to the foolish titles he gave them, in spite of my directions.  Were I to listen to the voice of my soul, I would not send him anything more after these titles.  Say as many sharp things to him as you can.

[Footnote:  Here are some specimens of the publisher’s ingenious inventiveness:—­“Adieu a Varsovie” (Rondeau, Op. 1), “Hommage a Mozart” (Variations, Op. 2), “La Gaite” (Introduction et Polonaise, Op. 3), “La Posiana” (Rondeau a la Mazur, Op. 5), “Murmures de la Seine” (Nocturnes, Op. 9), “Les Zephirs” (Nocturnes, Op. 15), “Invitation a la Valse” (Valse, Op. 18), “Souvenir d’Andalousie” (Bolero, Op. 19), “Le banquet infernal” (Premier Scherzo, Op. 20), “Ballade ohne Worte” [Ballad without words] (Ballade, Op. 23), “Les Plaintives” (Nocturnes, Op. 27), “La Meditation” (Deuxieme Scherzo, Op. 31), “Il lamento e la consolazione” (Nocturnes, Op. 32), “Les Soupirs” (Nocturnes, Op. 37), and “Les Favorites” (Polonaises, Op. 40).  The mazurkas generally received the title of “Souvenir de la Pologne.”]

Madame Sand thanks you for the kind words accompanying the parcel.  Give directions that my letters may be delivered to Pelletan, Rue Pigal [i.e., Pigalle], 16, and impress it very strongly on the portier.  The son of Madame Sand will be in Paris about the 16th.  I shall send you, through him, the Ms. of the Concerto ["Allegro de Concert”] and the Nocturnes [Op. 46 and 48].

These letters of the romantic tone-poet to a friend and fellow-artist will probably take the reader by surprise, nay, may even disillusionise him.  Their matter is indeed very suggestive of a commercial man writing to one of his agents.  Nor is this feature, as the sequel will show, peculiar to the letters just quoted.  Trafficking takes up a very large part of Chopin’s Parisian correspondence; [footnote:  I indicate by this phrase comprehensively the whole correspondence since his settling in the French capital, whether written there or elsewhere.] of the ideal within him that made him what he was as an artist we catch, if any, only rare glimmerings and glimpses.

CHAPTER XXV.

Two public concerts, one in 1841 and another in 1842. —­Chopin’s
style of playing:  Technical qualities; favourable physical
conditions; volume of tone; use of the pedals; spiritual
qualities; tempo rubato; instruments.—­His musical sympathies and
antipathies.—­Opinions on music and musicians.