A Dateless Bargain. By C. L. Pirkia. 3 vols. (Hurst
and Blaokett.)—The Irish spectre begins to intrude himself a great deal too often into fiction nowadays, as he does into real life. We most own to not wishing to see or hear any more of him than can be helped. Here we have the story of two sisters, the orphaned daughters of a Gloucestershire squire. Their fortunes are mixed up with those of their maid Kathleen, and her brother Ned, who is an Invincible or a Fenian, or some other of the many names which mean robbery and murder. Then there is an American adventurer, making, as the American ingredient does, the Irishmen more vil- lainous than before. Mims Pirkis contrives out of these materials a fairly good story. The sisters are an effective contrast, and their mother a clever sketch, though perhaps a little too like Mrs. Nickleby.
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