STANLEY & DARBYSHIRE’S JUVENILE OPERA TROUPE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1252, 20 January 1883, Page 2

STANLEY & DARBYSHIRE’S JUVENILE OPERA TROUPE.

LES CLOCHES DE CORNEVILLE. At Parnell and Boylan’s Hall to-night, the petite artistes who form the above company, will appear in the Opera Bouffe anglicised by Messrs Farnie and Reece, entitled “ Les Cloches de Comeville.” Of their talent the Press of Australia and of Auckland are at one. The children through careful tuition and natural ability are said to have approached as near as possible to perfection, so that we may look forward to a thorough treat. As the opera of Les Cloches de Corneville has never yet been performed in Gisborne in its entirety we give the argument which is as follows :— The Comte de Lucenay, attainted for pollticalt reasons, flies from France, leaving his infant daughter Luoienne and considerable personal property in the care of a retainer, Gaspard. This wily Norman, however, foreseeing that the Comte may never return to claim his own (which indeed happens) brings up the child as his niece, under the name of Germaine, and gratifies his insatiable greed for money by hoarding the Comte’s treasure. He has chosen for his coffers the decaying rooms of the old Chateau of Corneville, long since deserted by its lord, attainted of treason like De Lucenay, and an exile from France. The grandson of this Marquis de Corneville is, however, alive, and the interdict of the estate having been removed by j the King, the vil’age gossips believe that one day the long-expected heir will return. Meanwhile the Castle has an evil notoriety. It is haunted ; mailed spectres stride along its corridors, and ghostly phantoms flit acioss its lighted windows at night. But in truth, these are devices of the cunning Gaspard to frighten away all intending tenants of the old UhAteau. At the opening of the Opera a knot of girls are on their way to the hiring-fair. Amongst these is Serpolette, a waif picked up by Grspaid on a bank of wild thyme in one of his fields, and grown now into his servant of all work. She has thrown up his protection, however, and seeks a better place. Germaine eventually joins the band, also flying from Gaspard’s house—but from a verj T different motive. The old miser has promised her hand to a village Bailie, a pompous, meddling old fellow, lately come to his kingdom, with a strong desire to open the Chateau and audit the Barony accounts. Now Germaine has betrothed herself to a ne’er-do-weel of the locality, a young fisherman named Grenicheux, who, as she supnoses, saved her from drowning; but, in fact, her deliverer was really the long-lost heir—the young Henri de Corneville—now Captain of an armed ship, with a roving commission, who a year before had put ashore at Honfleur to revisit the house of his fathers. At the opening of the drama he again returns, and this time lie resolves to take possession of his ancestral castle. The hiring-fair, where he engages servants—amongst others Germaine, Serpolette, and Grenicheux (now turned coachman)—concludes the first part of the story. The scene changes to the haunted halls of the Ch&teau. The young lord, with his officers and crew, torch and sword in hand, break into the deserted rooms—and lay their plans to surprise the adventurers, whom they suppose to be really the ghosts of the village tradition. Two discoveries bearing directly on the fortunes of the two heroines, are here made by the Marquis. Firstly, he finds that the girl he rescued from the sea is the Germaine who has captivated him, but who believes herself bound in honor to Grenicheux. Secondly, he discovers certain documents (left by old Gaspard) referring to the flight of Comte de Lucenay and placing of his infant daughtei with the Miser. The vivacious Serpolette immediately rushes to the conclusion that she is the noble child in question, and thenceforth gives herself all the imaginary airs of her rank. The arrival of someone is announced by the scouts—Grenicheux is put into a suit of mail to watch the intruder unseen —and the Marquis and his crew retire to the Armoury. The old Miser appears—works his phantoms—lights the candelabra—wallows in his gold—and then comes a swift and awful vengeance. The rusty bells toll—a ghostly chaunt is heard—then a legion of mailed spectres—all the dead and burled Lords of Corneville appear -and advance on the appalled Miser, who sinks wondering and terror-stricken on his gold. This startling tableau concludes the second part of the story. The last Act is devoted to the unravelling of the mystery attached to Germaine. This is done by patching together the hints dropped in his ravines by old Gaspard, who confirms them on his return to sanity, and owns that Germaine is not his niece, but Mdlle. de Lucenay. In the same moment that young lady learns that she is free to give her hand where she loves, for that to Henri de Corneville, and not Grenicheaux, as she owed her life. Across the serious interest of the denouement come the lighter texture of Serpolette’s fortunes. No sooner does she assume the silks and satins of rank than she is undeceived as to her real position, and has again to look forward to sabots and cotton. Over the betrothal of the Marquis and Germaine come, this time gladly, the chimes of LES CLOCHES DE CORNEVILLE.