THE ANCIENT REGIME.

THE scene of this novel is laid in France, under the licentious reign of Louis the Fifteenth. The subject, Mr. JAMES says, he " found in the education of a girl from infancy to womanhood by a man unconnected with her by blood, together with the results to both "; but, luckily for the effect of his tale, the author has not developed his own idea as expressed in the words just quoted, since the subject could scarcely be pleasing, and would be too sin- pier to inspire much general interest. The Count de Castelneau, indeed, adopts Annette de St. Morin, and a vision of making her his wife sometimes floats through his mind ; but this is not the prominent feature of the book. The character and vices of the King are slightly painted ; the habits of the Court and the old noblesse somewhat more fully ; but the chief incidental feature of The Ancient Regime is the power and practices of the French Police. And these things are more fitly used than in many of Mr. JAMES'S former fictions : the manners of the times are connected with the story, and necessary to its conduct, instead of forming a parallel plot in which the subordinate becomes the principal.

Taken altogether, we are inclined to rate The Ancient Regime as the best fiction of Mr. JAMES. It is not, indeed, an historical novel of the highest class, truly reflecting the men and manners of the-age; for the author is deficient in that life-giving power which- creates characters of flesh and blood, and his style or manner has a degree of heaviness about it that induces somewhat of tedium in the earlier and the reflective parts. But though a concoction, the work is a careful and skilful concoction, by an able mind, well informed both in literature and life. Allowing for the necessities of romance, the story is probable, consistent with the age and country, and with the characters whe carry it on. These characters, if not always living people, are well-considered metaphysical creations, who speak and act with coherence, and are well adapted to give effect to the situations in which they are placed, by their inherent qualities, or their contrasts with one another. The incidents, though somewhat dashed by a melodramatic tinge, are of a nature to tell, especially upon the majority of readers ; having all the strik- ing effects in which the new school delights, yet being less prepos- terous. The most skilful point in the book, however, is the use which is made of the French police. To give an outline of the story would be difficult, on account of its ramifications ; but we may say that mystery is attached to the birth of Annette de St. Morin, the adopted daughter of the Count de Castelneau; and that, for circumstances duly explained, the chief assistant of the Minister of Police takes a deep interest in her welfare. This en- ables Mr. JAMES to introduce a new kind of machinery, fulfilling the purpose of the gods in the ancient poetry, and of the dwarfs, witches, &c. of Scores romances ; but with more propriety, for the police of the old regime was in reality a fearful and far-seeing dower; and a knowledge of secret events, with the means of loosen- ing knotty difficulties, is more consistent in one of its chief agents, than in houseless vagrants or misshapen nobodies. The introduction of this officer naturally leads to an incidental notice of the system of police, with its methods of working ; and the manner in which it is connected with the story not only exhibits an ample yet not ob- truded knowledge of French history, but the whole is planned with much skill. Whether Morin interferes to save Annette's lover from imprisonment and disgrace, or to baffie the King's designs upon her when he has had her carried to his infamous haunt at Michy, or in the various measures by which the denouement is finally brought about, the desired melodramatic effect is produced, and always without exaggeration. Morin is either the agent of a higher power partly swayed to his own purposes, or he is strictly within the line of his duty. As an example of the police in action, we will take part of a scene where the rival and superior officer of Annette's lover is about to arrest him maliciously for quitting his regiment without leave.

AN ARREST UNDER THE OLD REGIME.

"You will of course take no measures but those that are right and proper," replied the Baron; "but as you say that Mademoiselle de St. Morin will excuse as all, and as I am in some haste, I will merely beg leave to state that

I am under the disagreeable necessity of arresting my young friend here for disobedience of orders, and of sending him to trial for that offence." " In short, Sir," replied the old Baron, " you sought to keep him from his father's sick bed, and now you would seek to break that father's heart? " "A somewhat hard construction of a simple act of duty," replied Monsieur de Cajare; "nevertheless, my dear Sir, it must be accomplished ": and he moved towards the window.

" le it possible that your nature can be so hard and unfeeling?" said Annette. 'Pray, pray, Monsieur de Cajare, have some consideration for the circumstances of the case."

" Alas, my dear young lady," replied the Baron, "war is a school that makes us very hardhearted, I am afraid ; but, notwithstanding, I must call up the guard. Do not be frightened at their mustaches, dear lady," he added, with a sarcastic smile : "the Parisian ladies tell me they are very harmless people."

While speaking, he had approached the window, and now putting out his head, he called " Come up ! come up !"

Something that he saw below seemed to excite his surprise, however ; for he still continued to look out, exclaiming "Diantre! what is the meaning of this I Come up, I say!" In the meanwhile, the Baron and his son and Annette de St. Morin gazed for a moment or two with the silence of deep grief in each other's faces : bat no time was allowed them to speak, for even while Monsieur de Cajare was calling from the window, and ordering the guard a second time, with no very measured language, to come up, a gentleman dressed in black, and holding a paper in his hand, entered the room with a quiet and noiseless step, and ad- vanced gravely but quickly, without saluting anybody.

The Baron and his son stared at this new intruder with evident surprise ; but Annette instantly recognized the gentleman whom she had seen with two ladies near the fountain in the wood, and, why she knew not, but his presence seemed a relief to her. He took not the slightest notice of her on the present occasion, however ; and, passing the party in the middle of the room proceeded to the window from which the Baron de Cajare was reiterating his order to come up, adding, in a fierce tone and with a somewhat ungentlemanlike inter- jection, "Why do you not obey? "

So quiet was the step of the stranger who had so suddenly entered the room, that the Baron was perfectly unconscious of his presence till he felt a heavy hand upon his shoulder, and heard the words, which were then somewhat fear- ful in France, "De par le Roi !"

Monsieur de Cajare instantly turned round ; and when he beheld the person who stood beside him, turned deadly pale. "Monsieur le Baron de Cajare," said the stranger, "in virtue of this lettre de cachet I arrest you in the name of the King, and enjoin you to go with me." " Where do you intend to take me, Monsieur Morin ? ' said the Baron at once, without the slightest sign of resistance.

"I intend to send you to the Bastile, Sir," replied Pierre Morin. "I have some other business yet to do in this part of the world, so that I cannot have the honour of accompanying you to Paris. Every thing is prepared for your comfortable journey : your own carriage is below, or I am much mistaken; but you made a little mistake just now, and took my archers for your own soldiers. May I ask you to walk down, Sir, with all convenient speed?"

The Baron de Cajare looked at Annette and then at Ernest de Nogent, and for an instant an expression like that of a fiend came over his countenance. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared : the angry voice in which he called from the window was laid aside likewise; and not the slightest change of tone from that which he used in ordinary conversation was to be distinguished as be answered Pierre Morin, " Well, Monsieur Morin, of course I obey the King's commands; but I beg leave to say, my young friend here, Monsieur de Nogent, is under my arrest. I must give him into the care of my guard be- fore—" " You must do nothing before obeying the King's commands, Sir," replied Pierre Morin : "besides, you need put yourself into no trouble regarding your soldiers, for I took the liberty of discharging them from attendance upon you. You must recollect, Monsieur le Baron, prisoners have no authority. As to Monsieur de Nogent, Sir, I have also the King's orders—"

"To arrest him ?" exclaimed the Baron de Cajare.

" I shall notify his Majesty's commands affecting him to himself, Sir," re- plied Pierre Morin, in a stern tone, "and not to you. Allow me to say, we are wasting time. You have caused me to hurry down here, Sir, from the capital, when, if you had attended to the hint sent to you by the Duke de Cholseuil, you would have saved me much trouble, and might perhaps have saved your. self from the Bastile : but vengeance, Sir, has no forethought, and his Majesty has been made to understand the motives upon which you acted." " He might at least have sent a gentleman to arrest nle," said the Baron de Cajare, with a curling lip.

Pierre Morin seemed not in the slightest degree offended; merely replying, " Sir, I obey his Majesty's commands, and he expects you to do the game, be they notified to you by whom they may. But at the same time, if it be any gratification to you to know that you are treated in the same manner as other persons, let me call to your mind that Pierre Morin, chief officer of the King's Lieutenant-General of Police, has arrested gentlemen whose ancestors were noble five centuries before your great-grandfather quitted the little bureau in the Rue Quinquampoix."

The colour came warm into the cheek of the Baron de Cajare, as Pierre Morin in the quietest possible tone rebuked his insolent pride. The chief agent of the Police of Paris, however, was not to be trifled with any more; and, lifting up his finger as he saw Cajare about to reply, he said in a tone of command, "Monsieur le Baron de Cajare, obey the King's commands! de- scend the staircase, take your place in the carriage which is waiting for you, and surrender yourself at the royal prison of the Bastile, without another word, or I will report your contumacy to his Majesty." The Baron's haughty air instantly sank ; and, without taking notice of any one, without bow or word of adieu, he crossed the room and descended to the hall. Pierre Morin followed ; but before he did so, he turned towards Ernest de Nogent, saying, " Monsieur de Nogent, you will be good enough to remain here till I come back " : and then, proceeding with his quick noiseless step down the stairs, he saw the-Baron de Cajare into his carriage, and two guards take their seats in the vehicle beside him.

LOUIS THE FIFTEENTH.

The only object worthy of remark in the cabinet when the Count entered, was a gentleman dressed in black, who was seated at the opposite side of the chamber, with a table on his right hand covered with writing-materials, and his foot raised upon a stool. He was by no means a prepossessing person in appearance. Though his features in themselves were fine, there was a lack of feeling in his countenance, a want of soul in the whole expression, that was very repulsive. There was nothing either inquiring, or gracious, or menacing in the face : all was cold, and yet it was cold without dulness. You could not suppose, in looking on those features, that mind was wanting; it was merely an appearance of want of interest in the objects before him, tinged with con- tempt ; but that slight scornful turn of the lip was all that chequered the look of utter apathy with which he regarded the Count and his companion. The complexion of the King (for he it was) seemed to have once been deli- cate and womanish; but the skin was now wrinkled with years, the cheeks had fallen in, and a little rouge had evidently been added where the colour had abandoned the cheek, rendering the Monarch any thing but more pleasing in appearance. His lips were thin and pale ; and it was impossible to gaze on hun without feeling an impression that debauchery more than age had shared in the decay which no art could hide.