New-York tribune., 1910-07-17
THE PARIS STAGE
II Case of Conscience" at the
Theatre FranCais.
Paris. July }.

Paris. July D
TN Cas- de Conscience the family trag-
edy in two acts by NM Paul Bourget and
Serge Basset, produced last night at the
/ Coincide Francaise is violent. rapid and
intensely emotional psychological struggle of
a young physician between his sense Of pro-
fessional duty and his conviction that the
performance of that duty viii result in
moral suffering and hardship.
NJ. Paul Bourget was educated to become
doctor of medicine. He views humanity
! from the physicians standpoint His novels
and plays are subjected TO the physician s
temperament and preoccupation. Among
/ his characters one finds almost every type
Of physician-the fashionable doctor, the
hardworking village practitioner, the ply
scian OF the working folk quarters of Paris,
the chief of the clinic of Partisan hos
pital and the humble house surgeon. He
has written somewhere that ''our moral
being is governed by the same laws as our
physical being He describes human pas
sions as if they were human nlaladies- He
analyzes love, avarice, ambition and jeal-
ousy. just as a clinical lecturer might make
a diagnosis Of cancer, typhoid fever, jaun-
dice or arterio-EcIerosis
In A Case OF Conscience the Comte
de RocqueviIIe. g gentiIhomme of the old
school living in his Norman castle: is
Slowly dying OF heart disease. His death
asony lasts through the two acts. The
old family doctor explains to Dr. Odru,
young and learned colleague summoned
IN consultation from Paris, that the patho-
logical crisis is complicated by domestic
drama. The count has discovered that his
wife during q brief attack OF moral aber-
ration had been unfaithful 10 him. A
.aT,o IN
the count from the glowing ashes in the
fireplace. disclosed that one of his three
sons is not his offspring. The real father
is his wife's lover, whose name is not
revealed Moreover. the count does not
know which Of the three sons is the
bastard. He has made up his mind
to unravel this mystery. with the object
of furnishing his wife and disinheritng
the fruit of her infdelity.
The old family physician. who knows the
secret confides 20 the young DR. Odru that
the bastard is the second son. Robert The /
countess. now q thoroughly ~repentant lady /
OF fifty seeks 10 prevent this family scan /
dal by arranging that the three sons, who .
are all absent should not be summoned 4
to the counts bedside until after his death. /
The count. however. when alone with Dr. /
Odru asks him 10 send secretly three tele- /
gT sns urging the three young men to come
al once. DR.. Odru al first refuses. but
finally consents 10 send The messages, be
cause he sees that the emotion caused By
his refusal would bring about a cardiac
fatal TO his patient.
The countess who with vomanly instinct
has OWNED what has happened. upbraids
the yourg doctor for his ''meddlesome in
reference that may upset the family hap
piness- She then has d tremendous scene
with her husband who. trembling with
fury that threatens al any moment 10 kill
1,n7 demands that his wife make clean
breast Of everything and tell him which
# the three children is the son Of her lover.
rhe countess refuses to do this invoking
IS an excuse her n1otnerly love The count
hen announces that he will reveal t. ths
hree sons their mothers conduct. The
eldest OF whom l. cavalry Off
,er. the second CRohert, the BASTARD at
ache in the diplomatic service. and the
-oungest student at the POLYTECHNIC
school-have arrived and are waiting in
he antechamber. The count, prostrated
y emotion, fails into Z svncoPe viii he
lie forthwith? Dr. Odru hastens 10 his
side. Life can he prolonged, but
or few hours only by bleeding By thEs
peration the count will be able TO put his
erribie plan into execution. The countess
axes DR. Odru aside and asks him whether
. would not he more mercifuI and Chris
ianlike~ 20 forego the operation. let the ,
cunt die in peace. and thereby arert the ,
amily snipwreck This is the case Of
Conscience"
L seems 10 me That Tie young doctor has
My one course open to him-uameIy. 10 :
erform the operation, come what may. and $
hereby fulfil his professional duty. But {
Paul Bourget las worked UP the situa-
ion 10 such an intensely dramatic pitch uy :
sing his entire arsenal Of theatrical and ?
weapons that the spectator * +
doubt. After hesitation. which mas mar :
ellous stage effect, the Young doctor puts =
4 his surgical apron, bares the count arm d
nd proceeds with all tie minute and .
saIistic details OF blood letting. while the p
ublic looks on with paIpitating interest. h
he countess again implcres him to dssist. n
he doctor replies: To DO so qow would b
: 10 make both ! CT and me murderers," I,
The operation l. successfully performed G
he count regains consciousness He stands II
D. He calls for the three sons. RE en- II
aces George, the eldest he Asses Andre. h
e youngest. When Robert rLshes t. lis il
ms the count scans MS features with y
pernaturaI intensity. holds MN aioof. and ii
rms as II 10 speak. He hesitates. lie
embles George and Andre exciaim:
Why, father. don't you recognize tur
other Rooert VINO Genes 10 embrace or
~"
The count, overcome ny this honest ring
brotherIy love. draws Robert TO his
EAST and hugs him with affection. lie
'es this IN 4 supreme outburst or sener- AT
ity. knowing that Ia carry out mis- oriEi-
q " ~ f'''ii|e 'i i1ii4'i4 At
to hopeless eeSP''F ana moral Nre'ched- ia