AustLit

'A French novel published in Australia.' Aimir packs a whole series of sensations. Choosing India as the scene of his romance, he brings his characters to Chandernagor  the little French possession to which the vast ambitions of that nation shrunk before England's success. Here the heroine of the story by a curious chain of circumstances, aided by heredity, puts herself in the power of the spirit of a priestess or temple woman of an earlier generation, who had run off with a wicked Englishman, taking the goddess's jewel box with her. Under this influence the heroine has exciting times, and the reader is introduced to temples, conspiracies, and palaces. The story is very readable, full of moving incidents and art- fully drawn towards an almost painful crisis. Dr. Harrington, the hero, is an up- to-date doctor and owes something to the assistance of Sir Charles Carpenter, who routs the conspirators from their haunts, aided by Sergeant O'Reilly, whose "begorra" studs that section of the book. Later on, Ram Das, an important and benevolent Hindu, is the good genius of the book, calling to his aid a Yogi of marvellous gifts. Among the other characters are Mrs. Fraser, an Anglo-Indian, who shrugs her shoulders with Parisian persistency, and the ladies of Ram Das's zenana. The author finds time to criticise the British occupancy of India and its future, the suggestion being hazarded that the political development of the peninsula should follow that of Australia and South Africa. For those who know even a little French the book is worthy of a perusal.' (Source : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37413562)