MARIE'S MISDOINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 7876, 8 April 1889, Page 4

MARIE'S MISDOINGS.

THE PATERNAL MANAGER AND THE AMOROUS ACTRESS. [From Our Own Correspondent.! London, February 15. T/ic divorce suit of Izard v. Izard and Leslie, which has been looked forward to curiously by tho profession and the public for the last few months, came on last Monday before Mr Justice Butt and a special jury at the New Law Courts. The petitioner, Izard, is a nice-looking, kindly young Jew, of twenty-six, who acts as one of the professors at the Royal Academy of Music. He has a good face of the raptartist sort, and bears a very high reputation, being well spoken of by everyone. The respondent, Mrs be better known to you by her stage name as "Marie Tempest." She is the prima donna of the original ' Dorothy' Company, and has for the past two years been one of the most be-photo-graphed idols of masherdom. Miss Tempest possesses classic features and " pure grey eyes," a merry smilo and an adorable soprano voico. Her voice, in fact, is her fortune. She began by taking the gold and silver medals at the R.A.M, This doesn't always mean much. Gold medallists from there have been known to turn out complete duffers. Miss Hetherington (for such was her maiden name), however, proved " real grit." She had been most carefully Lrougkt vvp, I may mention, and up to the time she went on the stage seems to have been very strictly guarded. Miss Tempest's marriage with Izard promised well. It was a love-match between wellmeaning young people, with thoroughly sympathetic tastes, and a comfortable income. Unfortunately Mr Izard's mother does not seem to have been nice to her daughter-in-law. Either she sneered at her sou's choice or at the girl's not earning more money. Probably the latter, as in ISBS Mrs Izard assumed the pseudonym of Tempest, and went on the stage, gettiug to begin with a salary of L 6 a week. I will now allow a ' Star' man to take up the sad tale. "In November, 1885," he says, "Miss Tempest was engaged in 'Erminie' at a salary of Lls a week. Mr and Mrs Izard were very happy together, and happier still when Marie Tempest was engaged at L 25 a week for the part of Bianca in 'La Bearnaise.' In January, 1886, she wrote sending millions of kisses to her darling husband from his own dearest little wife, and there were other letters of hers showing the affectionate and happy terms upon which she and her husband lived. But in the spring of 18S7 an event occurred which broke up this domestio paradise. In February Marie Tempest engaged with Mr George Edwardes to play the principal part in ' Dorothy' at a salary of L2O, and subsequently went to the Prince of Wales Theatre. There she met Mr Henry J. Leslie, who, as an accountant in the city, prepared the balance-sheets, etc., for Mr Edwardes. So he got a desire to have a theatrical speculation of his own, and acquired the rights in ' Dorothy.' Mr Leslie was a married man of forty, with a house at Hampstoad. Between him and the Izards there grew up a dining acquaintance, and on Saturdays when there was a matinee Mr Leslie used to take Mrs Izard and her sister, Florence Hetherington, to dinner. Whenever it was possible Mr Izard used to go to tho theatre and fetch his wife, but when her sister was with her he did not go so frequently. But he had every confidence in his wife, and when Mr Leslie proposed that he and one of his employe's, Mr Levenstein, should take Mrs Izard and Miss Hetherington to Boulogne, the husband made no objection. They went, the four of tbom together, from Saturday to Monday, and on a subsequent occasion Mr Levenstein, having got some free passes, took the ladies to Boulogne together. After that the Izards left Brixton and took a flat in Carlyle Mansions, where Leslie was exceedingly kind in advancing money, making them presents, and assisting them in obtaining credit. Mr Leslie indeed was very friendly, but there was absolutely no appearance of familiarity. The husband suspected nothing. In 1888 he did hear that Marie Tempest and Mr Leslie were seen about together a good rtctll, and he spoke to his wife. She denied there was any impropriety, and sent Mr Leslie to the husband with the fullest and seemingly most honorable denial of any impropriety. With this denial tho husband was quite satisfied, and so he continued until in February of last year. She became very much dispirited, and one night told her husband that she loved Mr Leslie, This was on April 9. She wept bitterly, and Mr Jzurd asked " Has there been any sin between you?" "No," she declared; there had been nothing of tho kind. Mr Izard said she must not let herself be carried away by this feeling, It was merely the love of position and the love of money. She must take a holiday. So it was arranged that she should go away to Bournemouth for a few days, and she promised her husband that she would try to give him again her old affection. Izard, terribly distressed, went to Leslie and told him of the communication his wife had made, and asked him to promise him not to see her again except so far as business made it necessary. Leplie showed that he was aware of this affection, but he declared that there had been no harm done. He seemed perfectly ready to agree to any suggestion the husband might make, and readily promised that he would keep out of her way, and even would go away from the theatre for a time, and leave someone else to mannge it for him. On the following day, 11th April, Marie Tempest and her sister went away to Bournemouth. Mr Izard went and saw Mr Leslie again, and wrote to his wife telling her so. In reply she wrote to him reproaching him with seeing Mr Leslie for the second time. She went on to say : " God knows, as I know, that I have wronged you by this unholy love. Don't think that he has bought me with presents. Were he so poor to-day or any ordinary man his character would command my reverence. I don't expect your forgiveness. You are a good, pure man, and I have never been worthy of you and of your name. If your mother and family had taken to me when I tried my level best to please them it might have been different. But they never did. lam very unhappy, and feel that my miserable existence would be better at an end." Mr Izard wrote in reply that nothing but death or dishonor should ever part them, and in reply he received another letter in which his wife finally broke tho tio between them. "I implore your forgiveness," she wrote. " What I have to tell you is an awful thing. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot and will not live any longer this life of deception and wickedness. lam not going to come back to you. I will stay with Flo. Kind people will talk about dishonor. But don't think I shall leave you to go to him. Pray believe me it is with no base motive that Ido this." So she left him. Soon after that she was seen driving with Lcslio in Oxford street. Mr Izard went at oneo to see hor at tho theatre. He went to her dressing-room. On the table was a silk hat, Mr Leslie's. He came in and removed it soon afterwards. Then ; there was a dramatic interview between Izird and Leslie, in which the character of the latter manifested Itself. " You promised me," 6aid Izard, " to do everything to prevent this feeling iipening into crime, and here you are driving with my wife." Leslie said tauntingly : " You said if she went away for a time she would forget all about me. Sho hasn't you see." "Ah," , said tho husband, " you wish to ruin this woman." " You have your remedy if I do," retorted Leslie. Since then thoy have been living together. Mr Leslie had also separated from his own wife. lIKAVY DAMAGES. On Thursday the petitioner was called to confirm the foregoing sad story. The respondent and co-respondent had the grace to offer no defence, so a decree nisi was pronounced, and tho jury assessed tho damages atLS,OOO. "Marie will cost Leslie a good bit more than twice that before she's dono with him," said a cynic in Court.