ankee sea…captain； though I doubt； on the whole； if Anthony Trollope could have discovered any… thing better than Olivia Q。 Fleabody for the young woman from 〃the States〃 in his novel called 〃Is He Popenjoy？〃 To christen a sprightly young female advo… cate of woman's rights Olivia Q。 Fleabody was very happy indeed； to be candid； it was much better than was usual with Mr。 Trollope； whose understanding of American life and manners was not enlarged by extensive travel in this country。 An English tourist's preconceived idea of us is a thing he brings over with him on the steamer and carries home again intact； it is as much a part of his indispensable impedimenta as his hat… box。 But Fleabody is excellent； it was prob… ably suggested by Peabody； which may have struck Mr。 Trollope as comical （just as Trollope strikes us as comical）； or； at least； as not seri… ous。 What a capital name Veronica Trollope would be for a hoydenish young woman in a society novel！ I fancy that all foreign names are odd to the alien。 I remember that the signs above shop…doors in England and on the Conti… nent used to amuse me often enough； when I was over there。 It is a notable circumstance that extraordinary names never seem extraordi… nary to the persons bearing them。 If a fellow… creature were branded Ebenezer Cuttlefish he would remain to the end of his days quite un… conscious of anything out of the common。 I am aware that many of our American names are sufficiently queer； but English writers make merry over them； as if our most eccentric were not thrown into the shade by some of their own。 No American； living or dead； can surpass the verbal infelicity of Knatchbull…Hugessen； for ex… ampleif the gentleman will forgive me for conscripting him。 Quite as remarkable； in a grimly significant way； is the appellation of a British officer who was fighting the Boers in the Transvaal in the year of blessed memory 1899。 This young soldier； who highly distinguished himself on the field； was known to his brothers… in…arms as Major Pine Coffin。 I trust that the gallant major became a colonel later and is still alive。 It would eclipse the gayety of nations to lose a man with a name like that。 Several years ago I read in the sober police reports of 〃The Pall Mall Gazette〃 an account of a young man named George F。 Onions； who was arrested （it ought to have been by 〃a peeler〃） for purloining money from his em… ployers； Messrs。 Joseph Pickles & Son； stuff merchants； of Bradforddes noms bien idyl… liques！ What mortal could have a more ludi… crous name than Onions； unless it were Pickles； or Pickled Onions？ And then for Onions to rob Pickles！ Could there be a more incredible coin… cidence？ As a coincidence it is nearly sublime。 No story…writer would dare to present that fact or those names in his fiction； neither would be accepted as possible。 Meanwhile Olivia Q。 Flea… body is ben trovato。
A NOTE ON 〃L'AIGLON〃
THE night…scene on the battlefield of Wa… gram in 〃L'Aiglon〃an episode whose sharp pathos pierces the heart and the imagina… tion like the point of a rapierbears a striking resemblance to a picturesque passage in Victor Hugo's 〃Les Miserables。〃 It is the one intense great moment in the play； and has been widely discussed； but so far as I am aware none of M。 Rostand's innumerable critics has touched on the resemblance mentioned。 In the master's ro… mance it is not the field of Wagram； but the field of Waterloo； that is magically repeopled with contending armies of spooks； to use the grim old Dutch word； and made vivid to the mind's eye。 The passage occurs at the end of the sixteenth chapter in the second part of 〃Les Miserables〃 （Cosette）； and runs as follows：
Le champ de Waterloo aujourd'hui a le calme qui appartient a la terre； support impassible de l'homme； et il resemble a toutes les plaines。 La nuit pourtant une espece de brume visionnaire s'en degage； et si quelque voyageur s'y promene； s'il regarde； s'il ecoute； s'il reve comme Virgile dans les funestes plaines de Philippes； l'hallucination de la catastrophe le saisit。 L'effrayant 18 juin revit； la fausse colline…monument s'efface； ce lion quelconque se dissipe； le champ de bataille reprend sa realite； des lignes d'infanterie ondulent dans la plaine； des galops furieux traversent l'horizon； le songeur effare voit l'eclair des sabres； l'etincelle des bayonnettes； le flamboiement des bombes； l'entre…croisement monstrueux des tonnerres； il en… tend； comme un rale au fond d'une tombe； la clameur vague de la bataille…fantome； ces ombres； ce sont les grenadiers； ces lueurs； ce sont les cuirassiers； 。 。 。 tout cela n'est plus et se heurte et combat encore； et les ravins s'empourprent； et les arbres frissonnent； et il y a de la furie jusque dans les nuees； et； dans les tenebres； toutes ces hauteurs farouches； Mont…Saint… Jean； Hougomont； Frischemont； Papelotte； Plance… noit； apparaissent confusement couronnees de tour… billons de spectres s'exterminant。
Here is the whole battle scene in 〃L'Aiglon；〃 with scarcely a gruesome detail omitted。 The vast plain glimmering in phantasmal light； the ghostly squadrons hurling themselves against
The field of Waterloo has to…day the peacefulness which be… longs to earth； the impassive support of man； and is like all other plains。 At night； however； a kind of visionary mist is exhaled； and if any traveler walks there； and watches and listens； and dreams like Virgil on the sorrowful plains of Philippi； the hallu… cination of the catastrophe takes possession of him。 The terrible June 18 relives； the artificial commemorative mound effaces itself； the lion disappears； the field of battle assumes its reality； lines of infantry waver on the plain； the horizon is broken by furious charges of cavalry； the alarmed dreamer sees the gleam of sabres； the glimmer of bayonets； the lurid glare of bursting shells； the clashing of mighty thunderbolts； the muffled clamor of the phantom conflict comes to him like dying moans from the tomb； these shadows are grenadiers； these lights are cuirassiers 。 。 。 all this does not really exist； yet the combat goes on； the ravines are stained with purple； the trees tremble； there is fury even in the clouds； and in the obscurity the sombre heightsMont Saint… Jean； Hougomont； Frischemont； Papelotte； and Plancenoitap… pear dimly crowned with throngs of apparitions annihilating one another。
One another （seen only through the eyes of the poor little Duke of Reichstadt）； the mangled shapes lying motionless in various postures of death upon the blood…stained sward； the moans of the wounded rising up and sweeping by like vague wailings of the windall this might be taken for an artful appropriation of Victor Hugo's text； but I do not think it was； though it is possible that a faint reflection of a brilliant page； read in early youth； still lingered on the retina of M。 Rostand's memory。 If such were the case； it does not necessarily detract from the integrity of the conception or the playwright's presentment of it。 The idea of repeopling old battlefields with the shades of vanished hosts is not novel。 In such tragic spots the twilight always lays a dark hand on the imagination； and prompts one to invoke the unappeased spirit of the past that haunts the place。 One summer evening long ago； as I was standing alone by the ruined walls of Hougomont； with that sense of not being alone which is sometimes so strangely stirred by solitude； I had a sudden vision of that desperate last charge of Napoleon's Old Guard。 Marshal Ney rose from the grave and again shouted those heroic words to Drouet d'Erlon： 〃Are you not going to get yourself killed？〃 For an instant a thousand sabres flashed in the air。 The deathly silence that accompanied the ghostly onset was an added poignancy to the short…lived dream。 A moment later I beheld a hunched little figure mounted on a white horse with housings of purple velvet。 The reins lay slack in the rider's hand； his three…cornered hat was slouched over his brows； and his chin rested on the breast of his great…coat。 Thus he slowly rode away through the twilight； and nobody cried； Vive l'Empereur！ The ground on which a famous battle has been fought casts a spell upon every man's mind； and the impression made upon two men of poetic genius； like Victor Hugo and Edmond Rostand； might well be nearly identical。 This sufficiently explains the likeness between the fantastic silhouette in 〃Les Miserables〃 and the battle of the ghosts in 〃L'Aiglon。〃 A muse so rich in the improbable as M。 Rostand's need not borrow a piece of supernaturalness from anybody。
PLOT AND CHARACTER
HENRY JAMES； in his paper on Anthony Trollope； says that if Trollope 〃had taken sides on the rather superficial opposition between novels of character and novels of plot； I can imagine him to have said （except that he never expressed himself in epigram） that he preferred the former class； inasmuch as character in itself is plot； while plot is by no means character。〃 So neat an antithesis would surely never have found itself between Mr。 Trollope's lips if Mr。 James had not cunningly lent it to him。 What… ever theory of novel…writing Mr。 Trollope may have preached； his almost invariable practice was to have a plot。 He always had a story to tell； and a story involves beginning； middle； and endin short； a framework of some description。 There have been delightful books filled wholly with character…drawing； but they have not been great novels。 The great novel deals with human action as well as with mental portraiture and analysis。 That 〃character in itself is plot〃 is true only in a limited sense。 A plan； a motive with a logical conclusion； is as necessary to a novel or a romance as it is to a drama。 A group of skillfully made…up men and women lounging in the green…room or at the wings is not the play。 It is not enough to say that this is Romeo and that Lady Macbeth。 It is not enough to inform us that certain passions are supposed to be embodied in such and such persons： these persons should be placed in situations develop… ing those passions。 A series of unrelated scenes and dialogues leading to nothing is inadequate。 Mr。 James's engaging epigram seems