Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-21
From the Sunday Courier.
The COutts Mystery.

Ever since the first ticket of the first of the
Grisi and Mario operas was bid off to that half
mythical parsonage, whom Leeds, the auc.
tioneer, called Coutts, there has been an in
creasing curiosity to know who and what the
lavish lady was, and the appearance of the
lady herself night after night in splendid cos
tunes whenever Mario appeared, and her costly
style Of living at the St. Nicholas, have only
increased the heat Of public excitement to
know who and what she could be. 1t was at
first generally imagined that she had been
hired by Hackett to excite furore about Ma
rio, and the London papers all took that view
Of the mystery. But those who saw the lady
herself, and had an opportunity of watching
her movements, knew that the manager could
not afford to pay for such costly and doubtful
style of advertising. Her bouquets alone,
which are of the largest and most costly kind,
composed of the fairest exotic flowers, would
be almost enough to break the management.
And then, too, every one must have seen that
the admiring gaze which she bends upon the
handsome tenor the moment he comes upon
the stage, is no simulated passion. She looks
at the calves Of his legs as though she would
devour them. Poor lady Everybody but
Grisi must pity her in their hearts. There she
sits SOLITARY and alone" in her spacious box,
dressed in the costliest of laces and brocades,
perfectly Indifferent TO evrything but Mario.
The ladies Of the chorus look curiousy at her,
lorgnettes are leveled towards the place where
she sits from all parts of the house, and the
bearded gentlemen Of the orchestra look won
deringly up at her; but she needs nobody, and
when not looking over the fringe Of her splen-
did fan, or through the parted petals Of the
white camelias of her boquent at the object Of
kar h.,r -
tremendous riddle, which nobody has vet been
able to solve. But we have lately had the
pleasure of meeting gentleman recently
from London, who knew Contts well, and all
her antecedenis, from whom We learned the
following particulars:
The real name OF Coutts is Giles, not Gylesf
as has been often said; she is unmarried, and
not very young; she is a native Of Gloucester
shire, in England, and has lived some years in
London, keeping house in quiet way, at the
West End, and going but little into society,
though constant attendant at the opera and
the theatres. Her income is but e, 600 year,
or $4,000, which is too small sum 10 make
a show with in London. AT one time she con.
ceived passion for Charles Kean, whom she
haunted in the same way she now haunls Ma:
rio, until, happening to meet the latter gentle
man, she transferred her affections, and he has
been the idol Of her idolatry ever since What
will become Of the poor lady when Mario re-
tires into private life, and goes to live on his
estate in Italy, unless she should, in the mean
while, find some other fascination, il is not easy
TO conceive. Perhaps some handsome Yankee
may succeed in attracting her young affections,
and put an end to her unhappy passion. Ii is
said that while Mario was indisposed at the
Metropolitan Hotel, she used to call there every
morning in her carriage, and when the waiter
brought her word that Mario was better, she
rewarded the lucky Mercury with a double
eagle. "The heart that truly loved never for
GETS" &c.
The Musical World says that lady, who
came over in the same steamer with Grisi and
Mario, relates that Mario's afiectionate shadow
THE hypothetical Miss "Coutts,p) irresistibly
followed him, Of course, on the embarkation.
but alighted upon the deck of the steamer, ar
rayed in hlac-colored silk, with Aounces en-
bellshed with feather trimming, over the whole
Of which was work.lace. Upon her head was
a fragile breath Of bonnet, trimmed with
orange blossoms. The lady advanced to the
saloon, placed her hat in the hands of her maid.
and reclined gracefully upon lounge. Where.
upon the maid covered her with lace. A LADY
passenger entered into conversation with her,
and asked il she did not think Mario handsome.
Thereupon she burst into ft Of laughter so
contagious that everybody in the saloon was
constrained 20 laugh with her.
Grisi afterward plsyfully said, that she wished
a committee Of gentlemen would incontinenily
drop her into the sea; adding, more earnestly,
however, that she really had, for her, the erit
re. She had followed them wherever they
went-had gone with them to st. Petersburg
Twice, in such instances, had they met with
failure. If they failed in the Uni
ed States, il might be ascribed to the same
'ra eye.