The English Duke and the French Actress.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 14, 16 February 1870, Page 3

The English Duke and the French Actress.

One of the Paris correspondents of the Belgian Independence tells the following romantic story;— It is this dull time that a very rich Englishman has chosen in which to display some of the most silly eccentricities that ever could have been imagined. They say this Englishman, who wears a great and, which is more important, historical name, for a long time wished to be behind the scenes of a great theatre, but not like an ordinary visitor, or from curiosity: he wished to study for himself artistic life as followed by actors, actresses, and figurantes —in a word, to do for pleasure what stage heroes do from necessity. It is stated that this is the simple truth—that this Englishman, in order to satisfy his strange caprice, took a situation as a buffoon, and for eight days exposed himself to the laughter of the public in the character of an ostrich. My fellow members of the press have stated the case, which, in fact, is not to be denied. They have, however, been mistaken in the motives which induced this rich gentleman to appear on the stage. It was not to study artistic habits that • he consented to make himself ridiculous. It was simply this: he was over head and ears in love with a young person who played in the piece. He loved like Englishmen can love—it was fierce and uncontrollable. He wished to guard his incognita, make the acquaintance of the young lady, and see if she of him—in fact, that she could love him for himself alone. This is why he did distinguish himself as an ostrich. What woman, no matter how intelligent, would ever suppose that the wings of an ostrich ever concealed a millionaire and the bearer of an historical name 1 My fellow members of the press say he has returned quietly to England—his eccentricity'accomplished. This is not the case: the Englishman has not returned as he came, and his videt de chamhre has been the cause of this. “ One is never betrayed but by one’s own.” Imagine to yourself that this gentleman could not entirely do away with all his aristocratic habits, even when on the stage, and although wishing to pass as a poor actor, he gave orders to his servant to come and dress him every night and put on his bird uniform. On the very first evening the servant was met by the loved one of his

inastqr,- •who questioned lam' closely. She asked him who this new actor was, and how it camo to pass he had servants. The valet, feeling ombarassed, tried to answer evasively. At last ho uttered this awk■ward sentence; “ I cannot toll you anything positively, hut you may feel quite certain, he is an ostrich of rank.” Nothing more was required. Tho beautiful child (!) understood it all, and resolved to completely turn the head of her adorer, I need hardly tell you that she succeeded admirably. She acted the shy and modest gird, gave out that she came of good family in reduced circumstances, and that she had taken to the career of an actress from love of her father, whom an unfortunate speculation had ruined. All this inflamed the gentleman. The fancy of the moment changed to a serious passion. “ Enfin,” the ostrich, proposed to the little actress on Saturday, 2nd October. The marriage is to be celebrated in eight days. The trousseau has been purchased, the banns published, and the future looms with joy. Everything tends to predict that in a short time the little actress will be presented to the Queen of England under the title of a duchess.