Maurice Guest

A novel by 'Henry Handel Richardson', was first published in 1908. Set in Leipzig at the turn of the century, it deals with the fatal passion of an idealistic young English student of music, Maurice Guest, for an Australian woman, Louise Dufrayer. Louise, several years older than Maurice but disturbingly attractive, is deeply involved in an unequal relationship with a Polish musician of genius, Schilsky. Maurice, who has grown up in a cheerless, middle-class home, totally bereft 'of the great gladness, the ideal beauty of life', romanticises both his passion for music and his passion for Louise. In his sentimental idealism he differs from his friends Madeleine Ware, a purposeful, realistic, sympathetic girl who repeatedly attempts to rescue Maurice from his self-destructive path, and Dove, a shallow egoist who is easily able to adapt to his disappointments in love and whose busy concern for others satisfies his mild lust for power. The enigmatic, unpredictable Heinz Krafft, another talented student, who also seems to have been sexually involved with both Schilsky and Louise, appears to be inspired with a more malevolent urge to manipulate others. Ephie Cayhill, on the other hand, a childlike American, is completely vulnerable in this milieu, especially after she falls in love with Schilsky. The latter, who casually encourages her passion while attempting to disentangle himself from Louise, is making plans to leave Leipzig and further his career with the financial help of yet another admirer. Maurice quarrels violently with Schilsky after he discovers these facts at a drunken party. Although Louise has barely noticed Maurice up to this point, he shows his devotion to her in the crisis following Schilsky's sudden departure by taking Ephie to her apartment. The American girl, in despair at her enlightenment about Schilsky and Louise, is removed from Leipzig by her family. Two months later, Maurice, who has attempted to subdue his passion for Louise, discovers that she is living in a state of apathetic withdrawal, and takes over the management of her practical affairs. After their relationship becomes one of close companionship, Maurice proposes marriage and is rejected, Louise realising that 'there is something irreconcileable in their two natures'. Shortly after, however, she suddenly consents to accept him as a lover, hoping perhaps to escape from her ennui in this way. In July they spend an idyllic two weeks in the country. Back in Leipzig, Maurice throws himself into his work, which he has previously neglected, but becomes increasingly uneasy about Louise's uninterest in everything except sensual passion. By October Louise is aware that for her 'the whole affair had been no more than an episode' and Maurice is made to realise that 'to him the gradual unfolding of their love had been a wonderful revelation; to her, a repetition, and a paler and fainter one, of a tale she already knew by heart'. Their relationship rapidly degenerates: Maurice, maddened by her inconstancy and his discovery of her relationship with Krafft, beats her in despair. Krafft suddenly disappears from Leipzig, although he continues to write to Maurice denigrating Louise. His departure is also followed by the suicide of his inscrutable but devoted mistress Avery Hill. Maurice, now aware that Louise is indifferent to him and will return to Schilsky but powerless to surmount his feelings, which he now recognises have passed beyond 'tenderness, faithfulness, respect' to become simply 'the morbid possession by a woman's face', commits suicide. The novel concludes with a glimpse of Schilsky and Louise, now married, two years later; Schilsky, now Konzertmeister in a large south German town, is firmly set in his career and Louise, of whom it is said that 'an English chap shot himself on her account', is still exerting her power over other men. In 1954 the novel was produced as a film titled Rhapsody and starring Elizabeth Taylor.

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