The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-29 00:00:00

THE HEIGHT OP Ai3SURDITY.

It—that is the Height of Absurdity—has surely been
reached at last by the new French sensation novel, entitled
"Le Nez d'un Notaire." This utter extravagance is the
actual production of M. Edmond About, the vaunted
apostle, if we may venture to cell him so, of the sneering
infidelity of the age. His last nonsensical masterpiece is not
only published by the Messrs. Michel Levy Freres, of Paris,
but has absolutely attained already the glory (such as it is)
of a third edition. And as illustrative of the reach of folly
from which such writers as M. Edmond About do not shrink,
we transcribe from the Reader of Satureay an ingenious
synopsis of the work :
M. Alfred L'Ambert, the hero of the silly book, is a publio
notary in the Faubourg St. Germain—a perfect gentleman,
by birth, education, and manners—tall and well-made—has
fine large eyes, an Olympian forehead, beard and hair of the
most amiable blond, and a Roman nose—that is, nose
number one. M. Alfred L'Ambert, this Adonis-notary,
gets into a quarrel one everting at the stage door of the
opera, where the short-sighted notary by mistake deals a
violent blow on the nose to the Turkish secretary of embassy.
Thereupon Ayvas Bey takes a solemn oath that he will
seek retaliation, and then and there provokes his adversary
to a duel. 'I he affair of honour takes place not many
hours after, in the early dawn of the morning, near the
village ,of Parthenay, on the road to Sceaux. Before
entering the field of combat, M. Alfred L'Ambert
perceives an ill - looking tom - cat grinning at him
from a tree, and threatens to kill it, but with the only eff-ct
of driving the animal further into the wood, just above his
head at the place of duel. The "affair of honour" is set-
tled in a few seconds. Swords having been chosen, Ayvas
Bey, leading the attack, makes short work of the business
by cutting off his rival's nose. Poor N. L'Ambert falls
into the arms of the doctor, who c insoles him with the as-
surance that the precious ornament of his lace may easily
be sewn on again. The belligerents then look for the nose,
but to their horror find that it has disappeared. Tree tom-
cat has run away with it. So they all, duellists and se-
conds. comprising a marquis, a stockbroker, and three
' Turks, run after the tom-cat, which is perceived capering
away, carrying off the most ornamental part of M. L'Am-
bert's face. The pursuers follow close for more than three
miles, through field, forest, and meadow, M. L'Ambert, all
bleeding, animating his companions by word and example.
"Those who have never seen a notary running atter his
nose can form no idea of the zeal of his pursuit," remarks
M. About. But, in spite of all the ardour of the chase, the
tom-cat escapes finally—and the consequence is that the
handsome notary has to return to Paris without his nose.
When he has reached his residence a surgeon is sent for
—which surgeon is the celebrated Dr. Bernier. The first
question asked by M. L'Ambert is—" Can you restore the
missing part of my face ?" "Oh, yes," replies the
man of science ;" that is no very difficult matter;
and there are even three ways of doing it, among
which you may choose. There is the French method,
the Indian method, and the Italian. The first consists in
cutting enough flesh for reeking a new nose out of your
cheek, the second is borrowing it from your forehead, and
the third from your arm." The notary is horror-struck at
each of these propositions, and many to drive the doctor out
of the room at once. But the enthusiastid M. Bernier insists
with plaintive eloquence :--" Do let me cut you a nose out
of your arm." After long discussion, a compromise is arrived
at. A poor wretch of a water-carrier, called Romagne, a
fellow six feet high, with plenty of flese, but not a penny in
his pocket, is called up from the street, and after some
gentle persuasion consents—damages, 2,0004—t0 have a
piece of flesh large enough for a nose cut out of, his left
arm, but not quite detached, and to be tied afterwards for the
period of a month to the handsome notary, in such a man-
ner that the fibres and blood• vessels may grow irom the one
body over to the other. The plan, carried out carefully,
succeeds to perfection. At the end of less than five weeks
the two Siamese twins are separated, and M. All. L'Ambert

is enabled to go forth again into tlo world of Paris more
good-loo,,ing than ever. Instead of a Roman, he has now
a Grecian nose, which is greatly admired by the ladies as
being both novel and of the most elgant shape. During a
whole season, the lucky notary is the leading lion at the
club and the green-room, and it is only when the win-
ter sets in that fresh clouds appear on che horizon. The
beautiful nose on a sudden takes a reddish tinge, and soon
begins to look scarlet. Dr. Bernier, who is calied in,
tries palliatives, but in vain. After long and d, ep cogita-
tion, the d.stinguished surgeon at last discovets the cause
of the evil, It is the occult influence of Rumagiae over the
nose made out of his own flesh. Roinagne is sought for;
and it is found that he has taken to drinking—the 2,000
francs which he earned by the scientific opeiation having
proved too great a temptation for him to remain at the water
cart. Fortunately, the money is spent now; and Roraagne,
promising to be sober for the future, is sent away with a
blessing and a sfr. piece. M. Allred L'Ambert's nose for
the next twelve months is all right. Once more, however,
distress is looming in the future. The Greek nose one fine
morning is found to be limp. Romegne is looked after
immediately, and is discovered to be in a dying state for
want of food. Or course, he is transported on the instant
to the mansion of M. L'Ambert, is nurses tenderly, and,
like a healthy wretch, recovers in a few days. S , too, the
nose gets well again; and its leaseholder, warned by re-
peated accidents, resolve finally to settle in life and keep
an eye upon Rowagne. These plans are soon ripe fur exe-
cution. Mdlle. Irma Sceimbuurg, the daughter of a wealthy
merchant, consents to give her hand to M. L'AmLert, and
the marriage is fixed to take place on the 3.1 March, at one
o'clock precisely.

On March 3, at 8 o'clock in the morning, M. Alfred
L'Ambert awakes from his slumbers, smiling at the first
rays of a beautiful day. To clear up his ideas, he takes his
batist handkerchief from under his pillow, and brings it to
his nose Good heavens I there is no nose—the handker-
chief meets nothing but empty space.
With one bound the notary is out of bed and before his
mirror. Horror of horrors I the day of Pathenay has
come again. To run back to his bed, search the cheats and
blankets, drive into the mattrass, and explore the neigh-
bouring furniture, is the work of a minute. But there is
no nose.

Nothing I nothing I nothing
The belt in an instant bring all the servants of the house
together, and M. L'Ambert swears that he will turn the
whole lot off like dogs unless they find his nose. They
search as it frantic, but the nose cannot be fouud.

7-Meanwhile,. M. Steimbourg, senior, has put on his gala
dress, his blue habit with gold buttons ; and Maclaine
Stelinbourg is busy surveyiug the toilet of the beautiful
Irma, who is in the hands of two ladies'-maids and three
dressmakers. The white bride, covered all over with rice-
powder, like a gudgeon got ready for the trying pan, stamps
her pretty little toot fur impatience, chiding all the people
around with admirable impartiality.
" '

Having waited for hatt-an-hour beyond the time ap
pointed for the ceremony, the bride at last hears the dread
tul news. She has a heroic movement :

" What I do you think," she exclaims, " that I should
be so low and vulgar es to marry a man merely for the sake
of his face P Had it been for that, 1 might have chosen my
cousin Roderick, who is much better looking though not so
rich as M. L'Ambert, I have accepted the hand of M.
L'Ambert because he is a real gentleman, in very good
position—because his character, his hotel, his horses, his
mind, his tailor, in fact everything about him, pleases anc
gratifies my feelings. Besides, I a now in full dress,
quite ready to be married, and my reputation might suffer
it the nuptials were to be put off. Do, mamma, let us go to
M. L'Ambert; I will take him such as he is, for better, for
worse."

But, arrived face to face with the bridegroom, the noble
enthusiasm of tho beautiful Irma vanishes at the instant.
She is seen fainting away; and only regains consciousness

to break out into a flood of tears, exclaiming, amidst her
sobs, "Oh, Roderick, Roderick, how unjust I have been to

you!"

The romance of the notary's nose ends by M. Alfred
L'Ambert selling his extensive practice, retiring to a
charming villa in the environs of Paris, and having a silver
nose made for his daily use. One morning, in taxing a walk,
he runs against Rotnagne, whom Dr. Bernier has declared
to be dead. " Wretch, whefe is my nose ?" exclaims the
excited no ary. " Ah, sir, it was not my fault," rejoins the
trembling water-carrier; " I got into a. factory, and my left
arm, being caught in the teeth of an iron wheel, was torn
clean off. It happened early on the morning of the third
of March."

Such in brief, is the quagmire of twaddling feebleness
in which this sneering, cynical M. Edmond About has de

liberately taken a " header" in this a'touuding French
sensation novel, that is as a satyr to Hyperion when com-
pared with " Aurora Floyd," or "Lady Audley'a Secret 1"

BRICK MAKING BY MACHINERY.—For many
years considerable difficulty has been experienced
in producing a machine capable of making accurately formed
bricks from all varieties of clay; this has, however, been
successfully ove. come by the invention of Messrs. Page
and Co., of Laurence Puuntney-hill, of an entirely new de-
scriptiou of self-lubrieating, brick die, which, by admitting
moisture round the clay as it passes through the die or
mould, ensures a beautiful smooth and even face to the
bricks, with clean, true, and sharp angies, such as would
be impossible to pr duce by hand moulding, and from the
immense pressure brought to bear upon the clay in the
machine, the material can be used of much greater density,
The bricks are, therefore, in every way tar superior to those
made by the hand process, require less time to dry, and are
not so liable to crack in burning.
M. DE CHATEAUBRIAND'S TOILET.—He untied
his handkerchief, and began taking off his green
morocco slippers. Victor Hugo rose to take leave, but the
great man would not let him go, but went on undressing
regardless of his presence; he removed his grey swan skin
pantaloons, his shirt, and his flannel waistcoat, and at last
got into his tub, allowing the servant to wash and rub him.
Once dried and dressed up again, he ele :tied his teeth,
which were very beautiful, and for the use of which he kept
a whole case of dentist's iustrunknts. Greatly revived by
his dabble in the water, he began to chat in a most animated
manner, all the time working hard at his jaws,—Life of
Victor Env.