Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-07-25


ance, moreover tended rather to par
alyze than stimulate the efforts Of the
lady artists; Nine. Saint-Ange, her real
name was Chifflard, who persOnated
Matilde affirming in whisper to Gessler
that he distinctly reminded her OF the
monster "Frankensteip," as performed
by Signor Cleric Beneni-elias Claire
Benie-at the Porte Saint Martin. The
result, indeed, of his preliminary essay
was so unpromising that the manager
more than ever convinced of the i'm
pending fiasco, bethought himself re-
gretfully of the cost of the new scenery
and dresses which, on the "sprat-to-
catch herring" principle, he had law
ished on the revival of Rosslnl's master
piece. and invoked fresh installment of
maledictions on the offending Colon
bat.
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 holidaymakers
from all parts of the city, impatiently
awaiting the opening or the doors.
From the excitement generally mani
tested by them it was evident that
something more than the national pred
Election for the spectacle" had at
tracted them thitber, and had caused
more than one fisherman from the port
to invest his hard earned sous in a tick
ct for the gallery. Since Saturdays re-
hearsal the rumored debut of new
tenor had become the talk of the town;
his uncouth exterior and presumed in
capacity, purposely exaggerated by
green room gossip, had been disparag-
lngIy alluded to in a local journal, and
his ignominious failure as a mat
ter of course. Lartigues was lar
from unpopular with his fellow towns
men; but the chance of being present
at row was temptation too strong to
be resisted. and from the highest to the
lowest classes of the population, play
goers Of every degree. considered it
their bounden duty to contribute a
proper quota of Kisses to the common
stock.
Long before the rising of the curtain
not place in the theater was empty !;
the members of the Frondeurs Club,
the selt-styled arbiters of fashion at
Vieilleville, were at their post to man.
prepared 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, a sight
that on any other night would have re-
joiced the heart of the manager, peep
ing at the audience through the ''trou
prehension. "1hey mean mischief"
he disconsolatelv remarked to his
henchman, Willard; elf that internal
Durand doesn't take his kissing quietly,
cadedis we may look out for squalls -
The overture with its magnificent
finale having received its usual tribute of
applause. the opera began, and every
eye was strained to catch a glimpse of
the -talked-of-hero of the even
ing. At length be appeared, and as he
advanced toward the footlights, his
weirdlike ugliness rendered more con-
spicuous by the glare Of gas the effect
produced on spectators was absolutely
startling, and dead silence reigned
throughout the house while the first
bars OF the opening recitative were
played by the orchestra. Suddenly q
voice, fresh, clear and exquisite
theater, gradually increasing in power
and volume as it reached the highest
notes, and terminating with an ut de
poitrine rarely heard IN such perfection
since the days of Duprez. For an in
slant the bewildered listeners remained
motionless as if entranced; but, as the
air drew to a close, their enthusiasm
could no longer be restrained, and
burst forth in one simultaneous shout of
delight, echoed again and again from
pit to gallery. From that moment the
tenor's battle was won; as the opera
proceeded the manifestations of salts
faction became more and more fire.
quent, and at the fall Of the curtain an
ovation awaited him such as seldom
falls to the lot of debutant at Vieille-
vile. Even the Frondeurs, although
probably disappointed at the result.
acknowledged the ''soft impeachment"
and waved their kid gloves with conde-
scending unbanity; Comauffet, the wit
of the party, alone venturiDg to Whis-
per with reference to Durand's evident
inexperience as an. factor, "Vox pr@terea
nihil ~
Lartigues, as may be imagined, was in
ecstasies, and held a serious consulta-
ton with Millard after the performance
as to the operas in which he could best
utilize the talent of his new acquisition.
Romeo, with such a face, " he said, sis
impossible, and so is Faust; but he
would make capital 'Juive,' and a
frst-rate Othello. He can't have been
long on the stage, for worst stick of
an actor never saw, but with a voice
like that, one muslin be too particular
Who would ever have thought that they
had anything of the kind at Rio ?''
Next morning the manager, still med
itating on.the advantages to be derived
from the engagement of the "ugly
tenor" arrived in good time at the
theater for the purpose Of superintend-
ing certain trifing alterations in the
scenic arrangements Of "Guillaume
Tell" which was to be played again on
the ensuing evening. A few minutes
before II the artists summoned to at
tend successfully made their appear
ance, with one notable exception
namely, Durand, whose presence as the
principal figure in an important scene
was indispensable.
"Send round to his lodgings" ex-
claimed Lartigues, annoyed at so fla
grant breach ofdiscipline, "and let him
know we are waiting for him."
He had scarcely issued the order,
when the entrance of middle-aged fe-
male, the FORTRESS Of the theater, ac-
companied by strong odor of garlic,
he impatiently inquired.
ga letter, to be delivered into mon
sieur's hands, replied Nine: Cerberus,
u L