The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Over the Cliffs. By Charlotte Chanter, author of
" Ferny Combes. 2 vols. Smith and Elder.
The readers of this story will certainly not be
able to complain of lack of incident, for the plot is
singularly intricate, and the variety of events and
characters would be more than sufficient for the
ordinary three volumes. The scene is laid chiefly
on the sea coast some fifty years ago, and the
smuggling which was then so extensively practised
forms a prominent feature. Indeed the lives of
all the chief actors in its pages are chequered by
some strange and startling incident. Either they
have themselves outraged the law, or they have
connived at the misdeeds of others, or become
involved in some perilous secret which keeps them
in the power of their associates. More than one
murder darkens the tale, and plots and counter-
plots are thickly interwoven. The heroes and
heroine are introduced in childhood. They
are Edward Mountjoy, the son of a privateer and
smuggler, and Reginald and Gratiana Dawson,
the children of a small landowner. Mr. Dawson,
their father, is described as a perfect monster, and is
painted in true romancist's colours. He has killed
his wife some years previously, a fact that puts
him in the power of his smuggling neighbour, Mr.
Martin, and he cruelly ill-uses his unfortunate chil-
dren. In his own opinion he occasions the death
of his daughter, by causing her to fall " over the
cliffs," and his deathbed is haunted by the recol-
lection. This event gives its title to the story, but in
reality it is not so tragic an occurrence as the name
implies, for Gratiana is rescued by Edward Mount-
joy, her smuggler lover, who is watching below,
and whose meeting with her has been the cause of
her father's anger. When she recovers, after many
months, from the effects of her frightful accident,
she no longer refuses to become his wife, knowing
that all at her home believe her to be dead, and
feeling that she no longer owes obedience to her
father's commands. Her brother has adventures
of his own, including capture by the enemy, and
escape from a French prison by favour of the
commandant, who proves to be a relative of
his mother. There is another romance con-
nected with :the story of Agnes Erlinghm,
Edward Mountjoy's mother, and her treacherous
cousin, who murders her father, and is the secret
enemy of her son. Besides these we have many
other characters, prominent among them being
Hortense, the French commandant's daughter, and
fair Lily Fowler, the rival candidates for Regi-
nald's affections. Then there are Frank Dawson and
Ocean Margaret, who has been saved from a wreck
in childhood ; and Mary Horton and her father,
who is one of the many aspirants to Grace Daw-
son's favour. There are besides many minor
figures occasionally flitting across the stage or
filling up the background, often appearing as the
tools of the leading actors. With so numerous a
cortege and such stirring scenes, with love and hate,
war and murder, shipwrecks, suicides, escapes and
adventures of every description, the reader who seeks
excitement and vivid interest will probably be de-
lighted with the perusal of this story. Those who pre-
fer quieterand more natural delineations, who find a
charm in the faithful portraiture of character, and
records of the trials and struggles of every- day
life, will perhaps object to the intricacy of the plot
and occasional extravagance of the characters, but
we must remember that it refers to a time and scene
which was very different from the calm and rou•
tine existence of the present day. The authoress
unquestionably possesses ability, and if in future
she will preserve a little more simplicity and con-
nection in her plot, and reduce the superfluous
branches of her story, she will display her talent
t
for construction to greater advantage, as
making her tale appear more life-like and probable.
The style is generally good and occasionally fill•
wel
pressive, and we have no doubt that future works
from the same pen will deserve still higher com-
mendation.

THE EX-QUEEN OF THE FRENCH.--PORTS•
MOUTH, MONDIY.—Her Majesty the ex-Queen of the
French, embarked from Ryde, Isle of Wight, to day, on
board the Fire Queen yacht, Master Commander F. W. Paul,
and landed at the Royal Clarence Pier, to proceed by the
South-Western Railway en route to Claremont. Her Ma-
jesty was attended by Count General Dumal and suite.
Every respectful attention was paid by the authorities to
the illustrious lady awl fatuity.