Mr. JAMES PAYN has the peculiar gift of writing a novel as if he were
telling you a story _viva voce_ and interesting you in it, not only by
reason of its plot, but also by his way of narrating it. There is a
spontaneity about his style which to the Baron is most refreshing: it is
like listening to two clever men, one of whom is telling the story, and
the other is enlivening it with his sharp and appropriate comments,
always dropped in parenthetically. Mr. PAYN is a good hand at keeping a
secret, and it is not for the BARON DE B. W. to tell beforehand what the
novelist keeps as a little bit up his sleeve till the last moment. Why
call it _The Burnt Million_? To what tremendous conflagration involving
such a fearful loss of life does the title point? The story will
interest the Million and delight Thousands. Excellent as is the dialogue
generally, the Baron ventures to doubt whether any ordinary person (and
no one of these characters is a genius) ever begins a sentence with
"Nay." Anent _The Burnt Million_, the Baron's advice to persons in
search of a novel is, "_Tolle, lege!_" Also the Baron says, get _La
Revue de Famille_ at HACHETTE's. _Un Foyer de Theatre_, by M. AUDEBRAND,
for all interested in the history of the French Drama, is delightful
reading. Don't miss _Causerie Litteraire_, by Mr. CHARLES BENOIST.
The Baroness says, read "Poor Mr. Carrington" in _Temple Bar_.
_Lippincott's Magazine_ this month is heartily welcome,--we should say,
BRET HARTE-ily welcome. Capital story, by B. H., "A Sappho of Green
Sprigs."
(_Signed_) BARON DE BOOK WORMS & CO.
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