to him the above-quoted answer.] This happened in August, 1836; and two days after mother and daughter left Marienbad.  Maria Wodzinska married the next year a son of Chopin’s godfather, Count Frederick Skarbek.  The marriage turned but an unhappy one, and was dissolved.  Subsequently the Countess married a Polish gentleman of the name of Orpiszewski, who died some years ago in Florence.  She, I think, is still alive.

Karasowski relates the affair very differently.  He says Chopin, who knew the brothers Wodzinski in Poland, met them again in Paris, and through them made the acquaintance of their sister Maria, whose beauty and amiability inspired him at once with an interest which soon became ardent love.  But that Chopin had known her in Poland may be gathered from the above letter to Felix Wodzinski, quite apart from the distinct statements of the author of Les trois Romans that Chopin was a frequent visitor at Sluzewo, and a great friend of Maria’s.  Further, Karasowski, who does not mention at all the meeting of Chopin and the Wodzinskis at Dresden in 1835, says that Chopin went in the middle of July, 1836, to Marienbad, where he knew he would find Maria and her mother, and that there he discovered that she whom he loved reciprocated his affection, the consequence being an engagement approved of by her relations.  When the sojourn in Marienbad came to an end, the whole party betook itself to Dresden, where they remained together for some weeks, which they spent most pleasantly.

[Footnote:  Karasowski relates that Chopin was at the zenith of happiness.  His good humour was irresistible.  He imitated the most famous pianists, and played his dreamy mazurkas in the manner much in favour with Warsaw amateurs—­i.e., strictly in time and with the strongly-accented rhythm of common dance-tunes.  And his friends reminded him of the tricks which, as a boy, he had played on his visits to the country, and how he took away his sisters’ kid gloves when he was going to an evening-party, and could not buy himself new ones, promising to send them dozens as soon as he had gained a good position in Paris.  Count Wodzinski, too, bears witness to Chopin’s good humour while in the company of the Wodzinskis.  In the course of his account of the sojourn at Marienbad, this writer speaks of Chopin’s polichinades:  “He imitated then this or that famous artist, the playing of certain pupils or compatriots, belabouring the keyboard with extravagant gestures, a wild [echevele] and romantic manner, which he called aller a la chasse aux pigeons.”]

Unless Chopin was twice with the Wodzinskis in Dresden, Karasowski must be mistaken.  That Chopin sojourned for some time at Dresden in 1835 is evidenced by Wieck’s letter, quoted on p. 288, and by the above-mentioned waltz.  The latter seems also to confirm what Count Wodzinski says about the presence of the Wodzinskis at Dresden in that year.  On the other hand, we have no such documents to prove the presence at Dresden