The sun., 1898-01-23
PATTI AND HER HUSBAND.
TEE COURTsHIP OF NICoLINI as
TOLD BIZ NINE. LAUW.

Avsrsien First Felt By the Prirnn Denna To-
ward the Teuor-Rervsr OF Riceiini's Love-
pnanips ne Remee-BehavIsr Ascribed ts
the marquis Dc Csux Before ISIS IDivorce.
II has been said that the private life Of Mime.
Adelina Patti and her husband, Ernest Nico-
lini, who died on Tuesday at Cannes, was al.
wars happy, and no word indicating differ
ent state OF things has over reached the out
aide world. As to PATHS first marriage, con-
Trajectory statements have been made. In q
hook written by former companion OF the
singer, Mme Patti is described as having been
ardently in love with hor first husband, the
Marquis de Caux, after their marriage as well
as in the years preceding II, and the influence Of
signor Nicolini is given as tho cause Of the
separation. But It is known that her aversion
to Nicolni led Louisa Lauw TO leave Mime.
Patti after fourteen years OF intimate COM
panionship; so her descriptions Of him are not
generally believed. They are part Of book
called Fourteen Years with Patti" which
was published In Germany after the author
and Nine Patti brought their long associa-
sion to an end. One Of the FIRST references she
makes to Signor Nicolini is in these words:
.The Marquis de Caux had learned, In con.
sequence OF the for France 30 unhappy war,
70 yield to the inevitable. He put some rc.
straint upon his hate Of tho Germans, and
permitted his wife-not as O Frenchman, but
a. husband consulting her interests-to go
for tho season TO Homburg. We occupied
then once moro the Victoria villa, and had for
our next neighbor tho tenor Nicolini, with his
wife andsshve children. Adelina had, indeed,
already, in Paris and London. made the pro-
fesssional acquaintance Of this gentleman.
She was unable, however, to find his manners
70 her taste and 1t always cost her certain
effort to sing with him. Although possessed
of o dne voice, signor Nicolini was unable to
rise above the ranks of the so-called dozen ten
ors,' and however much he exerted himself,
especially In London, to replace the great Ma
rio-going 30 far as to copy the latter in his
costumes, in his gestures, even in the cut Of
his hair and the form Of his beard-the London
public, surfeited by the enjoyment Of the first
rank, only recognized in Signor Nicolni. the mere
ehadow Of the great singer and actor Mario
6ignorin1 Nicolini appeared to US n lady Of
winning and amiable manners. The little
shrewd wife was tormented, however, with
boundless jealousy, under the daily out
breaks Of which poor Nicolini, whom she de-
elared without ceremony to be q veritable Don
juan, had not q little TO suffer. Notwith-
ponR %s sos the sSf@es
Eho. norsoyer stiIiaiiy, drilled him n The ths:
When he had succeeded in this, he ordinarily,
quantity Of fireworGS. We, indeed. IL returned si
the visits OF sisnor and Signorina Nicolini, but
6sr 6 70 unsympa:hotic colleague" 60 WIN
Mme. Lauw shows her feeling against tho
tenor here In describing what was In reality the
sumner Of ISL. Il was vas not not until two W months
later that Mime. Patti again met the man des-
tined to DO her future husband. In these
words Mime. Lauw described that meeting:
In St. Petersburg we again met Signor Nico-
Uni hS Was S there engaged fEr ths season and
taken up his quarters in our hotel. The usual
courtesies. wore exchanged, but it cost Adelina
able colleague, and especially in Romeo and
Juliet. Too vividly did her memory recall
ne picture Of Mario. tho unapproaohable Mario,
would have shrunk from no pecuniary sacrifice
On order to avoid singing. with Nicolini; her
to allow herself to be made love TO, II only for
the space OF q few hours. The opera was
passion. more ardent love ianeuor S than snS Mico
scsresy have FIowsd in ths hear. Oi Tie orisi
snraptured at the performance Of Pomeo tNico-
lini, was the Marquis de Gsux himself. He
supported Adelina's, but he also maintained
that the two made handsome couple upon the
especial IN sssns adena R%
NicSl,ni upon the stage, patronized him in every
At the close of this engagement, Mime. Patti
vent TO Vienna and the closing pages Of Nine.
Lauw's book are devoted to an account Of the
fervent oourtship OF the singer. At that time,
Nine hauw said, she was devoted to her hus-
dc f. and hen he
him in St. PetersSafg only after her manager nam ger
had persuaded her that 1t would mean ruin to
bad made for her IN the Austrian eaplta Mms @
Law alternAtes her accounts Of Nine. PATHS
tlons Of Nicoiinis conduct, which show that she
OosSessed no great fondness for him.
tasna aS ns s al she wrote
sSs bad sways fet for this mani WHen one
came to the Marquis and Urgently entity SOUGHT ohS bis
advice as to how he could get rid, without
a wSe had sdE % Ga no@ anfS s
burg to Vienna, Adelina was SO enraged that
she made the proposition to mo to inform.
wei as was able the impotey q this St step, % and I
ever, refrain from reproaching Nicolini most most
Ssytns 20 him i thst y would s ID become S Nm much
to be pleasing himself in the role OF gallant.
After Considerably trouble Nicolini suOceeded
discarded By her family. and Where. s as 'Ss We
learned later. she was avoided by good society
ssS cSsnHs IN Ss sn3
ers feelings. however, when tho following sd de-.
scrtgtion was written BY her former companion:
y.aSs hereafter one Of her tenors, and, espe-
cially In Russia, was frequently. as / became
aware. received BY Adelina as a not unwelcome
guest In her house. Although anonymous
warnings had been sent to the Marquis, his
friendly feelings for Nicolini still remained the
able. when II was told him from a friendly
source that Signor Nicolini know how to effect
an interview with q lady standing In close re-
lation to him under all a9rts Of dsguises, now as
ant. and that he had hired a little room in the
hotel, where he put on false boards in addition
Some of his gallantries are described In a
manner that leaves little doubt as to the strong
personal prejudice with which Nine Lauw re-.
Garded the tenor; But there is little doubt OF
"Adelina was obliged again to obey a call to
Moscow. Before her first representation in
that city We were taking O walk In the Pc.
trowski Park, when rapidly passing carriage
stopped suddenly by us and q gentleman
quickly aighted from it. II, was Nioolni. who
came TO US, and, after short conversation,
quickly Withdrawing. pressed q note into . dc.
l nns's han, hand; As she hithsrto had had no So;
me It's contents. In the most blowing Words