New-York tribune., 1886-03-07
Rertrand is no LOvelace,

| .I,o o,oo Le nuts q strong guard on himself. Tn
fortunoteiy his wife has seen what is gong on even
before lie himself realizes it, and her health, never
| strong begins to give way. she is SUBJECT w
syncopc the result OF insufficient circulation. lhese
! attacks become more frequent. Doctor Tallevant'
! consulted about them, declares that there Is ho
organic trouble But Suddenly, after q series oil
fainting its Alette's condition 50 ala1ns her nus
band that the great doctor is hastily sent for. lie
arrives and his face fails Oh seeing the patient At
once with visible emotion lie tells Bertrand that his
! wife is dy,ng that an unforeseen change for the
worse has occurred and in effect she expires almost
! immediately DR.. Tallevaut returns home WIN
SABINE secs her to her chamber, then goes StIaleh'
to his laboratory ana opens the elaboratey guarded
case in which he keeps his poisous. There IS gap
in one of the rows of bottles. The aconite Is mss
ing As he stands horror struck before the case hc
! hears cautious fOotStep. lie hastily con'ea'S
! himself and next moment Sabine giIdeS H. tho
missing vial IN her hand on her way to replace H.
Her uncle cOnfrOnts and accuses her OF poisoning
the Countess de Vaulrcourt. She does not deny it.
but tnrr on him Gerccly and tells hlm that she has
only followed ont the teachings OF her education
Science has assured her that there is no GOd; that
this life is all TO be expected that there is no moral
government of the universe that therefore all the
rules and prohibitions Oferei to men are merely ue-
vices TO insure to the INSCRIPTIONS the possession
of what they have acquired; that she has 1olloWcu
natural instinct and put out OF the way an
obstacle to her happiness, for she loves Bertrand
| During her tempestuous and bitter speech her
uncles head has sunk lover and lower lie re-
mains silent at tho close The shock and horror OF
| the situation have killed him.
Bertrand mour,s his wife sincerely but at the
cxpiration of a wear he marrlcs Sabine Tallccaut.
| and returns to Paris lie had believed that hls
second wifes severe scientific training and enght-
ened mind were guarantees against any cOncesSops
to the fTiyolities of Partisan life. lie soon mas
that she is passonatey fon of dissipation that shc
has an Unsuitable curiosity to taste every form OF
pleasure and that she holds views about narta
independence which. however logically deducloie
from her philosophy, none the less dsqnletlhg
In short time her conversation and conduct begin
to revolt him. There is nothing soft or feminine
about her Love tried is changing INTO hato'
when tLc crisis is reached. Bertrand resolves to
have his daughter who has been living with her
mothers people in the country, with him at farls'
lie goes down to fetch her When he tells the Old
nnrse who has charge of her what he intends the
woman is violently moved, and begs him not 10 do
it, He persists and then she saws that If he takes
the child away she shall believe" What! cries ne
al shall believe" she murmurs " that you khO"
how her mother die |. and that You wish the chlLl
to die in the same way
A terrible explanation follows. NctolTc' IN"
nurse was Aliettes attendant. The poor wife had
discovered that Sabine was poisoning her. but be-
cause she believed Bertrand to be rartv TO the
crime she refused TO take any action, or even TO
save herself and she had expired III the agony Ol
the conviction that he whom she loved had killed
her The effect of this revelation upon Bertrand IS
fatal After separating from Sabine, whom no
cannot bring to Justice for the want of positive
proofs his health declines rapidly. his mind being
constantly tortured by ths horror of Aiieites
deathbed At last feeling himself sinking he sends
for MonSeigneur de Courtehense, aud dies III the
reliuon of his wife Living, the poor child had
been vanluished; dead she triumpheL'
The above sketch of the p'ot may flee to g. ow
that il is interesting, but conveys no idea OF the
art which informs the work. The development OF
the characters is most ski'fu, and while the Jonrh"l
form into which the beginning and end are thrown
imposes special difficulties upon the author theIe
is no loss of power IN these parts Perhaps the
most subtle thing in the book Is the exposition, IN
the contrasted characters OF De- Iallevaui and
Sabine. of the two ways in which the modern
scientific education may operate and of the radical
difference IN the effect OF such teaching upon one
whose mind has been formed under religious IN
huenceS. and one whose growing intellect has been
carefully guarded against all spiritual beliefs aud
doctrines The figure Of Ahcttc IS the least
strongly drawn, yet she is perfectly inteih@b!c.
Sabine is startling and will 10 dorb' be called I'M
natural but it would be unreasonable TO say ihai
girl with such Temperament, 50 educated, might
not grow into such woman.
Hector Maot is prolific second tate novelist who
produces too much 20 write masterpieces, even II ne
po..essed the capacity for frstratc work. The
present story is not one of his weakest however II
II is not strong it is amusing and interesting and
generally wholesome III its tendencies 1t Is ol the
fortunes Of Constant Adeine, cloth manufacturer,
who represents an old family OF Elhenl, Tor Two
centuries engaged in the same business. beginning
life with an established and prosperous business.
Adeiine gradually fails behind owing to changes OF
fashion, improvcm ents in processes and the increase
of comuetition. Being a Deputy, he has to spend
much time in Paris. There, when embarrassment
is creeping upon him, he falls into the hands Of Il
band of adycnWrerS, who resolve to exploit NM
He is man OF influence in politics and strong credit
in commerce. They want to establish IA " circle W
or gaming house, and they adrOitly use Adellne to
/ procuTe the necessary authorization from the
Project. Adeline is persuaded to accept the p'es-
dency of the Grand international" as Is called
and the most interesting part OF the story is the study
of his gradual seduction by the temptations Of his
! position. When a young man he had played some
what heavily. but since his marriage he had never
touched card. For months after becoming pres
! dent of the Grand International he watched the
play in the rooms without the least inclination to
| oin it, But 1t was part of the policy OF the gang
who had conspred against him that he should play
| and become indebted to the bank and in time both
these purposes are fulfilled. and the poor manuiact
urer who is further troubled by the necessity of
| providing a marriage. portion for his daughter,
| engaged in marriage to a voung Jew, member of II
wealthy Elbeuf firm, finds himself more and more
deeply entangled time passes, and less able to
insist on the vigorously honest policy he has marked
! out for the conduct Of the circle.
In the end he is reduced to despair, and a catas-
! trophe closes the story. There is some very fair
| character drawing and the two mOthers-in- Jaw.