The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04

wife. and thus he wishes her TO b painted.
Tho ben rines. Despite hls protsstat,ons
the painter = hurried into another room
and Jane snters-a singularly unfit name
for dancer IL this. She IL Of the oonven-
tional stripe-pretty, headstrong. giddy'
depraved. She plays with the fantasy
Of the middle aged man without realizing
that she Is meddling with a DANGEROUS
fire. She accedes to his request and goes
into the sleeping apartment OF his w'ie.
there to put on gown Of the vanished
lady. A colloquy ensues SOU
venir Of an Ibsen naturalistic device
and the play sees it, first absorbing mo-
ment. In ono room il the butterfly pinning
on her laces and chirping like frivolous
bird: in the other, and in full view OF the
audience, the infatuated necrophile chat
Is what Nortlau would call hin) writhes IN
an agony of apprehension. He fears the
spirit he has invoked and would escape II
possible. He opens cabinet and displays
the jewels OF his wife. With them he would
adorn the new incarnation. But his soul
revolts at the final saorilege, his will weak
ems, and when the girl enters, smirking, IN
a pink satin and rose dress. he is appalled,.
His wife stands before him. all her glorious
youth revived. His wife2 Yes, but with
q difference. From here on the spectator
iB bewildered, for he sees the crazy man
making passionate love and shuddering at
tho same time. He loves the dead woman
In the living. and apart from the morbidity
Of the idea the exposition Of ito psychology
h not easy In tho terms Of the drama. Tho
painter returns and mournfully recognizes
tho ravaged mind Of his friend. Left alone
for moment with the dancer she at once
attempts to seduce his friendship. and then
he realizes tho hopelessness Of HE0o's
position.
After she retires to disrobe and resume
her own costume scene Of reorimination
follows between the men. Hugo, Mortified
at his own perfidy. declares his hatred for
tho woman who has simulated the shape
Of his beloved-rather illogically, you will
say: but what may not be expected OF such
q naniac7 Tho curtain falls as he harshly
bids the woman to leave his home. Act
three Is the most picturesque. 1t is q
moonlit evening on Bruges canal. The
mist floats like white tulle wells. Hugo,
after bidding the painter farewell. 40
knowledges his misery, his inability to
break from a woman who fools him to the
top OF her vicious bent. and he speaks Of sui
eide. Left to himself, he SINKS upon bench
and falls into . profound reyeiy. Tho
moon gradually melts into the fog like a
mirror submerged In water. and shining
shape appears. II Is the shade Of the
lost Genoperd. She mournfully ACCUSES
Hugo Of broken faith, and recalls their
kisses, their beautiful love. This episode
was handled with poetic delicacy at
tho Deutsches Theater. Tho vagueness
of the scene. the almost impalpable
spirit, the hollow voice OF Hugo. were
evocative Of some mystic canvas Of Puvis
de Chavannes rather than stage picture.
She fades. He awakens and vainly strives
to retain the contours Of his dream. With
. harsh return to reality We hear door
open OH the other side Of the canal and
jane appears on her way to meet q now
lover. The quarrel and reconciliation Of
the man and woman is disappointing after
tho idea, atmosphere that preceded it.
The dancer by her slightly vulgar bland;sh-
ments easily overcomee tho hesitating man,
and tho curtain hides them from our gaze.
Kisses. were heard In the theatre, for the
audience, which at frst saw in Hugo a
'dweller on the Threshold now believed
him to be merely human suffering with
widower's cold feet Perhaps this was the
correct estimate.
The fourth act is brief and horrible.
Again we are In the chamber Of the first
act. Again we Gee tho housekeeper Cos
siping with the austere nun over the frailty
OF her master. The audience was dis
posed to laughter when the religious grave
ly informed her relative that she must
leave this house, doff the livery Of sinful
man. A housekeeper weighing $50, and
over 90, did not appear to Berlin audience
to be in any danger Of losing her innocence
because her master was in the tolls Of an
evil charmer. But then Berlin audiences
are disposed to cynicism.
There IL religious procession in the
street, chanting Is heard. bells toll Jane
enters and goes to the window, but she
is not allowed to remain there. Hugo,
his face haggard and his eyes crazy. warns
her that she must not show herself to the
public in his house. that his association
with her has been the cause OF grave scandal.
She Knocks him, mocks his belated piety.
his scruples. his religion, and, like the ma
licious monkey she lie, begins to mock the
memory Of the dead. She has learned
the true cause Of his infatuation and her
vanity ia wounded; besides he bores her
with his melancholy manners. She il
young, loves a gay, noisy life. Suddenly
she spies the pictures OF his wife. Ha!
she Ia not complimented by the supposed
likeness! Then she PUSHES to the table,
opens the crystal jewel box and drags
out the coil Of the dead womsn's hair. II
is Titan red, Carterssqae in hue. The
nun has already made the very Maeter-
linc!,ian observation that hair Ia the only
thing which survives after death.
And for Hugo this, his wife's hair, is a
fetish. His eyes blaze as the dancer pir-
QUOTES about the chamber, swinging the
big brads Of hair and mocking his wife.
He runs after her She at first believes
it IL game and shrieks with laughter.
but the laughter modulates into terrified
screaming IA the Infatuated mailman twists
the hiar about her pretty, slender throat,
and slowly strangles her. He cries out:
"Ths hair hates her. must kill my sin'
And then on his knees. before tho corpse,
murmurs "Not I, but the hair killed her
He goes clean daft and dies, and the play
which began with spiritism ends with
Sardou.
Tho narfor,panca xvas Aarlv NIL that H.