The age-herald., 1898-01-25
AN ADVENTURES IN PARIS The Meteoric Career of the Vi-
 COmtesse D'Abbans. BROUGHT INTO NOTICE AGAIN By Her Connection With the Dreyfus Case, Where She Gained Fame Overnight
 as the ''Veiled Lady"
From the New York Sun.

incidentally to bring into strong public view a 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 more or less discreet light of the half world. Not that she has been obscure; the Paris wo- man of her class seldom is that, especially if the moral disabilities under which she labors are capital She has, on the con trary. been conspicuous for number of years in the dress parade, whether at the opera, at Longchamps. or in the Avenue des Acacias; and she has even been the holder of "salon." This. woman is the vicomtesse Jouffroy d'Abbans, who became famous overnight as the ''veiled lady, con- cerned in the case or Dreyfus-or of Ester hazy, according to ones sentiment.
 The vicomtesse is called in Paris not an adventures, but a woman of the world,'' which is euphemistic TOT variety of att tributes, most of them subject to scrutiny in Christian communities. She belongs properly to the division of Parisian society of which Mime. Cora Pearl was the best known example of latter days-membership in which, it is of course unnecessary to eX- plain, is not always, according to the Paris code, considered dsadvantageous. The
  confined, far feminine intercourse is concerned, to their own drawing rooms; but they are usually considered the true leaders of fashion. As such they are al- ways dealt with first by the newspapers; the description of their gowns and jewelry, in reports of public function at the opera 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. Germain. They enjoy 41., t.zkt~ NE +l and at somebody's expense, outshine the wives of those gerat men in dresses, in jewels, and in equipages.
 The vicomtesse is not exactly leader in this peculiar world although she has done her share in adding to it's gayety. She is no longer young, and she has seen that if she wished to gain a lasting position she must do something besides the mere show ing of herself in handsome gowns. Her salon" has been in existence now about fifteen years, but it is only latterly that she has become exclusive. Her drawing rooms are frequented by statesmen, liter ary men, artists, and, above all, by officers of the army, and the military attaches of the the various foreign embassies and lega- tions; consequently she is popularly sup posed to be the receptacle of enough state secrets to set all the governments of Eu- rope by the ears.
 The history of this woman and of her rise to be the friend, and perhaps the con- fidant, of men high in the councils of na- lions is a singular one, but in no wise more singular than the histories of her sisters of like class; all are tinged with an unreality that is almost ridiculous. She was born in little village of the Jura, the daughter of tavern keeper, one Chabout, drunk ard and wife beater. At the age of she was already tending bar, serving drinks to the rough teamsters and laborers who frequented the place, working early and late, and getting hard knocks as recom- pense. She was precocious, of course, and pretty. She learned something of the ways of the world-at least the uncouth world in which she lived-before she had got all her second teeth. Many of these ways were unkind, and she suffered in conseuuence: she was hardly fifteen when she was obliged to fly from home to escape her fathers anger. She sought refuge at Ly- ons, the nearest large city, and after the ordinary vfcissitudes of the girl placed in such position, finally went out to ser vice as maid. The life did not suit her. She thought herself too good looking to spend her days in drudgery particularly as the other and easier road was not unfa- miiiar to her. In a short time she became one of the most noted of provincial gas- light butterflies.
 In Lyons she was mixed up in a number Of notorious affairs, the male participants in which were usually army officers and often the sons of wealthy manufacturers She Is credited with having been the cause of several shameful suicides and family es- arrangements, and altogether seems to have been very disquieting person in the bour- geois circles of that part of the country. r1nally she determined to extend her sphere of action by coming to Paris Ac- cording to one report she was influenced In this decision by the payment of a large sum of money; according to another, po- Itical influence brought to bear upon the government was the instrument of her departure. In any event, she transferred her household to the capital, where she seems to have been warmly welcomed from the very start.
 It required but short time for her to make influential acquaintances = among men, Of course; she had beauty and wit and some money, and her launching made quite splash. In some way or other-the opportunities are many in Paris she made the acquaintance of the Vicomte Jouffroy d'Abbans, an old man of whom not much Is known except that he was very rich had genuine title, and likewise fondness for the little women'' of the al-night cafes and the afternoon parade of the Bois. It surprised no one when she induced this gay old gentleman to endow her legally with his name and fortune.
 Those were the palmy days of the former barmaid In the vicomte's hotel of the Rue Montaigne she established a court as untrammelled in its way, as that of the Merry Monarch. It was a fast pace and under 1t the weak old vicomte succumbed There are various stories current as to the circumstances of his taking off, and it is known that he never drew a sober breath after the marriage; but an incident in which figured revolver in the hands of his wife Is nothing to the purpose The vicomte was out of the way and his sor- rowing widow was left to follow her own devices with a retinue of lovers and large fortune.
 Presently the staid, old-fashioned inhab- itants of the Rue Montaigne, scandalzed at the orgies taking place at their elbows, rose up in protest, and the vicomtesse had to move. She went to the Rue Royale, and was likewise driven from there. Another house in the Avenue de l'Alma afforded her but temporary refuge. and finally she went to the Rue d'Anjou, where she quieted down somewhat and established, instead of beer garden, a salon." She also had a country house near Lyons, the scene of her first triumphs and chateau in the noun tains.
 The vicomtesse was at this time hardly more than 20 years of age. She had edu- cated herself superficially in odd moments, particularly in languages, and she assumed pretentions of intellect. She affected the friendship of men of science and art and