St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-04

"Indeed" said Lartigues, in by nc
means confident tone. swell, if
were you I wouldn't be so sanguine
Our public is apt to be nasty at times. ,
81 will run my chance of that" care
lessly replied Durand. 'When do we
| rehearse?"
''On Saturday at eleven. And, as
suppose you will be looking for lodg.
ings, l recommend you, in case of acci.
dents, only to take them by the week. >
Left to his own meditations, the i'm.
presario, after heartily devoting Colon
bat to the Internal regions, summoned
his stage manager, and confded to that
functionary with much meridional
gesticulation his disappointing inter
view with the tenor from Rio.
''He is absolutely hideous, Willard,
with a cutthroat face like Commun-
ard of II, the sort of fellow one wouldn't
care to meet after dark. What on
earth is to be done? We can't put of
the opening or change the performance
for the Frondeurs Club insists on an
opera, and we have no other ready.
There is no help for it; we must try
him."
"After ALL" said Willard, there is
one consolation. If he fails you are not
bound to pay him his month y
"1e,' replied Lartigues, Frightening
up little at the recollection. Il al
ways have that clause inserted in my
engagements, and in his case if, as |
imagine, his 'ramage' is on par with his
'plumage' failure is foregone conclu-
sion"
The Saturdays rehearsal proved a
very lame affair, the new singer, on the
plea of a sudden hoarseness, declaring
himself incapable of any vocal exertion,
and merely humming the airs and con-
certed music of his part. His appear
ance, moreover, tended rather to para
lyze than stimulate the efforts of the
lady artists: Nine. Saint-Ange, Cher
real name was Chiflard), who person
ated Mathilde, affirming in a whisper
to Gessler that he distinctly reminded
her of the monster in "Frankenstein,"
as performed by Signor Cleric Beneni
alias Clair Benie-at the Porte Saint
Martin. The result, indeed, of this
preliminary essay was so unpromising
that the manager, more than ever con-
WINGED of the impending fiasco, be-
thought himself regretfully of the cost
of the new scenery and dresses which,
on MISUNDERSTANDING" prin-
ciple, he had lavished on the revival of
Rossini's masterpiece, and invoked a
fresh installment of maledictions on the
offending Colombat.
Easter Monday came at last, and at
an early hour in the afternoon the APP
proach to the theater was thronged by
a dense multitude of holiday makers
from all parts of the city, impatiently
awaiting the opening of the doors.
From the excitement generally mani
tested by them it was evident that some
thing more than the national predilec-
ton for the spectacle had attracted
them thither, and had caused more than
one fishermen from the port to invest
his hard learned sous in ticket for the
gallery. Since Saturday g rehearsal the
rumored debut of new tenor had be-
come the talk of the town; his uncouth
exterior and presumed incapacity, pur-
posely exaggerated by greenroom Cos
sip, had been disparagingly alluded to
in a local journal, and his ignominious
failure predicted as matter of course.
Lartigues was far from unpopular with
his fellow-townsmen; but the chance of
being present at ''row" was a tempta-
ton too strong to be resisted, and from
the highest to the lowest classes of the
playgoers of every degree
considered it their bounden duty to con-
tribute proper quota OF Kisses to the
stock.
Long before the rising of the curtain
not a place in the theater was empty;
the members of the Frondeurs Club,
the self-styled arbiters OF fashion at
1O1llOSIlC, WCIO at blClI PCSt w d ulctIl,
to exercise their judicial priv
ilege with Draconian severity, and oc-
casionally exchanging salutations with
the fair occupants of the boxes. Stalls,
pit and gallery were crammed, sight
that on any other night would have re-
joiced the heart of the manager, peep
ing at the audience through the s'trOu
du rideau," but now filed him with ap-
prehension. They mean mischief"
he disconsolately remarked to his
henchman Willard; 'sif that Internal
Durand doesn't take his kissing quiz
city, cadedis! we may look out for
squalls!''
The overture with its magnificent
finale having received its usual tribute
If applause, the opera began; and every
aye was strained to catch glimpse of
The much talked-of hero of the evening.
At length he appeared, and as he adj
vanced toward the footlights, his weird
ike ugliness rendered more conspicu-
BUS by the glare of gas, the effect pro-
1uced on the spectators was absolutely |
startling, and dead silence reigned |
throughout the house while the first
,ars If the oDeninr recitatiye were |