The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28

that he is a thief, but feebly defends hin
when her daughter, outraged by his self
isbness and heart essness, attacks him
.Your father" she pleads, would be the
best of men were 1t not for business, but az
soon as he begins business, admit his con-
| science takes leave of him. A fair though
not sweeping epitaph for many mans
! headstone.
The first scene discovers the gardens
! of the Chateau de vauperdu-now Lechafs'
| Madame Lechat sits wondering why Ger
name. who is at hand, can read so many
hours without conversing These books
are the bane OF the old lady's life They
| have rendered Germd,ne unapproachable,
taciturn She seldom mingles In the gay
, cites of the chateau, for the reason that
she bitterly resents the troops OF people
her father brings home with him every
night. people whose names he has never
memo-!zed. 1t Is all business. and der-
| maine loathes the word, She hates the
vain hustle and display Of the establish
ment. and with household affairs she VIII
have no commerce. For all these short
comings her mother reproaches her. re-
proaches her also for the lack OF respect
she evinces in the presence OF her father.
After all, he Is her father. Germdine turns
away in disgust.
young gardener comes in and We eaton
an unpleasant perspective OF Lechats
cruel methods. For a tri1e the man and
his family have been turned away without
money, without a future. Germd'ne in
terests us now. for her heart overhows
at the misfortunes of the gardener. 1t Is
a pretty bit. and it is prettily played by
Lara and Ravet. Its reevance to the
story is not very great,
At last the hero comes. n conquering
hero who enters his halls to the accom-
paniment of cheers-the willy cheers OF
his socialistic constituents. To them the
great man throws money and sends them
away. As he has two guests with nm
it may he reasonably suspected that this
little demonst ration has been organized
at Lechdt headquarters. AS unprecedented
by Feraudy the man is n study in ex-
ternals He has a beaked nose, the pre-
daceous of bird Of prey; he frames 1t In
side whiskers, shaves the chin, a protrud-
ing, boldly modelled, though not prog
nathic chin. Short, pot-bellied. curly
haired, eyes half closed, but ever restless
and brilliant. Feraudy dresses in cut
away business suit, snowy wastcoat,
haring cravat and spats He wears his
hat on the side. and he continually fingers
the brim. A type and an individual
at the same time. He chatters madly,
the outpourings Of a headstrong. self
willed human, Of temperament sanguine.
Apoplexy. you foresee, will be his end, but
h,s sho1 no
must hear much of Isidore Lechdt.
Can a scoundrel be sympathetic? That
question is forever asked after it has been
answered. As Lechdt fidgets about in
Producing his friends-whose names he
always forgets-boasting OF his estate,
bullying his overseer, decayed nobleman
(Which fact he mentions you fee! sort OF
inverted admiration for the monster. He
Is a reversion to the typical male savage
who goes forth every morning to slay and
reaches home at evening spent but content.
for he has his booty with him What he
cannot carry he eats, like the true canni-
bal he is. Lechdt. we'll named, because
of his tricky feline traits. is bandit, an
assassin; but he goes to his home and family
every night with the spols Of his days
victories.
What happens further in this scene?
More guests drop in and the motley crew
enter the chateau. 1t may not be academic
in structure. but it exposes" the people
Of the play satisfactorily. One more fact,
an important one; we learn that Ger,ndine
is in love, has for lover Lucien Gdrrdud.
a young chemist of genius employed on
the estate. They go off into the woods
as the curtain falls Little doubt that the
father has a surprise in store for him.
In act H. Germaine has rather an affect
ing interview with her mother. who begs
her to go to church. She refuses. and the
rritated woman almost cries as she de-
fines her position. No one loves her. Her
son is never home except asking for money
from his indulgent parent Her daughter
is immersed in her books. Her husband
seldom notices her except with pacifving
little pat on the shoulder-"there. there.
old woman, you mean we'll, but you don't
know"-all this wealth, this show, has II
brought happiness? Germdine pets her
but we see the rift in the family lutte plainly
enough.
The young lovers meet later, and there
Germdine exposes her soul. She intends
to run away. II Lucien will go. all the
better: if not, she will 60 alone. Her sur
rolndings are poisoning her She knows
her father for what he is. recognizes the
mailed. brutal fist and vile heart. concealed
as it is to some by his perpetual bonhomie
She has heard from a widows lips how her
father swindled partner in an enterprise
Gabriel Dauphin is his name-who. driven
to the precipice commits suicide as the
easiest way out of terrible misery But
he leaves widow and children behind him!
1t is infamous, this thief, this assassin OF
a father, whose blood circulates in her
veins 1t is horrible to hear daughter
curse a parent, though it seems logical
enough at the time. Pacified by her
lovers promise that an elopement is the
only hope OF, happiness. she consents to
remain for while longer.
The two men, Phinct and Gruggie, who
accompanied Lechat home the previous
evening, are a precious pair. They are
present for the purpose Of securing Lechofs
interest in wildcat scheme. Great scoun-
dreis, they nevertheless underrate their
hosts aclity. A three-cornered game Of
desperate escdmotdgc begins Lechot
swears that he always plays with the cards
on the table. His superior penetration
enables him to pierce the operation of his
guests. They attempt to pin him down
to figures; he rings for port-old port, gen