New-York tribune., 1908-09-28
MAYFAIR MARRIAGES
With Blanks for the Peers FLIRTING
zcith the actresses.
London. septemher d

marriage lottery with more blanks than prizes
This is the moral OF the new autumn meIodrara
at Drury Lane conducted by Mr.. Arthur Collins
and II is a more obvious one than Mr. Geor~a
Bernard Shaw's recent series Of stage convsrsa-
tions On modern marriages disclosed. The toint
authors Mr.. Arthur Collins and Mr. Henry
Hamilton. have sought TO entertain pit and gal
Ieries with glimpses Of fashionable life al the
West End and in country houses where idIAr.
anuse themselves by pairing off in haste and
repenting at leisure. Four marriages are sun
iected TO stage treatment and two Of them aaa
unhappiIy The blanks are drawn by peers vh,
marry music han dancers and singers and thu
only prize falls to the virtuous and constant
Nigel baseIy intrigued against. tennporarf,-
robbed Of title and estate and finally rewardsz
with the affection OF Dorothy daughter Of thu
Governor Of the Tower. The ronances Of fha
Gafety girls are considered popular reading bv
the conductors Of evening newspapers but Mr
Arthur Collins is on the side OF the mase5-
making dowagers Of smart society rather thaa
the pretty actresses. Young men about topr ara
not encouraged at Drury Lane 20 7irt with staee
beauties. but are warned against entanalinr
alliances with bohemia
The first OF the Marriages OF Mayfair" u-s
cedes the action OF the play and supplies the
basis for the underplot Lord Alaric vilIer,
secretly married Sylvia Thorne dancer. wsa
speedily ceased to care for him and transferred
her affections TO Julian MerrowdaIe. an artist
divorce was arranged in Switzerland but vas
kept as much Of a secret as the marriage had
been. Lord Alaric knew that the old narcniou-
ess would cut him off without a shilling il hs
indiscrettons were disclosed. and he was esss
10 marry Lady Margaret Constable the beausv
Of the season. and was too shrewd to court dis
missaI by confessing marriage and divorce. The
secret history and the husband died without n
forming Lady Margaret that she was the second
wife. Their son. Nigel at the opening OF ths
play, rescues Julian MerrOwdale from an acci-
dent between motorcar and a hanson cab. and
establishes claim upon him for gratitude This
is redeemed before the final fall OF the curtain
when IT is necessary TO Offset servants gcssio
and to prove the legitimacy Of NIgers birth and
the validity of his title as Marquis OF Deer
minister
Before the third and fourth marriages are
brought on there is a general survey % So
ciety as seen every day at Rumpelnayer's in
st. James's; and it IS enough % take away
ones appetite for cakes at the fashionable tea
house. Sir Anthony Gore and his daughter.
Dorothy are almost the only respectable
patrons Lily de Mario. a show girl from a
theatre. plays of one infatuated adrlirer
against another and finally agrees TO take sup
per at the Savoy with Dorothy's brother. Dud-
ley. when he has promised TO buy a diamond
bracelet for her. NigeFs uncle. Lord AdoIphus
Viniers. is flirting with Bess Bissett. a music
hall singer. whose father and mother were
gamekeeper and Iady's maid at Deerminster
Chase when he was boy. He now has lodg-
ings in Mrs. Bissett's house in Jermyn street
and never pays for them: but it is his habit
to ta-Ee the daughter about and introduce her
10 smart people. These are the tea-drinkers
at Runpelmayer's when the Duke OF Exmoor
enters 10 break the news to Lady Margaret
that the young Marquis Of Deerminster has
been killed while playing polo in India and that
her own son. Nigel is now heir TO the title and
a vast estate. Bess Bfssett has the efrontery
to offer sympathy and congratulations and is
repulsed with naughty pride by Lady Margaret
and reminded that her proper place is IN the
kitchen. which she should never have absn-
doned- Resentment caused by this affront
determines the action of the play. for the music
hall beauty sets her heart upon marrying Lord
Adolphus and joins in an intrigue for discred-
iting Nigel's claims to wealth and title.
It is in the Jernyn street apartments that the
chief villain is disclosed in intimate relations
with the idle and degenerate rich and the push
full geniuses of the music halls. This is jim
Calender. racing tout and blackleg who lives
ances He advises Dudley Gore TO raise money
by forging NigeTs name. and subsequently joints
in the intrigue for marrying OF Lord AdoIphus
to Bess Bissett and making him Marquis Of
Deerminster. This is the third marriage OF the
play. and it is followed by an action against
Nigel for ejectment from Deerminsrer and BY
the triumph Of the gamekeeper's daughter 81
the narchioness. Dudley Gore. unable either
10 take up his forged notes or to compete with
the rich brewer for the favor OF the designing
mink, Lily &c Mario. is egged on by Callender
into jewel robbery at the Tower OF London
This episode is arranged with all the scenlc
resources and stage mechanism OF the ner
Drury Lane stage The g~eat Crown dianond
is stolen and flung to Calender in a boat and
the thief Is shot and killed on the ramparts by
the order OF his father. The diamond is car
ried off to Switzerland where Nigel falls into
the Villains power and is leff 10 perish in 4
snowdrift. after being drugged; and suddenly
Dorothy and Lord AdoIphus in al express post
rescue him from death Besss weak husband
has revoted against her dominion and Joined
the true heroine in q search for evidence when
will restore the diamond to the Tower ana
Nigel 10 his splendid estate. AS the diamond .
found on Callenders body among precipices ana
Julian Merrowdale appears at the Swiss nos
pice in the nick of time TO explain the secre'
marriage and the subsequent divorce. thers
one of the happiest of endinss-
The fourth marriage finally comes on az
Tower Green. after Lord Adolphus has forced
his truculent wife 10 resign the pOmp and gLorS
of a marchioness and to reinstate Lady Mar
saret in her rightfuI domain. 1t is a gorgeous
pageant. with Dorothy surrounded by pretty
bridesmaids and Nigel attended by Guardsnea
in brave array and by "beefeaters'' IN scar'ee