The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-12


 possesses to a marked degree.
 
 The Nionese woman and the artist both fall victims. Such arguments against re- spectabilty such brilliant flashes of cyni- cism, such wit, savers largely of the Ber- nard Shaw school, whose topsy turvy philosophy was necer taken seriously, But with MT. Arliss' play it is different; there is no philosophy at all, none of that ultra dissertation on love and marriage. But rather a ByIOnic reason for every thing. It Is not a ncw cult that one hears of when MT. Arliss speaks his lines. These respectable members of Vlonese so- ciety listen to it, appear to find it new, and as followers of this cult discover their own weaknesses, detect the weak nesses of others, and the audience waits for the evident result, for the physl- chologcal moment, rather tedious, but necessary for Mir. Arliss to express with his usual diplomacy and subtle character reading, many platitudes concerning men and women and life.
 In the play young women, unchaperoned, come to the studio of a bachelor artist.
 No one should open the door on such occasions" remarks MT. Arliss, but confidential servant or a clergyman" And then again he says
 If every one told the truth there would be no conversation-no scandal" After working to create situation where young Vionese girl the fiancee of the painter becomes jealous of the attentions of her lover to the Vionese matron-one of the cleverest little scenes in the play , the "Devil'' sends a footman for a little red case that he keeps in his evening coat.
 The footman returns and the case is opened The young Vionese girl very charming in delicate blue, Is in tears over affairs She and the tall, dark man." ,ras the 'Devil'' Is described, are holding i the most animated conversation in small palm room. The little red case Is opened and MT. Arliss. whose every look is sig nihcant hands her first a dainty hand kerehief which he always has convenient for the woman whom he has moved to i tears Then silver hand mirror, then a powder puff, then a rouge, all of which IS gratefully put in use by the Vionese beauty.
 The most subtle act of MT. Ariss is in dictating a letter which the Vionese ma tron writes to her lover whom she has consented to give up. Not even a Balzac ever penned anything more calculated to do the reverse, an impassioned letter that contains in a few lines the eptome of the play.
 i In one of the cleverest scenes, the last, the woman is told by MT. Arliss that her letter has been delivered. And how did he receive it?" she asks.
 "sobbed," said the Devil" q hate sobbing man."
 { And then he tells her that he sobbed for joy.
 With the perversity of her nature the woman declares that she wishes now that she had not written the letter. What letter." asks her lover, and then the Devil confesses with his usual disre- gard of trifies that he forgot to- deliver the letter. He hands it to the lover, but the woman begs him to burn it without reading 1t. Then after it is consigned to the flames she repents, changes her mind and wishes him to read. In the meantime the Devil has taken his departure, and the two are left alone in the studio where the play first opened.
 still regrettng that the letter was burned-a letter containing so much that could never be spoken, never written again-the woman and the man continue talking and Mir. Arlss comes in once more.
 "The letter." he begins, "I gave you-by riistake-the wrong letter-here is your letter."
 The play Is full of such situations such unhesitating lies, such interruptions and easy pathways out of difficulties such elastic methods of dealing with life
 MT. Arlss fine work would serve as an excuse for a play most trivial or for a cult most frivolous He invests any role with power, but in crafty and cunning roles he is seen at his best. He could play the part of a crafty cardinal. He would make a magnificent Iago. Any role where he would have the opportunity to play with conscience, to fence with it, to run his sword up to the very hilt In all the demon passions known to mankind, and then to laugh at his victims, suits this actor But with all of his power and scholarliness and the splendid inter pretation of his present role, the after math of the play makes you ask if the Jesuit exaggerates, if after all a discard ed bodice, or a perfumed handkerchief dropped conveniently near Nionese beauty to dry her tears should be taken so seriously as to make people decry the stage. But since they do, 1t is not so much the discarded bodice or the lace handkerchef-bu the manner in which MT. Arliss picks up the one and drops the other. Not that MT Arliss is the sole of- fender. But he Is good working hy- pOtheSeS,