Amongst the stories here given is the last story the author ever wrote, “The Ruse of Madame Martin.” It was written in France during his last illness and is now for the first time published. It is one of the freshest and raciest in the volume. It has a vivacious sense of actuality as well as delightful humour, and it shows that the author’s talent was at its brightest when death came to extinguish it.