their walks, music,
and conversations. She drew also his portrait. And then one day Chopin
proposed. Her answer was that she could not run counter to her parents'
wishes, nor could she hope to be able to bend their will; but she would
always preserve for him in her heart a grateful remembrance.[FOOTNOTE:
Count Wodzinski relates on p. 255 of his book that at a subsequent
period of her life the lady confided to him the above-quoted answer.]
This happened in August, 1836; and two days after mother and daughter
left Marienbad. Maria Wodzinska married the next year a son of Chopin's
godfather, Count Frederick Skarbek. The marriage turned but an unhappy
one, and was dissolved. Subsequently the Countess married a Polish
gentleman of the name of Orpiszewski, who died some years ago in
Florence. She, I think, is still alive.

Karasowski relates the affair very differently. He says Chopin, who knew
the brothers Wodzinski in Poland, met them again in Paris, and through
them made the acquaintance of their sister Maria, whose beauty and
amiability inspired him at once with an interest which soon became
ardent love. But that Chopin had known her in Poland may be gathered
from the above letter to Felix Wodzinski, quite apart from the distinct
statements of the author of Les trois Romans that Chopin was a frequent
visitor at Sluzewo, and a great friend of Maria's. Further, Karasowski,
who does not mention at all the meeting of Chopin and the Wodzinskis at
Dresden in 1835, says that Chopin went in the middle of July, 1836, to
Marienbad, where he knew he would find Maria and her mother, and that
there he discovered that she whom he loved reciprocated his affection,
the consequence being an engagement approved of by her relations. When
the sojourn in Marienbad came to an end, the whole party betook itself
to Dresden, where they remained together for some weeks, which they
spent most pleasantly.

[FOOTNOTE: Karasowski relates that Chopin was at the zenith of
happiness. His good humour was irresistible. He imitated the most famous
pianists, and played his dreamy mazurkas in the manner much in
favour with Warsaw amateurs--i.e., strictly in time and with the
strongly-accented rhythm of common dance-tunes. And his friends reminded
him of the tricks which, as a boy, he had played on his visits to the
country, and how he took away his sisters' kid gloves when he was going
to an evening-party, and could not buy himself new ones, promising to
s