The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-01 00:00:00

riunination of unman chAractor. Wight

subtle dial

diversity there is in the chief of those already in-
troduced l Gentleman Waifs, the strolling player,

about whom the whole interest of the:sfori re-

volves. Waife, with the histrionic genius Of an
Edmund Kean, with more than Kean'e resources,
and almost as much apparently of his imputed im-
providence. Guy Darrell, the great Statesman—
under a clouti—secludett from the world either is

his ancestral house at F%wiey Minor Rouse, or
wandering at random pour so destroirs over the
fairer regions of the Continent. Mysterious,
shambling, crab-fashioned Richard Fairthorn,
with that dulcet Zauberflote of his, with the war-
bling notes of which he chases away for a while the
woeful memories of the Saul of Politics. Francis

Vance, the bright-eyed artist, certainly in time to
become a Royal Academician. Lionel Haughton,
the young hero of the book, frank, manly, unso-
phisticated, a kind of a more able Young Squire
Hszledean, with an eye, like Young Hazledeau, for
the army as hiv profesaion. Cobbler Merle, of
Willow Lane—the honest humbug ! with his magic
crystal and his astrological predictions. Manager
Rugg*, with an ever lively ambition to compass
the taking at last of the York Theatre. Excdlient,
child-like Josiah Hat topp, the mayor of G test oro',
with his Fidus Achates the form of watchful Mr,

Williams. Samuel Adolphus Poole, beforemen-
tioned—" a would-be hawk with a pigeon's liver ;
a would-be sportsman with a cockney's nurture."
Aristocratic Colonel Morley, "the real fine gentle-
mau," and that broad contrast to him, " the
mock fine gentleman," the villain of the
tale, Jasper Lonely —in heart a rascal ; in
apparel resplendent, in person handsome, in bearing
self-possessed—yet after all what Lionel bluntly
calls " a snob," though our author confesses of
hiss that he was withal " a magnificent man—
one of royal nature's life-guardsmen." As for the
female characters simultaneously pourtrayed, while
they are fewer in number they are, if possible, yet
more strikingly contrasted than the male charac-
ters just enumerated. With the Countess of
Montfort, at the present moment, we have only the
moat distant bowing acquaintance. Yet we cannot
but feel that her ladyship is destined to appear in
some of the subsequent chapters of the romance
rather conspicuously. With the pretty widow,
Mistress Jessica Naughton, mother of Lionel, we
are more intimately acquainted, and we very much
fear that familiarity here also has brought about
its usual consequence—contempt. Several minor
dunces flit across the scene at intervals ; such for
example as the stately and haughty, yet joyous and
sprightly, Lady Selina Vipont, who has such a
charming glance of commendation to bestow on
those pretty sprigs on that horrid coloured print
down at Richmond. Or, thrifty Mrs. Sauuders,
the cottager, whose humble lodgers take away
with them the glor from her grate and the sun-
beam from the pane of her lattice. Or, again,
simple, red-elbowed, horny-handed Bridgett
Greggs, the London housemaid. Above all.
there are the two chief female characters in
" What will he do with it I" whose names have
not yet been mentioned. One as yet but a
child, pretty, graceful, intelligent, more than
intelligent, gifted, little Sophy ; designated
euphoniously on the playbills Julia Aramints.
A. child still, yet one so charmingly precocious that
already she has awakened in the susceptible heart
of Lionel the first tender thrills of the master
passion. Seeing her, he floats in a world of deli-
cious dreams, over the moonlit waters of the
Thames. It is the old, old story, told again to
us bewitchingly. It is the echo of the sweet words
of the refrain of Metaatasio—
" 0 bells Vonore,
Madre d'Amore g
0 bells Yeller°,
Cho sole lei
Placer
E degli Doi."
Wondrously different from pretty Sophy is the
other hinted personage in petticoats, that grins
" horse godmother" (as the phrase is, whatever
the phrase may mean)—Mother Oran*, Arabella
Crane, seemingly upon many occasions the evil
genius, but in reality the good genius of that ar-
rant vagabond Jasper Losely, for whom her poet
woman's heart has a strange, gentle, humanisiof
weakness. Such, in brief, are the dramatispersorel
moving to and fro here upon the stage, having shelf
fitful exits and entrances, their dialogues sad
their soliloquies, thee, au' prises and o°,l
equivoques, in part after part of " What iirl"
oe do with it 1" We are watching the Pr°
tress of the Donative with eager interest
and curiosity, wondering often in regard to each of
the fortunes here recounted by the novelist—WWl
will be do with it Marvelling most of all
may have been the imputed ()rime, in reality
_BIP,
agonising misfortune of poor old
' Gran
.
Waite What may be the significance of that costly
pocket-book of Losely's I—a pocket-book " Sae.
danapalus would not have given to himself." Whet
the meaning of those tender wordy -worked in gold
thread upon the silken lining I " Souviens-toi do
it Gabrielle 1" Who this Gabrielle may be 1 What
may be the secret family grief of Guy Darrell 1.•—•
driving him into seclusion from his " pride of
pl4ce" as orator and statesman. What may be the
source of the evident interest taken in the name 03
Lady Montfort by Arabella Crane and Jell"
Losely 1 Above all, in regard to pretty little Soplll.
we aro disposed to wonder as Hood did over the
" One More Unfortunate"—
" Who was her father,
Who was her mother,
Has she a sister,
Has she a brother r
Wor the solution of all which bewildering double
and difficultieethe readers of "What will be do with
ii 1" now wait with delighted solicitude.

SPORTING NOTES.

THE GRIND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE.

The prospect is not cheering. A piercingly cold wind
and a freezing atmosphere are not exactly suited to out.
door pastimes. Still the great attraction which centres
in the "Grand National" will render genuine sportsmen at
least indifferent to the nipping frost and the eager air, and
cause them to congregate at Aintree in large numbers. Nor,
despite the iiclement weather, will the attendance of
general company be small, for the jumpers have a strange
fascination for all classes of people. Nothing which can
be commanded by energy and untiring activity for the pro.
motion of snort will be neglected by Mr. Topham, and
whether the meeting bo celebrated under wind or snow the.
ardour with which turfites will enter into the pursuit of
sport will be scarcely cooled. The " telegram' announces
that the ground is in tolerably good order, and this state.
went will remove any uneasiness which a probable Poll'
ponement of- the sport excited. Until within the
last three weeks the betting on the Steeplechbel
had been conducted with little briskness, bookmakers as
°
backers, like the ghost of murdered Banquo, having 130
speculation in their eyes. Lately operations, however;
have been resumed in earnest, and, if their range has la%
been very extensive, they have at least been effective, 11u.
to a certain extent profitable. The unvarying "PP"
which has been conceded to Little TOM is a plain indica.
tiou that he has satisfied his party of his ability toil
across country. He commenced his jumping
the hunting field; his style of topping his fences was *
of general admiration amongst the followers a Sir _
Bert's hounds. His many achievements on the fiat h**._
placed his racing ability beyond a question, and if he ger
safely landed on the brook it will be a c..se of catch
who can. Although Little Tom has 'peen for some
under the tuition of Ben. Land, at Ascot, ho must still R.
considered ai belonging to the Epsom lot, and h. is Or*
tainly the pet of the division. Still the Epsoinites bJ"
not lost all faith in Hughes's h,,rses, and they exPe..,°l
one of them will prove the most dangerous of Litil
educati?
ow.
Tom's opponents. The Brewer has of late encounter*"
such determined hostility that the partiality which I Sf:
entertained for him must now be bestowed this event last
companion, Treachery, who ran third for this
year. She is a slapping, fine mare, and 120jugsPhZdelit
lities will enable her to take care of herself. A.". ,;"be
of the Shire will find his impost e. stopper, for he will
unable to concede weight to those animals handicaPPl
tinier 13st. Morgan Rattler will not greatly dieapPVL
his party, or betray the trust reposed in him. WI
winning at Reading showed that he can " jnuip a bit," and
only his tumble—which was almost inevitable, owing i°
the pace he was going over such a break.neek course—Pri:
vented his.a n ,beentbeatingl ni n knockededh ab tvi his e
positionnoa uon met a
xan
plase
expectations,
otapsacpttaiohopsenee
sd,kl
litbnaouoichtkkiemhot
niLE ohoonulbit
tßßhaae:nn blackhma
hays unhesitatingly selected him as en° ;lief ggCs
champions. Harry Lorrequer, who is traia hiSaa
Aintree, may ran well, but I do not• thin
ionitsve
good enough to win. The French him
faith in Jean du Queens, but I do not expect t""
obtain a more forward position than he did last year. ,
Huntsman will be unable to renew the triumphs °Jas.
Ireland over this course. So many horses, hows"r9 d
will- put in an appearance, of such slender chances, Ando
well are their " antecedents" known, that I shall "trSir
to the part they are likely to play in the " Grtntdo tee
tional." Should ,no accident occur, I shall expect
the first places filled by

To AND TRIACREIY.
Should they
ybe placed hors de combat, I wadi fall ', tne—
el
upon" MORGAN RATTLER and KNIC3RT o 8 VIZ
To depend upon animals which we have 500
.4 °Pf th.
figure respectably i 4 always advisable at this pe.,..°--o°. fog
year. I shall, therefore, select Gammon mad ita,!'--wia
the Spring Cup. Either Joyease or Tomboy ought tontro
the Tyro Stakes, and Loukothea or Woonmite the Ai_ of
Plate. For the Handicap Plate of 301. Old Tom is t130.,10
noteworthy, and he may not only win that event, bat
" Plate" on the following day. According to his reoPi.r.
at Lincoln and Nottingham, the only difficulty -treanA
mulin ought to experience in the Sefton Handiesfirr.
FRESH
bo the difficulty of losing.
LATEST CITY BETTING.—SATURDAY.
LIVRII2OOL sTERPLECHARR.
11 to 1 agst Knight of the Shire (taker))
15 to 2 aget Little Tom (taken)
13 to 1 agst Harry Lorrequer (taker))
15 to 1 aget Treachery
6 ag.,,t Morgan Rattler
1 agst The Brewer (taken)
1 Agit Abd-el-KaderkeP)
1 20:0
t 0
000
10 to 1 aget Escape and Louu(ghßeelot 00upiel (I)

ARRIVALS AT LIVERPOOL.
Little Charley, Joe Graham, Black Bess,
ft4ttl ro
rgan. 40
Lorrequor, Odd Trick, Gammon, Mo„,.
Treachery, Moire Antique, Leukothia,
atuQur, Term ally, and ioyottio.