New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-17
- nr n,uv TRIBUNE SUNDAY EIGHTEEN PAGES

Rameaus sale he tries 20 repreSs MS lnsuncFo ou'
ulcon-whlch rests primarily upon genealogical an
alys and inference. Presently Rameau falls In love
with and marries Conchita, the daughter Of a iaay
who has betn cured by him. Tho girl Is deVou'
Catholic and they not long married before sno
determines TO attempt the conversion OF her huSDau'
She falls, but broodng over his nfldeiity mas nl"uo
her morbid, and she concoives Kind OF aversion "
him. While she is in this dangerous state OF mniu
she Is persuaded to have her portrait painlcu Wy
Munzel and the intimacy developed during prorao'0u
sittngs unfold in BOTH unconsciously 10 themselves,
a passion which the faallsm Of opportunity suauehV
reveals, and as suddenly trsnsmutes into CRIME
Talvanne discovers the laison rcproaches Oohchta
bitterly and demands the instant departure Oh Munzel
from the country. Tho guilty pair, now awake 70
their treason, separate at once ana hnaiy' ana
IlamealL knows nothing. child Is born, and no
attaches himself TO the little girl passionatey The
war with Germany comes on, and Ohnet has given
some powerful scenes from the siege Of Paris One
Of the great crises of the story occurs at this point
moreover.
Rameau IS in charge of the field hospitals during
one of the great sorties. Many wounded Germans
arc brought in, and among them IS Munzel. His
case IS hopeless but Ramcau faithful to his friend
ship, has the dying removed 10 Talvapnes asylum
and carefully tended. Conchita who. engaged in
nursing, finds HIM there at the moment when Rameau
having convinced himself that death is a question of
a few hours only, has determined to give his patient
a powerful opiate, 10 spare him useless agony AS
Catholic Conchita protests against this course, since
II Will deprive Munzcl OF the consolation Of religion,
Of confesson and dissolution. She alone knows how
heavy load the conscience Of the dying bears,
but she cannot reveal TO the wronged husband tho
motive for her passionate romonstrance Tho doctor
refuses TO be moved. He thinks only Of his Old
friends relief He win not have him kept conscious
for what he concelves TO be rational end than
the satisfaction OF feminine superstition and creduty
The wretched woman Is on the point OF revealing
everything but her courage falls and Muniol dies
under the Influence of the opiate. Conchita does not
survive him long, and Rameau Is heartbroken by her
death. lie nouns her for fifteen years. making
mortuary chapel OF the In which she died. and
yielding tho more completely to his grief because nc
believes that the separation Is eternal
The growing charms Of his daughter Adrenne,
however, gradually restore him 10 mental health.
He cherishes her dcvotedly UNTIL having attained her
eighteenth year. she IS sought In marriage by hs own
pupil, whom he loves son. Nothing could be
more gratifying than the proposed union but in pre-
pairing for IL the doctor finds necessary to examine
the papers left by HIS wife, For the first time since
her death he unlocks her private dcsl-to find con-
elusive evidence Of her lialson with Munzel and
ground for strong suspicion that Adrienne is not his
daughter. This discovery not only skaters bis cult
at a blow but almosts unseats his reason, and while
be is crying and agonizng over It, Adhienne appears.
The sight Of her lnensl6es HIS suerlngs, for he
fresh confirmation OF allen paternity in tl0 color
% hdc eyes and hair. In access Of passion he
treats her so roughyso brutally, IN fact-that she
faints, and a dangerous eelebral attack onsues.
This Is tho strongest part Of the story. terrible con-
nct follows between the betrayed, dIsllnsionZed
husband and HIS falthf friend Talvanne The doctor
refuses 20 visit Adrienne professionally. Ho now
hates her Tho representation that he alone cure
hr does not move him. He has become inhuman,
4 very monster. His first Impulse had been TO take
his own life. Talvanne shamed him out Of that, but
he VIII not lift a finger prevent tic death OF the
girl The portrayal Of this fearful struggle is fine
piece OF work Talyaane, himself Christian, aftcr
valnly using every persuasion, leaves his friend ndg
nantly, convinced that nothing but miracle can
change thaSosslhcd nature II Is precisely tho mirac-
ulous this, happens, and Rameau IS drawn, against
VS. viii apparently TO the bedside OF Adrienne and
there the healing attraction operates upon his spirit
and IN yielding affection too potent for his anger
TO dominate he abandons his lifelong phllosophio
positions and becomes a believer In God. The weak
ness OF tho denousment consists In q failure TO cx-
plain with sufficient cearness the method Of this con-
version. The reader plainly enough that the
doctor changes his views but he does not why he
changes them: for there was no difficulty in &C
counting for HIS relenting toward Adrionne on the
most rational and natural Of theories This however IS
tho ono debcct novel which in all other respects
exhibits remarkable power and ability, and which
Is on distinctly higher plane, and prevailed by q
moro earnest purpose than characterize any Of tho
authors earlier works.