12mo. Three volumes bound as two. [4], 318, 166; [2]. 167-332, [2], 359pp, [1]. Contemporary half-calf, marbled boards, tooled in gilt and blind, contrasting red morocco lettering-pieces. Lightly rubbed. Scattered foxing. Inked ownership inscriptions of John Rouse Bloxam to both FEPs, manuscript note in Bloxam's hand to Vol. I title reattributing authorship to 'Christina (Rufford) Jefferies' [sic] and providing a revelation of the title: 'Cold Comfort is a farmhouse so called near Alcester Co. Warwick, belonging to the marquis of Hertford', occasional annotations throughout the text identify characters in the novel with members of the Ruffold and Purton families, a bifolium of blue writing paper, bearing a tabulated version of the identifications (not in Bloxam's hand, but annotated by him) is pasted to verso of FFEP of Vol. I, , two carte-de-visite photographs (by Elliott & Fry) of 'the authoress' (so identified by Bloxam) to FEP and recto of FFEP, one further (the author and a gentleman) to verso of first title, on the recto of the dedication leaf are pasted printed reviews for the author's novel Even Betting alongside a biographical note on the author, provided by Bloxam. The printed dedication is to 'John Edward Bevor Jeffery, Magistrate of Arrariah, Bengal, with affectionate regards of the Author'. Bloxam has suffixed 'ess' to the last word and provided a biographical note identifying the dedicatee as the author's husband.

The sole edition of the second of only three novels published by Christina Jefferry [neé Rufford], issued, as with all her efforts, under the male pseudonym of Burke O'Farrell. All triple-deckers, her first novel, Even betting; or, which is the winner, appeared in 1869. Her third and final, Proud as Lucifer, in 1877. As with Cold Comfort, neither troubled the market sufficiently to warrant further editions.

Among the identifications provided by antiquary John Rouse Bloxam (1807-1891) is the authoress with the heroine, Desirée, suggesting that the novel, is a least in part, autobiographical. Another character, 'an old irascible Indian judge', is identified as the Rev. Henry Bloxam Purton, presumably a relative of the annotator and perhaps the reason behind his bibliographical knowledge. Bloxam served curate to J. H. Newman at Littlemore, and was sometime bursar, vice-president, and librarian (1851-62) of Magdalen College.

COPAC records copies at six locations (BL, Cambridge, Liverpool, NLS, Oxford, and Strathclyde); OCLC adds no further.