The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
PARTISAN ADVENTURES.
THE METEORIO CAREER OF THB
YIOoMTESsE D'ABBANS.

PARIS, Jan. 5.-The eternal complications OF
the Capt. Dreyfus case, besides being OF enor-
nous interest to tho French temperament OF
romance and intrigue. have served incidentally
to bring into strong public view q personality
notorious enough to most men OF the world who
know their Paris, but one which up to now has
been content with exploitation In the moro or
less discreet light Of the half.world. Not that
she has been OBSCURE; tho Paris woman Of her
class seldom is that, especially II tho moral dis
abilities under which she labors are capital.
She has. on the contrary, been conspicuous for q
number Of years In the dress parade, whether
at the opera. ut Longchamps. or In tho Avenue
des Acacias; and che has even been the holder
Of o salon" This woman Is the Vicomtesse
Joufrroy d'Abbans, who became famous over
night as the "veiled lady - concerned In tho case
OF Dreyfus-or Of Esterhasy. according to ones
sentiment.
The vicomtesse 10 called In Paris not an ad-
ventures, but q woman Of the world" which
is euphemistic for q variety Of attributes, most
of them subject to scrutiny in Christian
communities. She belongs properly to the
division of Parisian society of which Mmo.
Cora Pearl was tho best-known example
of latter days-membership In which, IL
is Of course unnecessary to explain, In not
always. according to the Paris code. considered
disadvantageous The purely social existence
of these women Is confined, as far as feminine
intercourse ia concerned, to their own drawing
rooms; but they are usually considered the true
leaders of fashion. AS such they are always
dealt with first by the newspapers: the descrip-
ton of their gowns and Jewelry. in reports Of .
public function at the opera or at the race track.
invariably precedes that Of the wife and the
daughter Of the President himself, not to speak
of the ladies Of the Faubourg st. German. They
enjoy the intimacy OF the great mon Of Europe.
and, at somebody's expense, outshine tho wives
Of those great men in dresses, in jewels. and In
equipages.
The vicomtesse is not exactly a leader In this
peculiar world, although she has done her share
In adding to Its gayety. She 10 no longer young,
and she has seen that II she wished to gain o
lasting position she must do something besides
the mere showing of herself In handsome gowns.
Her "salon" has been in existence now about
fifteen years. but 1t is only ~latterly that she has
become exclusive. Her drawing rooms are fro
quented by statesmen. literary men. artists,
and. above all. by officers of the army. and tho
military attaches Of the various foreign en-
bassies and legations; consequently she 10 popu-
larry supposed to be the receptacle of enough
The history Of this woman and Of her rise to
be the friend, and perhaps the confidant, of mon
high in the councils of nations Is q singular one.
but in no wise more singular than the histories
an a anr siityi that Is isa almost oestS Ridiculous s."t She was
born in q little village OF the Jpra, the daughter
OF ond a w taHer pa. keeper, one te. oh aa 2 2 d sps n ard
already tending bar. serving drinks to tho
rough teamsters and laborers who frequented
the place. working early and late. and getting
hard knocks as reeompense.. She was precocious,
Of course. and pretty. She learned something OF
World y%S Sf Il w 81 sa she T Ifsea-set ess' she sh Lad Ss sSs IL
hs second teeth Many OF these ways we're nns
hardly haadi sf fft se1 SShsas she ~ was SS" oSHised g ny fs from rom
home to escape her fathers anger. She sought
refuge p"Ss s,s at erd hjyons. v the nearest !, large arg &c, Gityi and
p maid. The life did not suit her. She thought
road was not unfamiliar to her. In a short time
she became one Of the most noted OF provincial
In Lyons she was mixed up in a number Of
R we're nsns IVAN army yn ef ma,e ps ana dftan n tbs w sona
Of wealthy manufacturers. She is credited
with having been the cause of several shameful
suicides and family arrangements. and alto
gether seems to have been a very disquieting
person in the I%ourgsots circles Of that part q
her sphere of action by coming. to Paris. Ac-
cording to one report she was influenced in this
nss1siSn a Sy raG P1 70 snotS Se a p lsffs fu ina OF
ence brought to bear upon the Government was
the instrument Of her departure. In any event.
she transferred her household 10 the capital,
where she seems to have been warmly well
coined from the very start.
u rbQuiIcu Jul u euOTb LiluO lOE u6E W MAKO
influential acquaintances-among men, of
course; she had beauty, and wit. and some
In some way or otherNthe opportunities are
the Vicomte Jopfroy d'Abbans' an old man Of
whom not much Is known except that he was
fondness for the little women" Of the ali:nisht
surprised no one when she induced this gay old
gentleman to endow her legally with his name
Those were the pHlmy days Of the former
iMs|ptd n i she s : j he'd. a g court tSt S e. nntram.
old ,vicomte succumbed. There arc various
taking of. and it is known that he never drew
q sober breath after the marriage; but an incl:
his wife is nothing to the purpose. The vicomte
was out Of the way. and his sorrowing, widow
H wSs o lsf fet Se 1o aSS . h lsFe sT f9rt SsvioeS with a r0ti'
Presently the staid. old'fashioned inhabitants
Of the Rue Montaigne., seandalized at the orgies
the Rue Royale,, and was likewise driven. from
there; Another house in the Avenue de I,Alma
she went to the Rue d'Anjou, where she auieted
bear garden, q salon" She also had a Country
house near Lyons, the scene of her first trl.
u% %EPih and q chateau In the mGuntsins;
IN odd moments. particularly In
~ y uiu pho ub5hhiCu VI III /
tollect. She affected the friendship Of mon of |
science and art and literature. but She also re.
ceivod bankers and merchants. and a host Of
young men OF leisure. or of minds not yet made
up to a career, Above all. h0wever, her boon
as at Lyons. were military men. She
was COSMOPOLITAN, SO she drew recruits In this
field from all countries. For this reason, and
long before the Dreyfus affair. her salons"
were looked upon with suspicion by the Govern |
ment, which, however. never could gather sut-
fiolent evidence upon which to act, even II 1t
had wanted to. |
Among the many persons with whom she was
upon intimate terms at this time were Capt.
Borup OF the United States Army; the baroness
Won Krauze: whose husband. suspected of beinga
a spy. was forced to leave the country; Marie
Valiant, the mistress Of an Italian military
attache. and Anna Bordsonn, for five years the
afterward the master OF the house until his
money gave out. and was succeeded by M. de
Fraissinet, q well-knOwn- young man, who do
clares that his fortune of several millions was
entirely dissipated by the VIcomtesse.
For the last six or eight years the Vicomtosse
has been comparatively out Of the movement.
1t is known that at one time she experienced a
change OF heart and got exceedingly v~irtuous.
insisting upon making the acquaintance of the
OF the great men she knew. Provided