Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
MADAME DE TREYME:S. BY Edith
Wharton With Illustrations. New
NYork: Charles Scribner's Sons. WASH
ington: Woodward & Lcthrop.


Mrs. Wharton has given to the world no
finer specimen of her perfect art than this
latest book. The theme, which is at once
subtle and composed of fundamental ele-
ments, is peculiarly fitted to her genius for
analysis. While the situation of which
Durham, Fannie de Malrive and Madame de
Treymes are the helpless opponents is grim
to the last degree the author has treated
it with a tenderness which has not in
variably marked her work. There is Moth
ing of satire in Madame de Treymes." but
rather a perfect-and a saddened-compre-
tension
The story resolves itself into a tragedy
in which three beautiful natures are crush
ed beneath the weight of a complex and re-
morseless social system. But it might al
most seem as if the tragedy of Madame de
Treymes were the greatest She has been
hurt by system of which she is an incom
parable product. The fact that she is ca
pable of being responsive to the delicate
moral scrupulousness of Durham, that she
rises to height which is, relatively, great
err than his, adds rathos to her situation
There are few scenes in modern novels
more dramatic and more pregnant than the
last interview between Madame de Treymes
and Durham. In it a world of self-revela-
ton between these two representatives of
warning social and moral codes eliminates
in the ordinations:
You poor, good woman!'' and You poor
good mani"
1t is hard to see how there could be a
keener analysis made of the peculiar and
remorseless solidarity of the cid families
of the true French noblesse than has been
made in this book by Mrs. Wharton. She
has lad opportunities for acquaintance with
the conditions and she has had. moreover
that habit of trained observation which is
possible only to the cosmopolitan and the
artist. 1t is doubtful if any French man of
letters could have sight remorselessly
keen He would be deferred by his very
familiarity with the conditions. Thus 1t Is
that Madame de Treymes" contains prob
ably the best treatment extant of the sub
jects of international marriage, of the
French attitude toward divorce, and of the
modern Parisian's attitude toward moral
and religious questions. These themes are
made clear by felicity. an inevitableness
OF phrase which seems almost magical
Americans may well be proud Of the types
of American gcntlehocd presented by Fan
ME de Malrive and by Durham. The New
England conscience" in them has been soft
ened to q sane and delicate acceptance of
moral responsibilities, moral Brightness
which has become unthinking, instructive
In Madame de Malrive the proverbial
American adaptiveness is exempl!iied, and
Durham is man who "arranges things
he is forcible. efficient. He is man Of
invulnerable honesty; he is instinctively
chivalrous; but these traits have been soft
ened and fused by experience and by SYM
pathy, and he makes no mistakes socially
In the duel with Madame de Treymes he
is the victor. He untangles the fnyolutfons
Of her character with his keen intelligence,
and he furnishes a moral standard which
revolutionizes hers. And all this, with no
didactic word on his part, merely by the
presence of q scruple which she. intuit1vely,
recognizes. In John Durham Mrs. Whar-
ton has created one of the few American
gentlemen in fiction.