Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-03
CLEO DE MER0DE.
GREATEST BEAUTY OF FRANCE
HOLDS ODD VIEWS.
PINS HER FAITH TO NO man.
Money to Her Is the Real Thing That
Makes Life Worth Living-Her Soul
Is in Her HeeIs-UnIil1e Bernhardt,
She Likes the Women of America.

NEW YORK, October ITO dance, ma
cherie, to dance and then to dance again.
/ love, you love, we all love. What is 1t
you Americans say, money makes-le
cheval go round? That is 1t. That is
| IT," This is what Cleo de Merode said
| to me when / asked her to tell me of
her likes and dislikes. her hopes, her am
billions. She speaks no English, and 1
have used French expressions when she,
in striving to express the English idea,
relapsed into her own common every
day expressions.
The Merode has New York at her feet,
and very pretty and daintily shot feet
they are, too. Merode is cast In classic
mould. She has the limbs Of a Greek
goddess and the face of houri. And
her hair-we have all heard of the Me-
rode hair, but its velvety sheen is past
all description. / was not impressed by
her, but the girls peculiar beauty and
strange combination of character and APP
pearance interest fully as much as they
create admiration.
She is shrewd and sharp, and although
several of the New York writer's have
her pretty head was empty / must say
that / found II quite different She Is
delighted TO talk to those who can speak
her own language, and revealed to me a
fact which might have a depressing effect
on the Johnnies If they but knew IT, al
though IL has not been published. Me-
rode is going to be married. What Is
more. she is going to marry a man who
is in trade, but who has more money than
he knows what to do with. and as no sum
whatever would place Merode in that po-
sition. the match will probably be a
very happy one.
SHE is TO MARRY.
Il am going to get married" said Me-
rode. First. because the man seems
good to me. and also because you know
In France a woman is never independent
until she Is married. You see l have
my mother with me wherever / go. What
would they think of me II / went about
without chaperon? Impossible. Do
you think Monsieur whom | shall marry
would be happy If he thought l were over
here in this great country with no one
but my little self TO keep away the peo-
pie that always follow me? No. no. no."
Surely Merode. II half what we hear Is J
true should be past mistress in the arts /
of love. She has known them all from I
artists to king, and they have all loved |
her. She has known lie grand passion |
exhibited by men of almost all the ma
tionalities OF Europe. She knows just |
how people make love I'm the North and |
the South. the East and the West. and she |
loves to think OF it all.
Your ambitions. Madomoiselle." said
]. ARE not so high as they might be
placed IL you had not fully decided upon
winning a businessman"
WOULDN'T HAVE A KING.
Mon dieu." said Merode. II once had
ambition to marry title, but not now"
Perhaps you would have liked TO be
queen" / suggested.
Merode closed her eyes and smiled In
far-away fashion. Then she said: Once.
used to have thoughts that a queen
must be the happiest of persons. but since
then / have known kng-yes. several
Kings. Now do not wish TO be queen"
And your greatest love is"
ITO dance-oh. yes: to dance. My soul
s In my feet. sometimes / think.
know the dance / know the figure, but
some way forget it all and leave II TO
ny feet. They know They never make
How long shall / dance? As
ong as live and can move about. do
lot wish to be thought one OF those
women who will ever confess that they
ire passe. ! never shall be. never" And
Herode shook her head vigorously and
cowled In Machivellian fashion.
Merode laughs at all precedent. and