... . By Mary Gaunt. T. Werner Laurie.) Unless inspired with a Hilda Wangel thirst for the frightfully thrilling, it were better to read Mrs. Gaunt's book about the mummy in the most reassuring, not to say commonplace, surroundings. Even so, an attack of the creeps is almost inevitable. Three murders follow each other, with pre cisely similar details of a ferocious, uncivilised brutality. They ...

... sasSs^ SECRET SERVICE.* FEW words run better in couples than secret and service: alone they are commonplaces; together they are fascinating. Sir Robert Anderson need have no fear as to the fate of his book. It is certain that the truths with which he deals are not invariably stranger than the fiction that has to tell of such wonder- men as Arséne Lupin, Raffles, and Sherlock Holmes; but ...

... MR. EDEN PHILLPOTT S' NEW NOVEL. The Forest on the Hill. By Eden Phili potts. J oh n Af/i rray. Often before has Mr. Phillpotts told his tales in the dear dialect of Devon and lent them gracious association with names familiar to Dartmoor, and this last tale of his fulfils the same conditions, but goes deeper, deep as Earth herself. For the earth 's the thing declared Timothy Snow, as his ...

... . By Richard Marsh. Chalto and Windus.) It would be a pity if the reader should be put off by a ridiculous buhl table and some impos sible people in the early chapters of Mr. Marsh's story. In spite of much fantastic clumsiness in the building of her fate, his heroine does manage to get into the affections, and will afford her admirers the enioyment ot some very tnruimg scenes. Jtreaks ol ...

... . THE Palace Theatre has thrown overboard its own particular brand of revue, and is now presenting a musical farce which in reality is a farce on quite orthodox lines, apart from the fact that the characters now and then sing songs --without any provocation, and with hardly sufficient excuse in the quality of the songs, for the music might well have a more novel flavour. The farce is based ...

... Belgium in Shadow. There are a good many who will argue that, until actual history has been written, enough has been said in type of the conditions prevailing in Belgium during the earlier stages of the enemy occu pation and, particularly, of the surrender of Brussels and of Antwerp. Louise Mack that is, Mrs. Creed) has proved that this is not the case. Her book is remarkably good, and it sets ...

... . By W. Pett Kidgk. 1 Hodder and Stough ton Mr. Pett Ridge subdivides his collection of sketches under this title into hors d'eeuvres slight and short studies of humanity seen for the most part in train or omnibus joints which, as implied, make a more important show a couple ot sweets, and a corrective savoury. Of the exaggeration that is necessary to certain forms of wit Mr. Pett Ridge ...

... Good Boy Seldom. By. Olivrr Onions. Met hue tt It was a doting grandmother who had given him the name. The first two words of it had originally been granted in capitulation to nobody remembered what dry-eyed rage of shouting (' I am a good boy! I am a good boy!') as he had kicked on the lower panels of the bed-room door of disgrace; and the qualifying adverb had been tacked on because, if ...

... By Maurice Hewlett. (Af act/t t'llati) When one says Burne-Jones or Tadema or Maurice Hewlett, certain decorative effects leap into the mind with each name. The Song of Renny continues the tradition belong-ins to Mr. Hewlett. Like a srood modern copy of some ancient arras, it is so studiously naive, so consciously archaic, of so calculated a beauty. The landscape is entirely bewitching, not ...

... The Complications at Coilaroi. BY JA.OSE rSOLDREWOOD. {John O use ley.) Mr. Rolf Boldrewood stands sponsor for this venture of his daughter in a pleasant little preface. He mentions the facts of her familiarity with Bush life and her knowledge of India. Both these assets are noticeable in Miss Boldrewood's book, for Coilaroi is a ranch, and the complica tions there, which are simple enough ...

... . By W. I,. Courtney. Chapman and Hall.) The amorous hero of Mr. W. L. Courtney's delicately flavoured episodes meets his friend one day with great delight on account of some verses by a Reverend Cornelius Whur which he had discovered. One stanza, after deploring the evanescence of beauty, concludes with On firmer ties his joys depend, Who has a polished female friend. Maurice Westerton and ...

... 'v'vv^fc ''.'T'' .v-i-Cfc?-' THE LITERARY LOUNGER 4f j The Clarity of Mr. Belloc. It is more than a little difficult for even the most constant reader of communiques to gain complete comprehension of advance and retreat. Mr. Hilaire Belloc is a first-rate aide in this matter: with or without diagrams, he has the gift of clarity; and clarity, in his case, covers a multitude of knowledge! In ...