My Official Wife. By Colonel Richard Henry Savage. (Routledge.) —The
plot of this story—and the plot is everything—is daringly American, exciting, and in parts highly entertaining. A young Nihilist Jewess, whose capacity for hatred and intrigue is only equalled by her beauty, gets hold of a susceptible American Colonel who is on the way from Paris, where he has left his wife, to St. Petersburg to visit a relative by marriage, who happens to be one of the councillors of the Czar. By her blandishments and pitiful appeals, she induces Colonel Lennox to pass her off as his wife, and so smuggle her into Russia ; while to himself she endeavours to make out that she is the spouse of his intimate friend, Dick Gaines. Her real object is to assassinate the Czar, and this she very nearly accomplishes at a ball. It will readily be understood that the plot, thus hastily sketched, gives room for a variety of curious situations, and for an abundance of light comedy that approaches perilously near the verge of the most serious tragedy. It is admirably developed, and the resources of Helene, the Nihi- list, are inexhaustible. The skill with which she sustains the part of a piquant Americaine is so great as to be incredible ; but whoever wishes to enjoy a well-conceived and well worked-out sensational story, will not object to, but rather enjoy, such skill. Helene is very fascinating, and the Colonel is very impressionable ; but yet there is no incident in the book which savours of " riski- ness."
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