tOr t4ratrts.
. An English version of the vaudeville Edgard et sa bonne, exneuted by Mr. J. M. Morton, and entitled Our French Lady's Maid, will Iprobably hold an important place in dramatic annals, as the last novelty produced in the present Adelphi theatre. On Wednesday next Mr. B. Webster, the proprietor, will take a benefit, in the course of which he will address the audience on "past successes" and "future prospects," and then a house that for so many years has been called par excellence the "pet theatre" of London, will begin to crumble away under the influence of the modern spirit of improvement. A new and handsome edifice is to rise in its place, under the auspices of the same proprietor ; but still from early associations many old-fashioned play-goers will doubtless regret the ugly little house, that has always been voted inconvenie'
was been found prosperous.
The piece itself—a comedy in foundation, a farce in detail--depends greatly on the excellent acting of Mr. Webster and Madame Celeste, who admirably illustrate the false position that is likely to arise when are lin- prudent young gentleman indulges in flirtation with a maid-servant. The maid, meek and lowly to her mistress, is a relentless tyrant to her mistress's nephew, whom she has entangled in her snares ; for love being extinct, her reign is one of terror only, and the luckless youth has so completely ceased to be master of his own actions, that he cannot even accompany his aunt to an evening party, if the despot of the establish- ment sets her face against the expedition. All sorts of practical absurdi- ties arise from the false position of the young gentleman, who has to practise two courses of artifice at once, that he may deceive his aunt on one side and the abigail on the other ; but a real intellectual enjoyment is afforded by Madame Celeste's delineation of absolute power, and Mr. Webster's picture of utter subjection.
PARISIAN THEATRICALS.
M. Emile Angier is again in the field, having written, conjointly with M. Edonard Foussier, a new piece, in five acts, which was produced at the Theatre du Vaudeville on Saturday last. The modern dramatists of France shine greatly in constructing plays with immoral plots, for strictly moral purposes ; and the object of Les Lionnes Pauvres, as it is called, like that of Gocthe's juvenile work, " Die Mitschuldigen," is in- tended to show the vices that may exist under the mask of propriety, even among those classes which above all others are considered in every country the best representatives of social respectability. The principal "lionne" is not a lorette, but the young wife of M. Pommeau, an elderly notary, whose income is not sufficient to satisfy her extravagant tastes. That she may be in a position to meet the bills of exigent tradesmen, Madame Pommeau forms a liaison with M. Lecornier, an avocat, who willingly pays for her costly caprices, while he scarcely allows his own wife sufficient money to maintain her establishment on a decent footing. An unlucky bonnet purchased by M. Lecornier and worn by Madame Pommeau is the means of revealing the disreputable secret to the ne- glected wife, and a startling situation is the result of the discovery. Madame Pommeau is in a ball-room, radiant with jewels but heavy at heart on account of a certain bill that must be paid on the following day. One of the party is M. Lecornier, to whom she accordingly has recourse ; and as this worthy gentleman is not pro- vided with the necessary funds, he tries his luck at play. For- tune is clearly against hun, and while Madame Pommeau is watching with feverish anxiety the progress of ill-luck, she is suddenly accosted by Madame Lecornier, " Vous etes la maitresse de mon mari, Madame, contenez-vous !" The tale ends unhappily enough, or rather points to a vista of unhappiness, without coming to any proper end at all. Finding herself utterly unable to obtain money from the usual source, or to soften the heart of a stern modiste, Madame Pommeau vaguely confesses her fault to her husband, and implores his forgiveness. The poor notary, not having learned the name of the delinquent, com- municates his griefs to M. Lecornier, whom he deems his beat friend, but whom a gesture of Madame Lecornier proves to be his rival. After an outburst of violence, he settles into a calm despair and quits the stage, followed by the comfortable remark, uttered by one Bordognon, the wise man of the piece, " Il en mourra!"
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