PATTI AND HER HUSBAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 125, 29 May 1877, Page 4

PATTI AND HER HUSBAND.

<€ Stella" writes to the Sydney Mail <— A modern "favorite of fortune," herself a il star " (of the stage), has ,sean herself deserted by her fickle pro- :, tectress. La -Patti, who , so stupidjy al|owed herself, to be tempted into mar--ryibg a ruined young gameßter, to obtain the empty honor of beiog called Madame la Marquise (Marchioness), in virtue of a title with no marquisate behind it, has already had a good many stormy passages with her Marquis, and obtained, some three years ago, a judicial separation of her money matters from his, .in. other words, protected herself legally from having to sacrifice all ,her ( gains to pay his gambling liabilities. But) hitherto, the pair had continued to live together; and the Marquis never. failed to be present when Bhe appeared on the stage, and to give tbe signal of the applause so lavishly beslowed on , his, better half. But the handsome and bewitching young tenor, Nicolini (on the stage, but plain Nicholas of his real name), appears to have still further disunited the ill-assorted pair. The MarquU, jealous of tbe tenor, insisted on his wife's refusing to play io the same operas with bim; and the manager of the opera at St. Petersburg is said to have made him a verbal promise tbat he would not engage bim for the period of tbe Marchioness's engagement at St Petersburg. But the favorite tenor contrived to get over this little difficulty by." offering the manager to play, gratis, the Romeo and Juliet of the period; and the .manager, pleading his inability to resist so generous. an offer, allowed his "verbal" promise to go by default. Thenceforth a good deal of scandal began to be whispered both in and out of the theatre. Nicolini's wfle brought an action against her husband, and obtained " the separation of person ond property," which in Roman Catholic couotries does duty for divorce; this decree being based on the proofs adduced of the truth of the reports referred to above. The Marquis, who, np to this time, seems to bave been more or less in doubt as to tbe truth cf the reports in queatioo, enlightened at last, rushed off to the opera, and made his way to tbe dressing-room of the Diva, who was preparing to go upon the stage. The sounds of a violent quarrel soon attracted all the world of the green-room grouped outside the door of the dressing-room, " I have given to you a nothiog-at-all, a nobody, a grand title of nobility,'. cried the angry husband, and you have behaved like a " (something not to be transcribed for ears polite.) "Theie, take the price of your title!" screamed a shrill voice in reply; a hail of jewel-boxes dashed violently on tbe ground following immediately on the heels of the shrill exclamation, and immediately afterwards the sound of a slap, with an accompaniment of screams and cries for help. There was a general rush of everybody within heariog to tbe assistance of Juliet, but the door had been locked by the infuriated Marquis, and the Diva was only rescued by the breaking open of the door. The manager endeavored to get him out, but be refused to go, declaring that he was in a locality belonging to his wife, aod consequently to bim, But Juliet screamed so persistently "Take him away, take him away; he's no husband for me 1 " tbat the manager, taking advantage of a clause in the rules of the theatre, tbat makes each actress the absolute mistress of ber dressing-room, contrived at length to carry him off, Juliet, after this edifying scene, applied to the judicial authorities for a separation, but could not obtain it in Russia, as her marriage with a Frenchman has made her a Frenchwoman. This point being ascertained, Juliat offered tbe Marquis to make over to bim one-half of her fortune if he would consent to a separation. Tbe Marquis having refused to make tbis arrangement, Romeo and Juliet, taking their affairs into their own hands, eloped to Brussels, where, according to a telegram jost received here, they were pounced upon by the Marquis. The suit brought by the Maiquise de Caux for separation from her husband is aleo pending. She is understood to bave offered to allow her husband a handsome sum yearly, if he will consent to an amicable separation; but tbat, as tbe ill assorted couple were married under the regime commwranfe—thzt is to say, half and half of all property to each party—the gallant Marquis will only let her off on condition of having

one-half of all she earns. The affair will take some time for decision; but the fair songstress has beeu provisionally, authorised by the Court to reside with 1 her sister, Madame Krakosch, and to proceed with her various professional t engagement? in London, Vienna, St. Petersburg; &c. , ' " -