Life Again, Love Again. By V. Munro-Ferguson. (Hurst and Blackett.)—This
is a sufficiently pleasant and agreeably written story, but Miss Munro-Ferguson shows in it no signs of making progress in the art of the novelist. Both in style and in plot it is almost woefully conventional. How often have we been treated to this sort of thing :—" The birds sang as though they could break their voices from sheer gladness, and even the tramp on the road whistled a lively ballad, as if desirous of being in touch with the general hilarity as he trudged along !" And then how very familiar is the story of the strong Mark Kendal and the sweet Zoe Wilbraham ! They are made for each other, and fall in love with each other when they meet at Mrs. Ruthven's and elsewhere. But then there are obstacles of a very formidable character to their union. Mark is pledged to Margaret Atherley when she has got rid of her husband ; and Margaret is in herself a very desirable woman. Zoe, on her part, has engaged herself to a rather priggish person of the name of Burton. Of course all Comes right in the end. Burton cries off. When Kendal tells the story of how it is with him and Zoe to Margaret, that self- sacrificing woman, who is really the most unselfish character in the whole book, breaks her heart and marries the wrong man in the popular fashion. This is all very pleasant, but it is also as commonplace as it can be. The best feature of the book is the air of bright but not too " societyish " country life which pervades it. Mrs. Ruthven and her Tony are good sketches.
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