The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-02 00:00:00

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

PARIS, MARca 1.

The Paris papers of to-day publish despatches
from Constantinople of yesterday's date, asserting
that at a conference of the foreign ambassadors it
was determined to address the consuls ►t Bucharest
by telegraph, recommending them to maintain the
legal state of affairs in the Principalities, and to
protect the rights of the Prince.

THE BOMBAY AND MAURITIUS MAILS.
The following telegram has been received at Mr.
Reuter's office from the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company:

ALEXANDRIA, Mu ca 1.

The Vectis and Elloro, with the above mails, left
here yesterday, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.
The former vessel may be expected at Marseilles
about the 6th, and the latter at Southampton about
the 13th instant.

DRAMA.

Sr JAIUMS.

" Lady Audley's Secret" has had a strange career
as a novel, and an extraordinary share of popularity. Ita
anther, Mir M. E. Braddon, who bad tried her hand at
fiction In the pages of Beynolde Miscellany, and who was
favourably known to a higher reading public by • volume
of poems which she published, first began this story in
periodical edited by Dr. Charles Mackay, called Bob:* Good-
fellow. When Robin died, after a very short life (we abstain
from quoting a well-known nursery ballad), " Lady Audley"
had to look out for new literary lodgings, which she found
in the pages of the Sixpenny Mapaziae. When the novel
was finished in the latter periodical, it was published by •
young end rising firm in the publishing trade, and it at once
took its place as • first-claas readable story. Opinions may
and do differ as to its literary merits, but no one can fairly
say that it is not readable. The proprietors of the London
Journal are evidently well satisfied on this point, for they
have obtained the right of printing it in their periodical at
as early period.
A novel with many striking surface merits—a story
which is aa " headstrong as an allegory on the beaks of the
Nile," but which is nevertheless a story of ablating in-
terest, was sure to attract theatrical managers. Miss
Breddon bee a theatrical reputation. She was mos an
actress, and she his written one or two dramatic pieces, the
last one being a alight comedietta, which was produced a
short time ago at the Strand Theatre. Aurora Floyd—
the story winch she wrote immediately after t►e sample-
tioa of Lady udley's Secret—is now being prepared for
the stage at two leading Lapdog' t►eatres, and it is not
therefore surprising to find " Lady Hadley" presented is a
dramatic shape. A minor theatre (the Queen's) has tried
the experiamat, we believe, with same success ; and on
Saturday night the Si. James's management, ever on the
look out for novelty, billowed this lead with a oarefully
prep• Red version of the novel.
Loh dadkis Secret at the St. James's Theatre is con-
doms& into tweeds—a comprise°s which does some vio.
limos to the story. A French dramatist, dealing with the
Nuns materials would have given us at least three arm and
a prologue, but English audiences have got a reputation for
disliking long plays, and therefore English dramatists and
adapters generally strive to be brief, if not brilliant. The
character of Lady Audley is too monotonous to sustain a
long play unaided by strong accessories, but this monotony
Is made more obtrusive in the present mrsioe, because we
are treated to little else except her ladyship.
The burden of the drama fell upon Miss Herbert's
shoulders, and very well she sustained it. She has physical
advantages for such characters which um her half over
the ground, and her intense intellectuality sustains her
throughout the journey. She can do more, perhaps, than
any actress now on our stage in looking such parts as these,
while her refined tragedy, and artificial but graceful
oessedy, give force and variety to the baldest dialogue.
Mr. Arthur Stirling, as Robert Audley, showed his
usual heaviness and forced gaiety is the lighter parts
of his character, but when his real work began, and
be bad to be intense, he was very effective. Mr. Frank
Matthews played the part of the drunken, scheming game-
keeper, Luke Marks, with an admirable perception of low
character; and Miss Ada Dyes, as Lady Audley's waiting-
maid, deserves the highest credit for her discreet and mean-
ing acting. Miss Cottrell played a pretty, pouting, sulky,
young lady—Sir Michel's daughter—very nicely, but she is
only one of the shadows of the piece, and can therefore
excite little interest. Mr. Gaston Murray made his first
appearance at this theatt • in the unthankful part of George
Talboys.

The lac of the adaptation is occasionally loose and
mean, little resell is paid to the local colouring.
Cider is sot the staple drink of Essex ; it is hardly known in
that county ; the " narrowing of a radius" sounds jar-
riogly to the ear ; and when a dying men asks for his absent
wife, and is not answered, it is scarcely poetical to say them
was "no reply." The piece, however, though it is full of
the faults always seen in dramatised novels, will doubtless
proves memos. The applause wu a little too friendly sod
undiscriminating on the first night, but the acting, scenery,
mid story are sure to prove interesting to much colder
audiences. A hook that has been read as widely se " Lady
Audley's Secret " attracts a number of people who come to
see how their library heroes look on the stage, and who
fill up, from memory, many dramatic gaps in the story.

TEE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACL—As
we predicted a few days since the Ozonising bare most
courteously given way, and the day we time 'tamed as
the one on which the race would be rowed (Wedziesday,
April 1), has been Axed upon fur the great aquatic event
of she season.
GREAT NORTH/RN 11013P1TAL, Kato's-moat
Number of palliate for the week ending Feb. 28, 1,068, of
which 441 were new came.
The "Daily Telegraph" of March 31d, in its
deemiption of Benson's OreatClock, says—. It is a triampkot la-
'mushy. Benson's new Mu...rooms contain clocks designed by
Brit Artists of the day, and lochs& clocks for the drawing-room,
dioingeoons, bedroom, library, hall, staircase, bracket, carriage,
church, turret, Minos, warehouse, countinghouse, with meat.
PAI, astronomical, and every description of clock, from the
lainest to the highest quality of which the art is at present
capable. Chart* and turret clocks specially estimated for.
CRYSTAL PALACE—HALY-CROWN DAY. .-SATIni, BClPlOUG.lllllwarated Psmpbkt on Clocks and Wateheria=a
DAY, Fes. —Arlinioeions cm payment., GM; ditto by I post for Iwo stamps, contalas a short history of clock
season ticket,. 2,313 ; total, 2,997. making, wills descriptions and prices It acts as a ;mkt' in the
of • clock or watch. and enables those who lire In Scot-
Importing tea without colour on the leaf pre- rehmeed, Imbed, Wales, lbs Colonies, India, or say pert of the
"M. UN Mime pyasss.lud off inferior brown Mares as In the I world, to select a clock. J. W. Beason received a Priam Medal
usual kinds. ma .'s Ti. Is uncoloured, therefore always and to
sieutlon-33 and 36, Ludgate.hlll, leaden.
good alike Bola in Packets SY 2.303 24•314.—(ActverUssua4 gatabliabeil 1749.—(Advertlemeent.1