"_It is reported, on reliable authority, that at the Cabinet Council which took place yesterday afternoon, &c._;" _i.e._, The "authority" in question being the cook's assistant's boy, who had taken in the Under-Secretary's lunch, and had half-a-minute's confidential conversation with the office messenger on the back staircase. "_On the fall of the Curtain, there seemed to be some division of opinion among the audience_;" _i.e._, A boy in the gallery hissed. "_The Prisoner, who did not appear to appreciate the very serious, &c._;" _i.e._, Formula to be used in all cases of crime of more than ordinary brutality. "_Much curiosity prevails in literary circles respecting the authorship of that very remarkable Novel, 'Flat as a Pancake.'_" (Advt.) * * * * * OUR BOOKING-OFFICE. [Illustration] _A Daughter's Sacrifice._ By Messrs. F. C. PHILIPS, and PERCY FENDALL. For the sake of appearances, one of these authors might have sacrificed the first letter of his name, so that they could have been brought out, at a premium of course, as PHILIPS and PHENDALL, or FILIPS and FENDALL. However, this is nothing against the novel, which is a goodish sort of bad one, or a baddish sort of good one. _Virginibus puerisque_? No, the Baron thinks not; likewise the Baroness, who enjoyed it immensely and read it at a single sitting, entertains the same opinion. There is more genuine humour in some of the sketches of scenes and character, not absolutely essential to the plot, in this book, than in any of Mr. PHILIPS'S previous works,--as far, that is, as I can remember. The fault of the story is the sanctification, as it were, of suicide. What is the rule with Mr. PHILIPS'S heroines, as far as I am acquainted with them? "_When in doubt, take poison._" With this reservation, the novel is thoroughly interesting, well written, too spun out, but there is plenty of exercise in it for our friend "The Skipper," who will, however, lose much of the humour of the book by the process. It is published by WHITE & CO. In the _New Review_, Sir MORELL MACKENZIE warns smoking vocalists. This is timely in this smoking-concert time. The Merry ANDREW-RIDER-LANG-HAGGARD story starts well: may it so finish, and win by two heads. Read "MARY DAVIES at Home" in _The Woman's World_: interesting. E. A. ABBEY'S illustrations to ANDREW LANG'S--_encore_ LANG!--comments on _The Merchant of Venice_ are in his Abbeyest manner.