Further on in the letter, after inviting Madame Marliani and her husband to come to Nohant in May, she proceeds thus:—­

He [M.  Marliani] loves the country, and I shall be a match for him as regards rural pleasures, while you [Madame Marliani] will philosophise at the piano with Chopin.  It can hardly be said that he enjoys himself in Marseilles; but he resigns himself to recover patiently.

The following letter of Chopin to Fontana, which Karasowski thinks was written at Valdemosa in the middle of February, ought to be dated Marseilles, April, 1839:—­

As they are such Jews, keep everything till my return.  The Preludes I have sold to Pleyel (I received from him 500 francs).  He is entitled to do with them what he likes.  But as to the Ballades and Polonaises, sell them neither to Schlesinger nor to Probst.  But whatever may happen, with no Schonenberger [footnote:  A Paris music-publisher] will I have anything to do.  Therefore, if you gave the Ballade to Probst, take it back, even though he offered a thousand.  You may tell him that I have asked you to keep it till my return, that when I am back we shall see.

  Enough of these...Enough for me and for you.

My very life, I beg of you to forgive me all the trouble; you have really been busying yourself like a friend, and now you will have still on your shoulders my removal.  I beg Grzymala to pay the cost of the removal.  As to the portier, he very likely tells lies, but who will prove it?  You must give, in order to stop his barking.

My love to Johnnie, I will write to him when I am in better spirits.  My health is improved, but I am in a rage.  Tell Johnnie that from Anthony as well as from me he will have neither word nor money.

  Yesterday I received your letter, together with letters from
  Pleyel and Johnnie.

  If Clara Wieck pleased you, that is good, for nobody can play
  better than she does.  When you see her give her my
  compliments, and also to her father.

  Did I happen to lend you Witwicki’s songs?  I cannot find them. 
  I only ask for them in case you should chance to have them.

Chopin to Fontana; Marseilles, March 25 [should no doubt be April 25], 1839:—­

I received your letter, in which you let me know the particulars of the removal.  I have no words to thank you for your true, friendly help.  The particulars were very interesting to me.  But I am sorry that you complain, and that Johnnie is spitting blood.  Yesterday I played for Nourrit on the organ, you see by this that I am better.  Sometimes I play to myself at home, but as yet I can neither sing nor dance.

  Although the news of my mother is welcome, its having been
  originated by Plat...is enough to make one consider it a
  falsehood.

  The warm weather has set in here, and I shall certainly not
  leave Marseilles before May, and then go somewhere else in the
  south of France.