Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-12
AAuaaiAR R0ssARrs.
Tie Plot OF sAFdou's Rev Play,
Now on the Partisan stage.

Sarah Bernhardt made her reap
pearance on the Partisan stage on the
18th ult., and Fedora" the new play
OF Nlctorien Sardou, was produced for
the first time. There was a brilliant
audience. Single seats sold for $40 TO
800, and boxes brought 500 10 $3.50
each. The actress wore a magnificent
new costume in each act, and was
given an ovation which excelled all
her previous triumphs.
Sardou Is the dramatic author par
excellence. His features are 80 sharp
that they are almost angular. A
French wit has said Of him: In face
he isan infant, in body a very old
woman" DAME R0ehat" is one of
his latest successes. The play Of
Fedora" is based upon revenge. The
plot is, that Princess Fedora Roman
of (Rernhardt) Is about to be married
to Captain Vladimir, when his death
is brought about, supposedly By the
I Nihilist, because his father is the chic
ofthe Imperial police inst Petersburg
Count Loris Ipanoff, who has flown to
Paris, is suspected aud Fedora follows
him to ayenge the death OF her lover.
Loris falls in love with her and she
encourages it in the hope Of surprising
him into a confession Of his crime.
But she also learns to love him, and
begins to hope that he is innocent,
Finally, whilo together in a ballroom,
he admits that he murdered Vladimir,
which Fedora interprets to mean that
he was executing the sentence Of the
Nihilist conspirators. He promises
TO visit her house st | O'Clock that
night aud finish his revelations. The
discovery Of his guilt revives her de-
sire Tor revenge. She writes TO the
Minister of the Russian police that
Count Ipanoff has confessed to her
that he had murdered Vladimir, and
she duplicates her brother and his
most intimate friend, who are still in
st. Petersburg, as his a~ccomplices and
as Nihilists. She posts in her garden
a number of emissaries of the Rus
sian government, who are to
seize Loris when he leaves her, to
convey him to n yacht that will take
him to Tlayre, when he will be handed
over to the commander of a Russian
man-ot-war that happens to be 10 that
port
When Loris arrives he tells her that
he killed Vladimir on account OF an
amour with the Countess lpanot, in
whose arms le died; and that Vladi-
mir was only intending to marry her
tfedora) to retrieve his fortune. AS
ne is about to leave Fedora remem
bers those who are lying in wait for
him by her orders, aud she throws
herself into his arms and coufesses
that she loves him, and, calling to her
aid all the arts of her sex in order to
overcome his scruples, forces him to
remain, at the sacrifice Of her honor.
Fifteen days thereafter the plot cul-
inmates, when he learns that it is Fe-
dora who is to blame for his condem-
nation as a murderer and 3 Nihilist
and the c~onfscation of his property.
dis brother and his friend have been
arrested as his aceomplices. The
former had died in prison, aud his old
mother had died Of a broken heart.
A telegram comes from Russia an
%neuncing that the Minister Of Police,
having lost his Office, the friends OF
L0ris have obtained his pardon from
the Car aud the release OF his friend,
who is already on his way to Paris to
reveal to him the name Of the person
who denounced them Loris while
waiting for the arrival Of bis friend,
declares tina. nothing but the death
Of bis secret enemy will satisfy him,
Fedora makes one last effort and at
tempts to plead the cause of the I'M
known betrayer with herlOver and in
doing so belrays herself In his rage,
Loris clutches her by the throat and
attempts to strange her. Breaking
away from him, she exclaims: "Loris,
do not kill mel" and, swallowing 8
dose OF poison that she has prepared
FOR this emergency, sheeadds: "Yor
see it is useless" and falls dead at his
feet.