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ted； of including every striking phase of Parisian life。 For it is a series of brilliant； effective episodes and scenes； not a closely knit drama。 Jenkins's visit to Monpavon at his toilet； the /dejeuner/ at the Nabob's； the inspection of the OEuvre de Bethleemwhich would have delighted Dickensthe collapse of the fetes of the Bey； the Nabob's thrashing Moessard； the death of Mora； Felicia's attempt to escape the funeral of the duke； the interview between the Nabob and Hemerlingue； the baiting in the Chamber； the suicide of that supreme man of tone； Monpavon； the Nabob's apoplectic seizure in the theatrethese and many other scenes and episodes； together with descriptions and touches； stand out in our memories more distinctly and impressively than the characters doperhaps more so than does the central motive； the outrageous exploitation of the naive hero。 For from the beginning of his career to the end Daudet's eye； like that of a genuine but not supereminent poet； was chiefly attracted by colour； movement； effective posein other words； by the surfaces of things。 One may almost say that he was more of a landscape engineer than of an architect and builder； although one must at once add that he could and did erect solid structures。 But the reader at least helps greatly to lay the foundations； for； to drop the metaphor； Daudet relied largely on suggestion； contenting himself with the belief that a capable imagination could fill up the gaps he left in plot and character analysis。 Thus； for example； he indicated and suggested rather than detailed the way in which Hemerlingue finally triumphed over the Nabob； Jansoulet。 To use another figure； he drew the spider； the fly； and a few strands of the web。 The Balzac whose bust looked satirically down upon the two adventurers in Pere la Chaise would probably have given us the whole web。 This is not quite to say that Daudet is plausible； Balzac inevitable； but rather that we stroll with the former master and follow submissively in the footsteps of the latter。 Yet a caveat is needed； for the intense interest we take in the characters of a novel like /The Nabob/ scarcely suggests strolling。
For although Daudet； in spite of his abounding sympathy； which is one reason of his great attractiveness； cannot fairly be said to be a great character creator； he had sufficient flexibility and force of genius to set in action interesting personages。 Part of the early success of /The Nabob/ was due to this fact； although the brilliant description of the Second Empire and the introduction of exotic elements； the Tunisian and Corsican episodes and characters； counted； probably； for not a little。 Readers insisted upon seeing in the book this person and that more or less thinly disguised。 The Irish adventurer…physician； Jenkins； was supposed to be modelled upon a popular Dr。 Olliffe； the arsenic pills were derived from another source； as was also the goat's…milk hospital for infants。 Felicia Ruys was thought by some to be Sarah Bernhardt； and originals were easily provided for Monpavon and the other leading figures。 But Daudet confessed to only two important originals； and if one does not take an author's word in such matters one soon finds one's self in a maze of conjectures and contradictions。
The two characters drawn from life in a special sensefor Daudet； like most other writers of fiction； had human life in general constantly before himare Jansoulet and Mora； precisely the most effective personages in the book； and scarcely surpassed in the whole range of Daudet's fiction。 The Nabob was Francois Bravay； who rose from poverty to wealth by devious transactions in the Orient； and came to grief in Paris； much as Jansoulet did。 He survived the Empire； and his relatives are said to have been incensed at the treatment given him in the novel； an attitude on their part which is explicable but scarcely justifiable； since Daudet's sympathy for his hero could not well have been greater； and since the adventurer had already attained a notoriety that was not likely to be completely forgotten。 Whether Daudet was as much at liberty to make free with the character of his benefactor Morny is another matter。 He himself thought that he was； and he was a man of delicate sensitiveness。 Probably he was right in claiming that the natural son of Queen Hortense； the intrepid soldier； the author of the /Coup d'Etat/ that set his weaker half…brother on the throne； the dandy； the libertine； the leader of fashion； the cynical statesmanin short； the 〃Richelieu…Brummel〃 who drew the eyes of all Europe upon himself； would not have been in the least disconcerted could he have known that thirteen years after his death the public would be discussing him as the prototype of the Mora of his young /protege's/ masterpiece。 In fact； it is easy to agree with those critics who think that Daudet's kindly nature caused him to soften many features of Morny's unlovely character。 Mora does not； indeed； win our love or our esteem； but we confess him to have been in every respect an exceptional man； and there is not a page in which he appears that is not intensely interesting。 He must be an unimpressionable reader who soon forgets the death…room scenes； the destruction of the compromising letters； the spectacular funeral。
Of the other characters there is little space to speak here。 Nearly all have their good points； as might be expected of the creator of his two fellow Provencals； Numa and Tartarin； the latter being probably the only really cosmopolitan figure in recent literature； but some； like the Hemerlingues； verge upon mere sketches； others； like Jansoulet's obese wife； upon caricatures。 The old mother is excellently done； however； and Monpavon； especially in his suicide； is nothing short of a triumph of art。 It is the more or less romantic or sentimental personages that give the critic most qualms。 Daudet seems to have introduced themDe Gery； the Joyeuse family； and the restas a concession to popular taste； and on this score was probably justified。 A fair case may also be made out for the use of idyllic scenes as a foil to the tragical； for the Shakespearian critics have no monopoly of the overworked plea； 〃justification by contrast。〃 Nor could a French analogue of Dickens easily resist the temptation to give us a fatuous Passajon； an ebullient Pere Joyeusewho seems to have been partly modelled on a real personan exemplary 〃Bonne Maman；〃 a struggling but eventually triumphant Andre Maranne。 The home…lover Daudet also felt the necessity of showing that Paris could set the Joyeuse household； sunny in its poverty； over against the stately elegance of the Mora palace； the walls of which listened at one and the same moment to the music of a ball and the death…rattle of its haughty owner。 But when all is said； it remains clear that /The Nabob/ is open to the charge that applies to all the greater novels save /Sapho/the charge that it exhibits a somewhat inharmonious mixture of sentimentalism and naturalism。 Against this charge； which perhaps applies most forcibly to that otherwise almost perfect work of art； /Numa Roumestan/； Daudet defended himself； but rather weakly。 Nor does Mr。 Henry James； who in the case of the last…named novel comes to his h