ld be obliged at last to say something.

George Sand drew an enormously thick Trabucco cigar out of her
apron pocket, and called out "Frederic! un fidibus!"

This offended me for him, that perfect gentleman, my master; I
understood Liszt's words: "Pauvre Frederic!" in all their
significance.

Chopin immediately came up with a fidibus.

As she was sending forth the first terrible cloud of smoke,
George Sand honoured me with a word:

"In St. Petersburg," she began, "I could not even smoke a
cigar in a drawing-room?"

"In NO drawing-room have I ever seen anyone smoke a cigar,
Madame," I answered, not without emphasis, with a bow!

George Sand fixed her eyes sharply upon me--the thrust had
gone home! I looked calmly around me at the good pictures in
the salon, each of which was lighted up by a separate lamp.
Chopin had probably heard nothing; he had returned to the
hostess at the table.

Pauvre Frederic! How sorry I was for him, the great artist!
The next day the Suisse [hall-porter] in the hotel, Mr.
Armand, said to me: "A gentleman and a lady have been here, I
said you were not at home, you had not said you would receive
visitors; the gentleman left his name, he had no card with
him." I read: Chopin et Madame Sand. After this I quarrelled
for two months with Mr. Armand.

George Sand was probably out of humour on the evening in question; that
it was not her usual manner of receiving visitors may be gathered from
what Chopin said soon after to Lenz when the latter came to him for a
lesson. "George Sand," he said, "called with me on you. What a pity you
were not at home! I regretted it very much. George Sand thought she had
been uncivil to you. You would have seen how amiable she can be. You
have pleased her."

Alexander Chodzko, the learned professor of Slavonic literature at the
College de France, told me that he was half-a-dozen times at George
Sand's house. Her apartments were furnished in a style in favour with
young men. First you came into a vestibule where hats, coats, and
sticks were left, then into a large salon with a billiard-table. On
the mantel-piece were to be found the materials requisite for smoking.
George Sand set her guests an example by lighting a cigar. M. Chodzko
met there among others the historian and statesman Guizot, the
litterateur Francois, and Madame Marliani. If Chopin was not present,
George Sand would often ask the servant what