during the performance of Parisina at the Teatro Argentine, Rome, the Count and Haidée enter their box, the Countess G directing her opera-glass in that direction asks Franz d’Epinay who they may be remarking that as for herself, “All I can say is that the gentleman whose history I am unable to furnish seems to me as though he had just been dug up; he looks more like a corpse permitted by some friendly gravedigger to quit his tomb for a while, and revisit this earth of ours, than anything human. How ghastly pale he is!” “Oh, he is always as colourless as you now see him,” said Franz. “Then you know him?” almost screamed the countess. “Oh! pray do, for Heaven’s sake, tell us all about—is he a vampire or a resuscitated corpse, or what?” A few moments later when the lady has carefully studied the loge of their mysterious vis-à-vis, Franz demands: “Well, what do you think of our mysterious neighbour?” “Why, that he is no other than Lord Ruthven himself in a living frame,” was the reply. This fresh allusion to Byron drew a smile to Franz’s countenance; although he could not but allow that if anything was likely to induce belief in the existence of vampires, it would be the presence of such a man as the mysterious personage before him…. “Is it possible,” whispered Franz, “that you entertain any fear?” “I’ll tell you,” answered the countess. “Byron had the most perfect belief in the existence of vampires, and even assured me he had seen some. The description he gave me perfectly corresponds with the features and character of the man before us. Oh! it is the exact personification of what I have been led to expect. The coal-black hair, large bright, glittering eyes, in which a wild, unearthly fire seems burning,—the same ghastly paleness!”[40]
Nearly thirty years after Dumas in collaboration with Maquet utilized the theme of Le Vampire for his own drama of the same name which was given at the Ambigu-Comique, 20th December, 1851, and which may conveniently be considered here.
Le Vampire is described as a “Drame Fantastique en Cinq Actes, en Dix Tableaux” and there are very many characters in this remarkable play. The principal parts were taken as follows: Lord Ruthwen, M. Arnault; Gilbert de Tiffauges, M. Goujet; Juan Rozo, a Spanish inn-keeper, M. Coquet;
