t had left
the room the great artist made his appearance holding the card in
his hand: "a young man of middle height, slim, thin, with a careworn,
speaking face and the finest Parisian tournure." Lenz does not hesitate
to declare that he hardly ever met a person so naturally elegant and
winning. But here is what took place at this interview.

Chopin did not press me to sit down [says Lenz], I stood as
before a reigning sovereign. "What do you wish? a pupil of
Liszt's, an artist?" "A friend of Liszt's. I wish to have the
happiness of making, under your guidance, acquaintance with
your mazurkas, which I regard as a literature. Some of them I
have already studied with Liszt." I felt I had been
imprudent, but it was too late. "Indeed!" replied Chopin, with
a drawl, but in the politest tone, "what do you want me for
then? Please play to me what you have played with Liszt, I
have still a few minutes at my disposal"--he drew from his
fob an elegant, small watch--"I was on the point of going out,
I had told my servant to admit nobody, pardon me!"

Lenz sat down at the piano, tried the gue of it--an expression at which
Chopin, who was leaning languidly on the piano and looking with his
intelligent eyes straight in his visitor's face, smiled--and then struck
up the Mazurka in B flat major. When he came to a passage in which
Liszt had taught him to introduce a volata through two octaves, Chopin
whispered blandly:--

"This TRAIT is not your own; am I right? HE has shown it you--
he must meddle with everything; well! he may do it, he plays
before THOUSANDS, I rarely before ONE. Well, this will do, I
will give you lessons, but only twice a week, I never give
more, it is difficult for me to find three-quarters of an
hour." He again looked at his watch. "What do you read then?
With what do you occupy yourself generally?" This was a
question for which I was well prepared. "George Sand and Jean
Jacques I prefer to all other writers," said I quickly. He
smiled, he was most beautiful at that moment. "Liszt has told
you this. I see, you are initiated, so much the better. Only
be punctual, with me things go by the clock, my house is a
pigeon-house (pigeonnier). I see already we shall become more
intimate, a recommendation from Liszt is worth something, you
are the first pupil whom he has recommended to me; we are
friends, we were comrades."

Lenz had, of course, too imagina