necessary than ever. I should like to chase away the
thoughts that poison my joyousness; but, in spite of all, it
is pleasant to play with them. I don't know myself what I
want; perhaps I shall be calmer after writing this letter.

Farther on in the same letter he says:--

How often do I take the night for the day, and the day for
the night! How often do I live in a dream and sleep during
the day, worse than if I slept, for I feel always the same;
and instead of finding refreshment in this stupor, as in
sleep, I vex and torment myself so that I cannot gain
strength.

It may be easily imagined with what interest one so far gone in love
watched the debut of Miss Gladkowska as Agnese in Paer's opera of the
same name. Of course he sends a full account of the event to his friend.
She looked better on the stage than in the salon; left nothing to be
desired in her tragic acting; managed her voice excellently up to the
high j sharp and g; shaded in a wonderful manner, and charmed her slave
when she sang an aria with harp accompaniment. The success of the lady,
however, was not merely in her lover's imagination, it was real; for at
the close of the opera the audience overwhelmed her with never-ending
applause. Another pupil of the Conservatorium, Miss Wolkow, made her
debut about the same time, discussions of the comparative merits of
the two ladies, on the choice of the parts in which they were going to
appear next, on the intrigues which had been set on foot for or against
them, &c., were the order of the day. Chopin discusses all these matters
with great earnestness and at considerable length; and, while not at
all stingy in his praise of Miss Wolkow, he takes good care that Miss
Gladkowska does not come off a loser:--

Ernemann is of our opinion [writes Chopin] that no singer can
easily be compared to Miss Gladkowska, especially as regards
just intonation and genuine warmth of feeling, which
manifests itself fully only on the stage, and carries away
the audience. Miss Wolkow made several times slight mistakes,
whereas Miss Gladkowska, although she has only been heard
twice in Agnese, did not allow the least doubtful note to
pass her lips.

The warmer applause given to Miss Wolkow did not disturb so staunch a
partisan; he put it to the account of Rossini's music which she sang.

When Chopin comes to the end of his account of Miss Gladkowska's first
appearance on the s