In a volume of four short stories by Mr. Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime is the most characteristic of the author's style and method. Itis described as 'astudy in duty'. Lord Arthur Savile is informed by a cheiromantist that he is destined to commit a murder. Lord Arthur accepts the decree of fate with a tranquillity tempered by impatience. He isengaged. He objects to postpone his wedding, but his ideal of duty towards his betrothed forbids him to become her husband before he has accomplished his destiny. After carefully planned but unsuccessful attempts to shorten the years of two of his relations without incurring the odium ofa scandal, he hits upon the happy expedient of drowning the cheiromantist, and squares accounts at once with fateand withher mouthpiece, In 'The Canterville Ghost', a story written in imitation of the American manner, the humour is of a more boisterous character.