Peter, a Parasite. By E. Maria Albanesi. (Sands and Co.
6s.)—The title of this book is rather unprepossessing, but the story itself is worth reading. Roger Torre inherited a big estate and considerable wealth after be had started his career as a doctor in London. Not wishing to give up his profession to settle down as a country gentleman, he gave the management of Wester Park to his widowed half-sister and her boy. She was a pretty, foolish little woman, who let her son grow up without much more education than a stable-boy, and only gave him vague hints as to his real position at Wester. Dr. Torre was so completely absorbed in his work that he saw nothing of Lady Hudson and Tony till accident brought him in contact with them. Just before the story opens there had been a financial crisis in the City, which brought ruin and suicide to Mr. Cheesing- ham, the heroine's father, and Margaret and her mother went to live in a small house, part of which was let to Dr. Torre. There Meg had the opportunity of comparing his life of unselfish devotion to the London poor with that of Peter Mariston, the fine gentleman who had paid her great attention when she was an heiress, but neglected her when the crash came. After Mrs. Chessingham died and the inevitable rich uncle of romance had appeared (this one is a first-rate example of a kind-hearted but peppery old man), Meg and Roger Torre hardly ever meet. He thinks that she is too young and charming to care for him, and she that he is too grave and clever to give her a thought. So they are both wretched. In the meantime she meets Lady Hudson and Tony, and Peter Maris ton appears and behaves abominably, and everything is at sixes-and-sevens for some time. There are a great many characters in the bcok, and all interesting and lifelike in their own way, but we cannot help thinking that in reality the hero would have tried to bring the heroine into his life in spite of his humble opinion of his own merits, and not to put her out of it, as he almost succeeded in doing.
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