he
had gained in power and brilliancy. Moscheles, who was present,
wrote: "Franz Liszt's playing surpasses in power and the overcoming of
difficulties anything that has yet been heard."

The strain of constant travel and concert playing was seriously
telling on the boy's sensitive, excitable nature. He lost his sunny
gaiety, grew quiet, sometimes almost morose. He went much to church,
and wanted to take orders, but his father prevented this step.
Indeed the father became alarmed at the boy's pale face and
changed condition, and took him to the French watering place of
Boulogne-sur-Mer. Here both father and son were benefited by the
sea baths and absolute rest. Franz recovered his genial spirits and
constantly gained in health and strength.

But with Adam Liszt the gain was only temporary. He was attacked with
a fever, succumbed in a few days and was buried at Boulogne. The loss
of his father was a great blow to Franz. He was prostrated for days,
but youth at last conquered. Aroused to his responsibilities, he began
to think for the future. He at once wrote his mother, telling her what
had happened, saying he would give up his concert tours and make a
home for her in Paris, by giving piano lessons.

Looking closer into his finances, of which he had no care before,
Franz found the expenses of his father's illness and death had
exhausted their little savings, and he was really in debt. He decided
to sell his grand piano, so that he should be in debt to no one. This
was done, every one was paid off and on his arrival in Paris his old
friend Erard invited him to his own home till the mother came.

It was a sweet and happy meeting of mother and son, after such a
long separation. The two soon found a modest apartment in the Rue
Montholon.

As soon as his intention to give lessons became known, many
aristocratic pupils came and found him a remarkable teacher. Among his
new pupils was Caroline Saint Cricq, youngest daughter of Count Saint
Cricq, then Minister of the Interior, and Madame his wife.

Caroline, scarcely seventeen, the same age as her young teacher, was
a beautiful girl, as pure and refined as she was talented. Under the
eyes of the Countess, the lessons went on from month to month, and the
mother did not fail to see the growing attachment between the young
people. But love's young dream was of short duration. The Countess
fell ill and the lessons had to be discontinued. Caroline did not see
her devoted teac