seems only to have meant that he eats the beef because he likes the
salt. It is a journalistic style, aiming too constantly at sharp
effects, always succeeding in getting them. Sometimes this is
contrived at the expense of grammar, as when (a common trick with
the author) he ends a story with such a paragraph as "Which is
manifestly unfair." Mr. Quiller-Couch has never sinned in this way,
but his first style was somewhat turgid, even melodramatic, and,
compared with Mr. Kipling's, lacked distinction. From the beginning
Mr. Kipling had the genius for using the right word twice in three
times (Mr. Stevenson only misses it about once in twelve), while Mr.
Quiller-Couch not only used the wrong word, but weighted it with
adjectives. The charge, however, cannot be brought against him
to-day, for having begun by writing like a Mr. Haggard not quite
sure of himself (if one can imagine such a Mr. Haggard), and changing
to an obvious imitation of Mr. Stevenson, he seems now to have made a
style for himself. It is clear and careful, but not as yet strong
winged. Its distinctive feature is that it is curiously musical.

"Dead Man's Rock" is a capital sensational story to be read and at
once forgotten. It was followed by "The Astonishing History of Troy
Town," which was humorous, and proved that the author owed a debt to
Dickens. But it was not sufficiently humorous to be remarkable for
its humor, and it will go hand in hand with "Dead Man's Rock" to
oblivion. Until "The Splendid Spur" appeared Mr. Quiller-Couch had
done little to suggest that an artist had joined the ranks of the
story-tellers. It is not in anyway a great work, but it was among
the best dozen novels of its year, and as the production of a new
writer it was one of the most notable. About the same time was
published another historical romance of the second class (for to
nothing short of Sir Walter shall we give a first-class in this