New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-26
-FOUR FRENCH NOVELS.


sotSU ssmsnn Ievy. New-york: W. r. Jenkins
LIE s'oMTE xAvIEK Par HyShT 9 SnEv,.IS' fanS'
Tho literary RELATIONS of the theatre are close in
r,,ncc The successful novelist there does not rest
s.sisf3ed mill he is also successful dramatst Inc
poet is playwright almost asa matter OF course
Tctiou draws freely upon the stage for characters
effects emotions The life Of tho actress both be-
fore the footiights aud behind the curtain, Is
fayorte study, and the intrgues OF the conissses
have furnished plots for scores OF stories ~ Maiot
has required to this never-fang magazine OF facts
for tho framework of "Zyte," but he has run
counter TO the orthodox practice of the Realists in
selecting for analysis the purest aud best aspect
81 his many sided subject. The heroine. Zyte'
Is q young girl whose father. an old ana
broken actor earns precarous living by conduct
ing travelling troupe in q couple Of caravans
through the rural districts. They play in barns
and wherever else accommodation 10 to be had.
and IN this nomad,c life Zyte has developed
thanks in great measure to the instructions Of q
really good eocutionist the troupe) decided his
tricpic talent At one of the village performances
she is seer by CASTOR Chamontain, OF bourgeois
millionaire and he falls love with her. Through
his influence shc IN opening at the odeon'
where her success SO marked that after SNORT
time she is houored with an invitation 10 appear
~ the Com6d,e Franca,se Devoted to her art, she
has nothing of the coquetry and the moral laxity
of the conventional French actress CASTOR she
loves but she Will be nothing to him il she cannot
be his wife, The result Of her frmness Is that de-
spite the threats of his father that such marriage
will entail dsinheritance, he becomes the husband
of Zytc aud then repentance at lelsare begins NO
woman could behave more circumspecty than the
Young actress, but Gaston's position is lntolera-
ble HIS allowance cut off, dependent upon his
nafio I'm Ia
her to the theatre for rehearsais aud
performances. offended hourly by the license in
speech which the eomradeship of the theatre ex-
cuses. he becomes dissatisfied and moody. Mean
time his father has put private detective on guard
over Zyte, hoping that she may do something
which will give ground for quarrel and divorce.
Fate is against her. and an innocent though impru-
dent act affords so deep color of suspicion that
CASTOR believes her unfaIthfu and leaves her.
The story ends with divorce whlch even takes
her child from her. She is pure and faithful. but
unfortunate and nothing remains to her at the end
but complete devotion to her art. The story is we'll
told. The description of the HE IN Inc
caravans. at the beginning, is particularly good.
The characters of Zyte. CASTOR, Lachapelle. Ba-
chollet, ETC.. are clearly drawn The denoue-
ent is sad but it is naturaa and perhaps almost H.
evItabe In the circumstances.
much less wholesome book is that of NJ. Rabus-
son. though it Is conparatv ely free from the pre-
vailing vice of French fiction. II isrcalisic, but
not Extensively So Its general effect is rather I'M
pleasant for the reason that it deals with that class
Of what the Socialists call "cumberers of the
EARTH" who toll not, neither do they spn and con-
sequently get into all kinds of mischief and educate
themselves in folly as though it were cult.
The probation of Adhemar Is an experience of
Partisan life by young arstOcrat who has been
reared IN q country chateau. He commits the alb
surd les winch youth whose bank account is un-
limited can hardly escape. He has a love affair
with lady much older than himself lie attains
social prom hence, finally falls in love with good
but poor grl, and after being subjected to much
trouble on her account through the malice and
treachery of friend he at length escapes from the
tolls fights q duel with his betrayer, is nearly
killed. according to the logic of such affairs and
on recovering marres his sweetheart There
is too much artifciality in the story. the
scenes of which are cast in the most
frivolous and conventional circles of Paris for the
most part. The old duke and duchess are the most
natural and easy characters in the book. Adhenar
himself barely escapes priggishness. and du Ira
haut the villain Is too melodramatic for the year
of grace eighteen hundred aud sixty-six. Alto
pether NJ Rabusson cannot be said to have in
creased his reputation by lie Stage dAdhemdr, but
he is certainly entiLed to the credit-and 1t is not
q little for a modern French novelist-of having
avoided the temptations which even master like
Alphonse Dandet has found too strong for him.
"Joconde BerthlerD is really capital novel: fresh.
breezy clear, full of bright thought, skilful de-
scnption and animated, natural talk IL is quite
original in Its opening. young man, Robert
Guerin. wakes in the morning with the sinister
purpose of killing himself before night. lie Is in
love with singer and she has cast him OIL, an
nounciug her intention of accepting an offer of
marriage made her by Russian prince. Before
putting an end to his existence, Robert goes to
see his intimate friend. Raoul Rival. a painter who
has charming wife, Rival succeeds III preventing
the contem plated suicide, and in the nick OF time
an old aunt OF Roberts dies, leaving him chateau
and estate and he has to go and look after his in
her1tance 1t is in the country that
he meets Joconde Berthier. then wild slip OF
girl. daughter of q fine old Admiral and partak-
ing Of tie fathers broad, open upright sailor char
acter. Joconde is delightful creation. and her
evolution is artistic Robert is stlllinfatuated with
his siren, but ne teaches JocOnde to kill time, and
as she growing into woman, she develops
feeling for her tutor which ripens into love- He
perceives nothing of this, beng wrapped up in
his cruel mistress. who half reients and
evinces . disposition to play with hun. as
cat plays with mouse. But
she has meanwhile married her prince, and has
gone to live In Russia. so the ex-loyers can only
correspond Now Christiane really is bent upon saw
ing hobert from himself, and she conspires with
Lis friends the Rivals to deceive him for his own
good. Those who want to know how she succeeds.
aad how Jocondes love is at last rewarded, and
how the rascally old Boisdenisrs cheat him out OF
half his inheritance, and how he RECEIVERS vau-
able property thought to have vanished with the
rest, must read the story for themselves. 1t must
suffice here to say that it is well worth reading.
il abounds with strong work delicate work. and
tender work. The women are especially well in
dividualIzed. and If the stubborn perverslty ex-
hib,ted by the hero is at times vexatlous. 1t can
not be said that is untrue to nature. the caprcos
and follies OF ove-sick youth being illlmitabie.