ther will not permit the marriage because of her poverty.
Seeing that a reward is offered for the head of the Carlist general,
Anita goes forth like a second Judith, trusting to her charms to win
admittance to the hostile camp. She wins her reward, but Araquil, who is
brought in from a battle mortally wounded, knowing the price at which it
was won, thrusts her from him, and she sinks a gibbering maniac upon his
corpse. There is little in Massenet's score but firing of cannons and
beating of drums. The musical interest centres in a charming duet in the
opening scene, and a delicious instrumental nocturne. The action of the
piece is breathless and vivid, and the music scarcely pretends to do
more than furnish a suitable accompaniment to it. Of late years Massenet
has confined himself principally to works of slight calibre, which have
been on the whole more successful than many of his earlier and more
ambitious efforts. 'Sapho' (1897), an operatic version of Daudet's
famous novel, and 'Cendrillon' (1899), a charming fantasia on the old
theme of Cinderella, both succeeded in hitting Parisian taste. No less
fortunate was 'Griselidis' (1901), a quasi-mediaeval musical comedy,
founded upon the legend of Patient Grizel, and touching the verge of
pantomime in the characters of a comic Devil and his shrewish spouse. Of
Massenet's later works none has been more successful than 'Le Jongleur
de Notre Dame' (1902), which, besides winning the favour of Paris, has
been performed at Covent Garden and in many German towns with much
success. Here we find Massenet in a very different vein from that of
'Manon,' or indeed any of his earlier works. The voluptuous passion of
his accustomed style is exchanged for the mystic raptures of
monasticism. Cupid has doffed his bow and arrows and donned the
conventual cowl. 'Le Jongleur' is an operatic version of one of the
prettiest stories in Anatole France's 'Etui de Nacre.' Jean the juggler
is persuaded by the Prior of the Abbey of Cluny to give up his godless
life and turn monk. He enters the monastery, but ere long is distressed
to find that while his brethren prove their devotion to the Blessed
Virgin by their skill in the arts of painting, music and the like, he
can give no outward sign of the faith that is in him. At last he
bethinks him of his old craft. He steals into the chapel and performs
before the image of Our Lady the homely antics which in old days
delighted the country people at many a