New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-26
LIE ROMAN PARISlEN.'
OCTAVE FEUILLETs NEW PLAY.


bo caIled n drama It's name is no misnomer, for IL
| is i've CHAPTERS ola sparkling novel, which IS the
| essence of Frou -frour of the Roman d un Jeuhe
| IIomme Pauvre,p and of otherworks by the same au
thor NJ Octave Feuillet does not absolutely repc"'
himself but he distills his former productions Inc
result Is alcoholic. He has never before producen
on the stage ANYTHING so highly spiced for blasc
palates The antique Greek chorus might be use
| fully employed TO give unity TO the hve ulsco"
uected chapters. The interest for Paris andiehco
lies in the neat light elegance of the style, ana Tue
| righteousness OF the nnuendOes, when IL uoho /"
| q clumsy manner would be simply ribald. The au-
thor juggles with indecency. He loves that cahd"e
| Agante which threw off the mask at the Imperial
! Court. where he was great favOrite. That Court
| he vel observed. Unknown to himself lie SUN
| brings il upon the stage. Frou-frou" was the
daugh of an all-povcrful minister who ran away
for six weeks with an attach6 of embassy. III Is
weknOwn fact that the Empress Eugene was u
have played The part of Baroness de Chevrlai ono
of the characters of the Roman Parsien," on the
| boards of the Compiegne Theatre She was so
pleased with the sketch NJ Octave Feullet gave her
of 1t that she presented him with her portrait 1on
the lid of gold snuff-boD set in diamonds INC
Empire fell ere he could elaborate Narcotic Inc
Duke de Morny first of the titlel crops up i'll L0
Roman Parislen under the name of Baron Cher
Aud now for an analysis of the play Ihe rrsV
act affords strong situation, which becomes an alb
surd one as the yconneoed plot evolves Itself
An element of horror is suggested but nothing TO
make the blood run cold is revealed The rising Oh
the curtain discovers ballroom. i'll which iasl-
ionabe be lies and mantua- makers viii he able 10
CLEAN many sumptuary notions worth putting ih'o
execution We see a wealthy and, to all appear
ance, happy home. Henri dc Tdrgy is young man.
opulent and highly respected, with still younger
wife drcelle-whom he adOres She Is frlVoous
not to say Frou-frouish," and delights Ill com
| pany and fashionable gayety Nothing pleaSes the
husband more than to see Narcotic admired anu GU
loving the triumph of her exquisite prettiness she
MARBLES beautifully. tenor JHtdni who Calls
Strakosch TO mind who is invited to sing with her
| and accompany her, too well appreciates her lovely
voice. lie ard she are drawn toward each other
But if is probable that poor Mdrcelle would not III
the third act become his prey if she were not We
tmized to ease the stings of her mother-ln-laW
| conscience. And who is this belle meref We hear
from conversation between haTd-liVng, a'Oelt
very money making banker, and another fast man.
at the hal OF the de- TGrgys This Bourso Bdro" Is
at once a dc Morny and financial Louis Qnlnze
An actor named German personates him, and makes
him talk III a way to obge ladies in the boxes 10
hide their faces with their fans. The dowager
Nine dc TarGy was once upon time, the bdro"
SAYS u very desirable woman" But she mas since
her husbands death fallen into an extraordinary
condition walking about at night like a spectre and
avoiding all society. lle concludes that skeleton
mu.t be hidden in a cupboard Of which she has the
kew. A doctor is also puzzled with her state and
begs her son to extract from her the secret which
aoitates her We are not long in waiting for the
clearing up of the mystery. Its explanation Is I'M
satisfactory is the deaOancHts of Anne RddcllleS
ghost stores. No poison mas been administered
nor blood shed. But three millions OF francs are
withheld from their rghtful owner Restitution
must be made before the dOwager Nine de IH0J
can sleep soundly at night. That sum was handed
over in trust to the late W. de 1dry by his dearest
and most intimate frieId, Count dc FdWiercs' VINO
had long intrigued with married woman of rank.
one Nine d Imbleuse. This lady had daughter tan
oduIt,rip child of counsel and ". de Tdrgys friend
WAS under the impression that he was her father.
The three millions were for her. But how let her
have them without disgracing her mother For
n n ftqbIeuse is ignorant of his wifes golngs on.
Seeing what the history of the Empress Eugenle'S
birth was. the audacty OF NJ Octave fenlliet III
bringing in the intrigue between VI dcfdrr'eres ana
,t,e n AwbIgse was great. The three millions were
for Mademosee. but she was to receive them IN
guch q way as TO lraye-n the cyesof H. dHm6teUSc
and The word-the fair fame of Madame intact. 10
this end A. DE- IdrGy asked by his dying friend
to axe charge of the fortune. aud when the unSus-
pectrng husband dies to hand it over to the Young
lady. But the trustee invested the money DAILY
and it all melted away.
The supposed daughter of Count dc Fdrrieres has
married the banker Cberridl She took him for his
wealth and lie proposed to her because she is
beauty. He really admired her; and then nothing
hetter adyertses private bank than for the direc-
for TO have a lovely wife. Cheerful is a millionaire
ten times over. He is a man of talent and wit, but
utterly given to low sensual iuSts. and thinks
it a feather i'll his cap that he has not been sent TO
pick oakum in Jail From what precedes, You Will
agree with me in thinking that Nine de 1drW (the
dovaperl was fool to he wretched about the melt
ing away of the trust fund, and TO tell her son that
she could not expect to enjoy peace of mind until IL
was restored.
in n brief dry sentence his determination to atone
in the fullest manner for his fathers errors as an
investor He resolves to sell all that he has and
nav to the uttermost farthing. Ch0rial the pluto
crat. when Henri dc 7drgy presents himself, with
all the money he has been able TO scraDe together
~ 700 900 f. is consulting with his doctor. Imag-
incl He wants to learn how to extract maximum
of sensual pleasures ont of his fortune without sur
fering in his health NJ. Octave Feuillet here sails
terribly close to the wind The physician, who Is
an honest man. warns his patient against excuses
of dissipation, and tells him he fears he VIII die
like tine Regent. who was struck with apoplexy at a
pctif soupa in the house of Madame dc Panab6ne'
damc galdnfC. This passage is too bad TO translate.
But from mere literary point Of view it is gem.
Thus it ends: Pm afraid doctor, you take no
other interest than professional one III me"
own that have not any sympathy for You" " NeV-
erthelcss have been Bourse man for twenty
nj hax. f..p or, ~ hem
Mazas (the Paris Tombs -" To this the Doctor
replies No; not yet" Henri Is announced. tie
explains the object of his visit. Cherrialmlght well
he nsinuudcd tnereat- EnL hn lI.tnna with mitrr