen
into the hands of a guide whose language I could only dimly and dully
understand. All of which may be almost entirely my fault, so I suggest that
you should sample _Michael_ for yourselves and see what you can make of
him. Miss JOHNSTON shouldered an unnecessarily heavy burden when she
decided to tell the story of her hero in the first person, but in relating
_Michael's_ childhood in his Virginian home she is at her simplest and
best. Afterwards, when _Michael_ became intent on going "deeper and deeper
within," he succeeded so well that he concealed himself from me.

* * * * *

Because I have a warm regard for good short stories and heartily approve
the growing fashion of publishing or republishing them in volume form, I am
the more jealous that the good repute of this practice should be preserved
from damage by association with unworthy mate