Stevenson's St. Ives (Scribner) is a most entertaining story of adventure, not as stirring, perhaps, as Treasure Island and some others, yet with enough mishaps and narrow escapes to keep up the interest throughout. The style is that of the hero (who tells his own story) buoyant, sparkling, familiar.

St. Ives is a French prisoner of war in the castle of Edinburgh, who, falling in love with a fair visitor, fights a duel on her account with another prisoner and kills him. Effecting his escape, he makes his way to London to take possession of a fortune left by an uncle. A disinherited cousin becomes the enemy of St. Ives, and using the knowledge of the duel as a weapon, helps to make the story interesting. St. Ives goes back to see his Flora and is pursued by the cousin and the police. As the meshes are closing around him, he makes his escape to France in a balloon, clears himself and all ends happily, as is fitting in such a romance.

The book pretends only to amuse and it does not fail to do this. The characters are unique and the situations anything but commonplace. The last chapters are written by Mr. Quiller-Couch, after Stevenson's notes, and the stirring adventure of the balloon escape is well managed.