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Vivian Grey: Cleveland

Meantime Vivian kept his eyes and thoughts for the pawns upon the political chessboard, among which was a Mr. Frederick Cleveland, who attracted his attention, and when the marquess's party was looking for a leader, Vivian suggested the name of Mr. Cleveland. Now it happened that these two, the marquess and Cleveland, had been at odds, which Vivian did not at first realize; when he was alone he said to himself: "What have I don? I am sure that Lucifer may know, for I do not. This Cleveland is, I suppose, but a man; I saw the feeble fools were wavering, and to save all made a leap in the dark. Well, is my skull cracked? We shall see."

Again was Vivian's assurance to the fore; he was certainly "all things to all men." He had the power, with his silver tongue, of conciliating many persons, but not so Mr. Cleveland.

The first great trouble came to Vivian when, after many attempts at diplomacy and the political game, he estranged both the marquess and Mr. Cleveland; the latter, while under the influence of wine, met Vivian at their club and in a fit of anger struck him, and a duel was the result. Vivian fired into the air, hoping that the affair would end safely, but Cleveland insisted upon another shot; Vivian shot at random, but his bullet pierced Cleveland's heart. A great remorse seized Vivian and for many weeks he was ill with fever at his father's home, under the loving care of his mother. "But the human mind can master many sorrows," and after a desperate relapse and another miraculous rally Vivian Grey arose from his bed. He left England and traveled in Germany, visiting, among other places, Frankfort during the time of the fair. On a bright sunshiny afternoon, while crossing the square, Vivian was attracted by an excited crowd of people around a conjurer, whose appearance was of the oddest kind and held Vivian's attention; he was called Essper George. Later he became serving-man to Vivian, who had offered to protect the fellow against the crowd he had in some way angered. Vivian and Essper George had many lively adventures during their travels, all of which experiences, whether of politics or romance, gave Vivian new ideas of the world, and proved to be a most interesting school for him. He one day rescued a German nobleman from a wild boar, and was invited to visit at his castle; while there a romantic attachment between him and a young German lady of title engaged Vivian's attention for a time, but his thoughts, in spite of himself, constantly returned to two of his English friends. Like many a knight and his serving-man of olden times, Vivian and Essper George found themselves on several occasions in very dangerous situations; sometimes it was Vivian to the rescue, and at others Essper. On leaving that part of Germany where he had been entertained as honored guest of his titled acquaintances, Vivian passed through a small settlement where there were going on preparations for a wedding, and Vivian discovered that the bridegroom was an old friend from Heidelberg, Eugene von Konongstein, and he was persuaded to stop and assist at the wedding. All was so quiet and peaceful there that it set Vivian to speculating about his own future. In the morning the travelers were on their way again; the day being intensely hot and sultry, they withdrew to the shade of the woods, and while resting there Vivian asked Essper about his history. For a time they sat in quiet conversation, then were rudely interrupted by the approach of a terrific storm during which a lake on the top of the mountain burst and became a falling ocean, carrying all before it.

Essper's horse being swept from him, he climbed into a tree, but the lightning struck, felling the tree and killing Essper--then "Vivian's horse, with a maddened snort, dashed down the hill, his master clinging to his neck; finally, standing upright in the air, he flung his rider and fell dead." HALEVY LUDOVIC HALEVY, French author, was born in Paris on the first of January, 1834. His father was a clever, versatile writer of verse, prose, vaudeville, and drama; his uncle, Fromantal Halevy, was for many years associated with the opera; hence the double and early connection of Ludovic with the Parisian stage. At the age of six he might have been seen playing in that "Foyer de la Danse" with which he was to make his readers so familiar. At eighteen he joined the ranks of the French administration and occupied various posts, the last being that of secretaire redacteur to the Corps Legislatif. In that capacity he enjoyed the special favor and friendship of the famous Duke of Morny, then the president of the Assembly. In the spring of 1860, being commissioned to write a play for the manager of the Varieties, Halevy asked the collaboration of Henri Meilhac, and the proposal was immediately accepted, thus beginning a connection which continued for more than twenty years.

The joint work of the two authors had a great vogue, but Halevy is best known to more recent readers by his "L'Abbe Constantin," published soon after the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War.

It has been claimed that Zola had presented to the public an almost exclusive combination of bad men and women; in "L'Abbe Constantin" all are kind and good, and the change was eagerly welcomed by the reading public. Some enthusiasts still maintain that the Abbe will rank permanently in literature with the "Vicar of Wakefield."

Halevy died in Paris on the 8th of May, 1908. Among the most celebrated works of the joint authors were: "La Belle Helene," "Barbe Bleue," "La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein," and "La Perichole."