Glimpse of Heaven

Burke Grisham, Earl of Thornwald, is the cad who organized a party overlooking the droll battle of Waterloo. Finally deciding to help, Burke drives his carriage toward the battlefield, his friend Alfred at his side. Alfred is mortally wounded and begs Burke to take care of his wife, Catherine. After Burke himself is mortally wounded and, as is to be expected, goes toward the light. He is drawn back to earth, however, by the entreaties of a woman who begs him to help her. During the year in which Burke recuperates, he continues to envision the same woman. Imagine Burke's surprise when he finally gets around to visiting Alfred's wife, who turns out to be the woman in his visions. Far from being an ethereal angel, Catherine Snow is being made a drudge of by Alfred's selfish mother and sisters. She already resents Burke for having engineered Alfred's downfall years ago, but she thinks him mad when she hears the account of his visions. Burke extends his visit in order to understand his visions while much to Catherine's chagrin and Alfred's mother's delight as she furiously tries to negotiate a match between Burke and one of her daughters. This downtrodden heroine could easily have been a caricature but Dawson Smith (Fire at Midnight) has given her the depth to match her well-plotted story. (Dec.)